Going Red Part 1: The Balm

I first became obsessed with red lips when I read an article in "Seventeen" when I was in sixth grade. My mother's friend's daughter, whom I've never met, received two of the same issue of the magazine by mistake and somehow it made its way to my posession. Beauty magazines were still a great mystery to me, and I poured over the pages over and over until the thing was reduced to shreds and my mom got me my own subscription. I remember visiting this article on red lips time after time of flipping throug the magazine, it seemed that if I could somehow achieve effortless red lips then somehow I would be popular and thin and attractive. As I slowly began building my makeup collection, I've actually found some truth in this. Red lips are empowering, they scream self confidence and ooze sex appeal- if done correctly, that is. And managing it correctly is what seems to keep a lot of women from embracing the look. Over the course of the next few weeks I'll post the tricks and products I've come to rely on, beginning with the least intense ways to do red and ending with full-on cream lipsticks, as well as advice on what to do with the rest of your face.

As a quick note on color selection: the internet and beauty magazines are full of detailed advice on what reds to pick for your skin tone. The essential piece is that reds are made with a variety of undertones, so pick one that has the undertones that you look good in. I.e. if you can rock orange like there's no tomorrow, then go for that hot oranged red from the 50s. If you wear really earthy colors, then pick a creamy rosy slightly browned red. Again not to diss on drugstore lines, but be a little careful- these reds are notorious for turning fuschia and orange so use a tester if at all possible. If you haven't stumbled onto this gem already, www.makeupalley.com provides extensive consumer reviews on beauty items- it's great for getting an idea of whether a product is going to turn a funny shade after application, and for looking at what specific shades work on what range of skin and hair coloring.

The easiest place to start when beginning to work red into one's makeup collection is with a tinted balm- either a traditional Chapstick type formula or one of the sheer moisturizing non plastic shine tinted glosses now on the market. The benefits of its sheerness are that it's very low maintenance- you never have to worry about it smudging or fading strangely, and you can swipe it on without a mirror- and that it's not intimidating if you're anxious about starting to wear red. Where gloss tends to make more of a statement through higher shine and more intense pigment, balm gives the effect of making your lips look like you just ate a popsicle. It's also a great product to use in conjunction with lip stain and to refresh red lipstick throughout the day. My all-time favorite is mark. Kiss Therapy Super Soothing Lip Balm in Sheer Red, which isn't available from mark. at the moment but can still be found on eBay. The formula is a thicker and less fragrant version of Smith's Rosebut Salve, and the tint is an effortless true red, perhaps a little on the cool side. The balm also packs some nice shine and moisturizes very nicely. The bonus is that this stuff is cheap- a few dollars for 12 g. If you can't find a sheer red balm that you like, apply your favorite semi-glossy untinted version and lightly fill in some color with a lip pencil or smudge on a little lipstick before the balm to sheer out the color and it will give the same effect. Once you find a tone of red that's flattering on you, wearing a sheer and shiny balmy version is one of the most effortlessly sexy ways to make a statement.

Other balms I haven't tried but beauty magazines rave about: Bobbi Brown Tinted Lip Balm, Stila Lip Pot in Cerise, and Urban Rituelle Pomegranate lip balm.