Correct presentation – Style – Kommersant

Before the onset of New Year’s fuss, Kommersant Style asks famous makeup artists who suits bright lipsticks and how to choose the right shade of red.

In the same way that a good pair of jeans is an essential part of an on-trend wardrobe, red lipstick is a must have in your make-up bag, especially during the party season. This is the perfect way to take your look to the next level, add brightness and festivity. Experts talk about their experience with lipsticks of all shades of red and recall the funny cases associated with this makeup element.

Natalia Vlasova, founder of the Moscow school of make-up artists Mosmake

• The key to choosing the perfect red is very simple, it’s understanding your skin tone as well as your lipstick shade and how they work together. Firstly, you can choose a universal red lipstick shade and it will look good on every skin tone. When in doubt, you need (preferably with the help of a professional makeup artist) to figure out what skin tone you have.
• You need to remember that red is a bright accent, you need to spend and devote more time to it than ordinary lip gloss. Allow a little more time for the makeup process than you are used to.
• I do not like to be categorical, especially in the matter of color, and say that red may not suit someone, all people have different perceptions and reactions. Your wish matters! And everything else can be explained and the right shade can be chosen.
• I want to pay attention to the nuances associated with the natural pigment of the lips, sometimes it is naturally bright and saturated on its own and it can be difficult to choose a shade of lipstick – this happened to one Hollywood star when I did her makeup before the event. But in the end everything worked out!

Ernest Muntaniol, national make-up artist for Chanel in Russia

• Red lipstick does not tolerate errors, the contour line must be perfect. When drawing with a pencil, the shape of the lips should be strictly symmetrical. We select the color of the contour pencil to match the color or a tone darker. Before applying lipstick, you need to carefully remove the remnants of moisture on the lips. The texture of lipsticks is better to choose from satin or matte. Lipsticks with a glossy finish look amazing but soon start to run.
• The bright color of lipstick attracts all the attention, and therefore red lipstick is contraindicated for those who have a pronounced asymmetry in the shape of the lips. I also don’t recommend bright lipstick for owners of thin and narrow lips, as thin lips look visually even thinner, and facial expressions are perceived mean and sometimes even angry. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that yellowish tooth enamel cannot be used with warm shades of red lipsticks, they will emphasize yellowness. But cold shades visually “whiten” it.
• I once worked with a singer for a long time, she is a big fan of red lipsticks and, most importantly, a make-up perfectionist. The contour of the lip line must be perfect, there can be no errors or shortcomings. What can I say that after working with her, I am not only not afraid of red lipsticks and clear contours, I can draw lips in any conditions, even in a moving car! This is what it means to work with demanding clients.

Olga Romanova, professional makeup artist, creator of Romanovamakeup

• I have great news for you: there is no woman who does not wear red lipstick. And, besides the fact that this is a win-win way to make the image bright in just a couple of moments, let’s not forget about the energy message that it automatically generates.
• If you don’t want to delve into the smallest color nuances of red lipsticks, choose one that has a cool undertone. It is suitable for any skin type, and also visually brightens tooth enamel and whites of the eyes. But with brick shades, I advise you to be very careful: unlike the first group, they do not have a rejuvenating effect, so I would not recommend them to adult “girls”. Plus, to use them, you need to be sure that the skin is flawless, blood vessels, rashes and other troubles are not visible on it.
• Before applying the red lipstick itself, we almost always use a pencil. I draw your attention to the fact that many are very afraid to go beyond the contour and lips and draw a line just below it. Thus visually reducing them. To avoid this, I recommend putting a “tick” in the very center – a millimeter above the contour, and then smile and draw lines from the center to the periphery.
• By the way, a bright visual effect can be achieved using a shade half a tone darker and a little colder than the lipstick itself, and the most daring even combine it with a black pencil. The only point: it is very important to shade the transition well, to make it as smooth as possible. Even owners of thin lips often abuse red matte lipsticks. This texture makes them even thinner. It is better to pay attention to glossy specimens.

Anna Kartashova, creator and creative director of Annbeauty

• In order to choose your shade of red correctly, it is important to determine the skin tone: light-skinned wine shades of lipstick are suitable, if the skin is pink, then it is best to stop at the classic red color, and if closer to dark, then you should abandon brick-colored lipsticks, as well as cold shades. The brighter the color, the better.
• Red lipstick requires the perfect tone of the face, otherwise all the bumps, spots and the slightest mistakes will be in sight. Professionals know that red lipstick involves several layers of application – first one thick layer, then be sure to blot with a napkin, then apply a second layer, again a napkin, and then a third, and so on. Thanks to this application, durability increases significantly. It is also important to paint over the corners and surface of the lips from the inside. And do not forget: if you want to achieve the effect of classic red lipstick, then you should give preference to laconic styling and more neutral colors of clothing.
• I’m afraid if you have a serious stage of acne or rosacea, then red shades are best avoided. They absolutely always emphasize any imperfections, literally “highlighting” them with a spotlight. Even if before that you applied a thick layer of foundation.
• Red lipstick usually stains the teeth, so I always asked the models to make a “pipe”. And almost everyone looked at me like I was crazy after such a request. And that means just gently remove the marks on their own teeth with their own finger. And that’s Pat McGrath’s move, by the way. I also don’t advise you to actively kiss with red lipstick on your lips – it doesn’t rub off, so be careful leaving “evidence”.

Yuri Ananov, celebrity makeup artist

• Red lips suit all girls! Shades with blue undertones are more suitable for girls with a yellow skin tone, and more orange-red for girls with pinkish skin. But the most optimal on the lips is 100% red – it suits everyone without exception.
• The main mistake when applying lipstick is the tone – it must be perfect, especially around the lips and nose. The second mistake is clarity: red lips must be perfectly defined!
• Once, at a Chanel breakfast, I worked at the Bolshoy restaurant, and everything was so fast and in a hurry, and I worked with Renata Litvinova. Now imagine the whitest skin of a “goddess” and me with an eyelash curler. At the moment I hear a loud “Ai” and see a blood-red mark under my eye … Meeeeely, with a pounding heart, I wipe off what seems to me a pinched abrasion under the star’s eye, and I see that this is lipstick, not a bruise. It turned out that the assistant folded the tongs to the pencils and forgot to put on the cap … but in those split seconds I was preparing for the sunset of my makeup artist career.

Irina Kirienko