How to Master the Perfect Red Lip for the Holidays

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‘Tis the season for sparkle, sequins, and shine — all punctuated with a perfectly red pout, of course. Interested in trying out the bold hue but don’t think you can pull it off? Think again.

This might be the year you finally master the art of rocking the red.

“Anyone can do red,” says celebrity makeup artist Erwin Gomez. “It really depends on the lip shade, which is very, very important.” Gomez recommends a blueish red, which he says is

“universally flattering.” The owner of Washington-based salon Karma by Erwin Gomez lists the shade’s many virtues: “It makes your teeth look whiter, makes you look brighter and more youthful

and more powerful. You really cannot go wrong.”

Celebrity makeup artist Mimi B. Tran agrees on red’s ability to be ageless. “Wearing a red lip comes down to each person’s comfort level and how they see themselves in it,” she says. “There

is a perfect red out there for every person. It just takes a little time to narrow down the level of opaqueness, choosing a color that compliments your skin’s undertones, and finish (matte

or glossy) that you are comfortable with.”

First things first: A pair of moisturized lips is important to begin with, says Tran. “Avoid applying lipstick on dry chapped lips. Exfoliating your lips and applying a lip balm/mask the

night before will help the lip look supple and for the lipstick go on evenly.”

Toe the liner: “If you have a very fine lip, you need to use lipliner that is drawn on very carefully to give you a fuller upper lip. When you’re over 50, you never want to draw the lips all

the way around,” says Gomez. “Draw a rounded bow on the upper lip to make it look more youthful.” When applying lip liner, which Gomez says is a must-do, “Do a tight smile with no teeth

showing as you are lining the lips — it gives you a fuller lip and it also fights gravity. ” And don't draw downward. “It can make your lips look droopy.”