red for v-day!

I'm not one to wear red clothing a lot - I just don't think it looks good on me at all. But I do love me some red lipstick once in a while. I particularly loved wearing it when my hair was jet black because the contrast between the dark hair, pale skin, and cherry red lips was just very Snow White to me. Super pretty.

Now, my hair is more of a medium golden brown and I haven't reached for red in a LONG time. I just felt like it wouldn't work that well - that is, until, I saw this picture of Jessica Alba on InStyle.com. The pic is about a year old, but you have to admit, she looks timeless and beautiful with her red lips and golden brown waves. Needless to say, I'm inspired to try this look for Valentine's Day, since I'll probably be wearing my "uniform" of black clothes. Hey, when you wear as much black, white, brown, and gray as I do, you are forced to experiment with hair color and daring makeup!

If you wanna go the red route too, use this simple "rule" for finding your skintone's perfect shade. If you're olive-skinned or tan (like Alba) go for warm, orange-y, brick reds. If you're pale, burn in the sun, and have pink undertones, go for blue-based reds. Every skintone can pull off a true red (MAC Russian Red is the only true red I've ever tried - this is the one I'll be wearing on V-Day). Oh, and if you're sitting there thinking that red is scary and grandma-like, go for a red stain instead of lipstick. I have to give props to Benefit Benetint here (my all-time favorite stain that EVERYONE and their MOM should own), but I've also tried Stila Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain and that's becoming another fave as well. Both make me look as if I just ate a cherry popsicle and the color lasts for hours. Tip: always add some ChapStick over these to keep your lips hydrated. Stains tend to make lips look dry.