The night to beat all nights has just taken place in Hollywood: the Oscars awards ceremony 2010. Although it was a chance for the film industry to celebrate its achievements and is the highlight of the awards season for international filmmakers, it also has ‘it’, namely, the longest catwalk in the world, the red carpet. As well as all the dresses by well-known designers, this year, like every year, there were a number of make-up and hairstyle trends to see. While everyone knows that the little black dress is one of the classics when it comes to fashion, a lot have still to discover its equivalent in the beauty world: black eyeliner and red lips.

But how do you get the equivalent of the little black dress for your face’? And most importantly – how do you get there without the make-up smudging and melting down your face in the middle of an exciting evening?

The combination of red lipstick and black eyeliner is a statement. It never goes out of fashion and exudes elegance, femininity, self-assurance and expressiveness. Applying it takes time and energy. Many women might shy away from this look at first, but it’s actually not hard to learn how to apply liner and use a lip brush.

The basics you need are black waterproof eyeliner and mascara, as well as a red lipstick, a lip liner, and a concealer that suit your skin type and tone. It can be worth investing in a lip brush, but it’s not an absolute must for those who know how to apply liner and lipstick properly.

1.    In order to prepare the lips for the lipstick, firstly apply lip balm and leave it to absorb. While waiting for that, you can focus on your eyes. Eyelids should be cleaned with a cleansing tissue. Then apply the striking eyeliner so that it curves slightly upwards at the corner of the eye – the typical fifties look. You have the choice of using eyeliner in pencil (kohl pencil), liquid or gel form. The latter is applied using a brush to the upper lash line and appeals because of its matt finish and long-lasting wear. Finding the ideal line for the liners takes practice and a steady hand. (Tip: rest your little finger on your cheek to steady your brush hand!). Once you’ve found the right method for you, it’ll only take minutes to do and the eyeliner will be in place.

2.    The second step is to lavishly apply mascara to the eyelashes, focusing on the outer and upper lashes. (Option for those who already have a bit of experience: false lashes extend the outer and upper lashes for an even more upmarket look!). Apply a subtle coating of mascara to the lower eyelashes, and no eyeliner underneath the eye.

3.    Now, we come to the lips. The lip balm should now be absorbed, and any excess can be wiped away with a tissue. Now dab the whole mouth with face powder to create the blank canvas needed to apply the red lipstick.

4.    Lip liner not only gives the mouth a precise shape, but also forms a barrier that stops the lipstick bleeding over the edge of the lip. Take your time when tracing the lip contours and keep to your natural shape to start with. (If you’re confident, you could make the contours a bit more curved, if you’d like, or make them look a bit fuller, wider or narrower. Be brave and give it a try!). Once you’ve traced the contour of the lips, use the lip liner to cover the rest of your lips as well. This means that if your lipstick wears off a bit during the night, you’ll still have a solid base of colour there.

5.    Next comes the lipstick. It should be smooth, not too glossy but also not completely matt as very matt lips can look a bit dry. A creamy shine flatters the perfect red pout. A lip brush can make it easier to apply lipstick right to edge of the lip.

6.    For an absolutely perfect finish, take a small brush, sponge or cotton bud and use it to gently apply concealer to the edges – this will correct any tiny mistakes and give the finishing touches to the perfect lip definition.

Ready!

A tip from the professionals for advanced users: apply a warmer-red lipstick (use an eyeshadow or blusher if you want!) to the middle of the upper and lower lips. This gives the impression of a fuller pout!

For touch-ups throughout the evening, take your lipstick and lip liner with you in your handbag, and you’ll always look good wherever you are – nothing will stand in your way.

We recommend everyone who has fun with make-up to try this look at least once, even if you’re convinced that red lips and black eyeliner are not for you. It is a real transformation, an eye-catching look and you’ll feel like a star. Probably so much so that you’ll then have to work out how best to deal with another ‘problem’ – the flood of compliments! You can learn the best way to take a compliment from the wonderful Jessica here in one of her blog posts.

Have you tried this look before? Tell us about it! How did you feel?

Yours,
Lynne & Koko