Fifty Shades of Red

To the untrained eye, a red lip is a red lip. But enter into the beauty blogging world and you soon find out that there's a lot more to it than that. Which red will suit your skintone, eye colour or hair colour? Do you go for blue tones, orange tones? And what about the Sophie's choice of lipstick selection - matte or glossy?

As I perused my small but diverse collection of red lippies, I realised there is a different red for every person and every occasion.

One of the most important things to consider when choosing any beauty product is the colour wheel.
Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel tend to be complimentary of each other, as they can work to either counteract or intensify the opposite colour. For example, when using colour correctors, we choose a product containing a colour that will counteract the problem - e.g. a corrector with yellow undertones will work to reduce the appearance of purple under-eye circles and a green-toned corrector can counteract any redness in the skin.
The colour wheel is also very relevant when deciding which shade of red will suit your colouring best.
Here are my six picks, one for each red lip category, and my thoughts on each.

L-R: Rimmel Kate Moss 22, Rimmel Kate Moss Matte 110, Topshop Rio Rio

The Pink Red
A pink-based red lipstick is a youthful and fresh take on the traditional red lips trend. A cool-toned pink red like Rimmel Kate Moss in 22 would be particularly suited to girls with a paler complexion as the cool tones won't be as stark as they would be against a warmer skintone. Pink reds also look particularly beautiful with darker hair and eyes, as pinks and purples tend to be complimentary of darker features.

The Coral Red
This is a bright summery red which leans towards the warmer side of the red lipstick spectrum. Because of this, a coral red would look great against a warmer skintone. That's not to say that paler girls can't pull off a coral red - it would just stand out more against cool-toned skin, which is definitely not a bad thing, depending on the intensity of the look you're trying to achieve. I've also found that coral and orange reds are amazing at bringing out blue eyes (it's that colour wheel again!). When I applied the two orange-based lipsticks I've chosen for this post, the first thing that stood out to me was how much more blue my eyes appeared. If you're brave, try a bright coral red like Rimmel Kate Moss Matte in 110.

The Orange Red
Similar to the coral red, but without the pink undertones, the orange red again is traditionally recommended for darker skintones as it is the warmest of all the red lipstick shades. Whilst it is easier for someone with a warmer skintone to pull off, I'd definitely say us paler girls can pull it off too when we wear it right. Pair it will lashings of mascara and flawless-looking skin to really make the orange pop against cooler skin. And if you're a blue-eyed girl, prepare for your peepers to stand out just as much as your lip colour. Try Topshop Rio Rio for a flattering orange red lip.

L-R: Gold by Giles Pulse, Mac Russian Red, Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Rosy Red

The Blue Red
Now the queen of red lipstick has to be the blue-based red. Universally flattering? Check. Classic and striking? Check. Makes teeth appear whiter? Check. I read somewhere that a blue red is the only shade of red lipstick that blondes should wear. Now, whilst I don't agree with that (I very much enjoy my orange reds thank you very much), I do see the logic behind that statement. Blue is opposite the yellow tones on the wheel after all, which is why reds with blue undertones work to whiten teeth, by counteracting any yellowness. Is yellowness a word? Spellcheck says yes so we'll go with it. As blue-based lipsticks like this one by Gold by Giles in Pulse are cooler in tone, they work best against a paler skintone, but are so flattering I think they'd work just as well with a warmer skintone and dark features.

The Matte Red
Matte lipsticks might be the marmite of the beauty world. Some love the traditional, chalky feel of a matte formula, whilst some loathe the potential lip-dragging and highlighting of dryness and imperfections on the lips. Personally, I always avoided them, until I bought Mac Russian Red, and finally found a place in my heart for matte. I think every girl should own a classic matte red. It oozes sophistication and matte is always on trend, particularly for Autumn/Winter. If you're conscious of the lipstick clinging to any dry patches on your lips, exfoliate first using Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub, and follow with an intensely hydrating lip balm like Nuxe Reve de Miel Baume Levres, allowing it to sink in before applying your lip colour.

The Glossy Red
I think a glossy red is the younger, less serious sister of the matte red. It's fun, comfortable and less intense. If you want a true red lip, with an almost balm consistency and without compromising on pigmentation, I'd recommend the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Rosy Red, which can be built up into an intense but glossy colour and compliments any skintone or colouring.

I better state that these are by no means 'the rules' of wearing red lipstick, just my opinions based on a little research and my own experience. At the end of the day, red lips are meant to be a little daring, striking and sexy, so go for the shade that makes you feel most confident about yourself, not the shade you think you 'should' be wearing. 

What's your favourite red lipstick?

Holly xo

Deep Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Over the last month I've really become interested in skincare and trying to improve the look and condition of my skin. One very important, but often neglected step in this quest for perfect skin is deep cleaning your makeup brushes. After all, there's no point cleansing, toning and moisturising if you're going to apply your makeup with dirty brushes every day, is there? The build-up of dirt and bacteria on makeup brushes can cause spots, and we all want to avoid those pesky little things. Experts recommend cleaning your brushes every 1-2 weeks, but it's so easy to forget, or to simply avoid as it's not the most exciting job in the world. I'm going to really try and give my brushes a deep clean at least every couple of weeks to make sure I'm applying my makeup with clean bacteria-free tools.
Now, you can give your brushes a quick cleanse using an instant brush cleanser (MAC and Estee Lauder sell these, for example), but you should still deep clean them regularly to make sure you've removed all traces of makeup and dirt.
Here are the steps I take to deep clean my brushes:

You can wash your brushes using mild shampoo, washing up liquid or soap. I personally like to use a delicate soap as I find this is perfect for removing all the makeup from my brushes, and the pump dispenser makes the job so much easier.

Step 1: Wash your hands

You're going to be using your hands to clean the brushes so you want them to be clean too so that you don't transfer the bacteria from your hands back onto the brushes.

Step 2: Rinse the brush

Hold the brush vertically, making sure the water doesn't run down into the brush as this can loosen the glue that holds the brush fibres, causing your brush to moult (and if you've spent a fair bit of money on good quality brushes, you don't want them falling to bits).

Step 3: Dispense the soap onto the brush or into your hand

I personally like to dispense it directly onto the brush, but it really makes no difference as step 4 is the same either way.

Step 4: Swirl the brush and soap around on the palm of your hand

This is the part where you can see all the nastiness that's been clinging to your makeup brush, and if you're like me, you feel a bit guilty that you hadn't washed them sooner! Keep rinsing your hand when it gets covered in soapy makeup residue, then swirl the brush around again until all the makeup is gone.

Step 5: Rinse the brush again

Again, be sure not to let the water run down into the brush - keep it vertical. Make sure you rinse until all the soap is gone.

Step 6: Wring out the excess water

 Don't squeeze or pull the brush too hard as you don't want to risk loosening or pulling out any of the brush fibres.

Step 7: Re-shape the brush and leave it to dry

When the brush is damp, you need to re-shape it so that it dries in the right shape. Then leave the brush to dry on some kitchen roll or a clean towel. You could do this in the evening so that your brushes can dry overnight, or on a day when you don't intend to wear makeup.

And voila! Now you have lovely clean brushes to apply your makeup with.

I'm sure a lot of you already know how to deep clean your makeup brushes but I hope this helped those of you who were a little bit unsure :)
Hope you're having a great week,

Holly xo