Thread: red lips with smokey eyes...is it a no no

So I love my red lipstick. The problem is I also love smokey eye makeup.
I'd love to wear them together but all the magazines iv'e read since I was little have all said never waer them together as it is ageing and that they compete for focal attention. Im natural strawbary blonde so I have to wear eyeliner on the lower lids.
So what is the trick to wearing bright red lippy without having washed out eyes.????

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I think anything you read in a magazine should be taken as "in real life" on stage, the way I see it, the more makeup the better! you want people to see your eyes, lips everything on stage, you want to accentuate your expressions with makeup that way the people in the back of the room know exactly what dirty thought you are thinking

Try doing the smoky eyes in a different colour in real life - try grey or brown. That way they are emphasised, but not quite as dramatic.

Originally Posted by liberty flame

So I love my red lipstick. The problem is I also love smokey eye makeup.
I'd love to wear them together but all the magazines iv'e read since I was little have all said never waer them together as it is ageing and that they compete for focal attention. Im natural strawbary blonde so I have to wear eyeliner on the lower lids.
So what is the trick to wearing bright red lippy without having washed out eyes.????

I'm a blonde that dyes her hair darker so I have pretty much white eyelashes too, but I love the dark eye and red lip look too. I usually draw a light smokey eye under my lower lashes and blend then I line the inside of my lower lash line with White eyeliner to make my eyes still apear Light and Bright. If you can find it you should Buy this ook called Making Faces By:Kevin Aucoin. It is one of my favourite fashion books.

If the magazines say it's a no-no then it's a yes as far as I'm concerned...

More is NOT less...it is LESS! Or at least that's my philosophy! Magazines are always talking about make-up and styles for day to day wear, and are always linked to what is currently fashionable....I expect they say it is 'aging' as it is a very vintage look, where the focus is to look 'sexy' as opposed to 'young and fresh'.

If you are on stage you MUST wear plenty of make-up or your features will be completely lost. I agree that if you are blonde, black eyes and red lips may be a bit dramatic, so if you want a subtler look try gray, brown or plum shades.

Experimentation and practice are the best way to find what works for you.

xxxVxxx

I've worn red lips and smoky eyes before (the smoky was either brown or purple rather than black) and I thought it looked fine. None of my friends thought it "aged" me, but then again I'm fairly young so wouldn't personally be bothered if it did. I think you just need to experiment put it on and have a look in the mirror. If you think it looks bad then don't wear it. If you like the look then say screw it to the magazines and wear what you like.

Oops - smoky eyes plus red lips is a staple of my evening make up! ops:

Mind you, I do tend to go for quite dramatic hair colours (crimson red has been known and I'm jet black at the moment, considering blue highlights) and my face is extremely pale with very dark blue eyes so my features are fairly strong to start with, which is maybe why I can get away with it in the evening.

Be aware though that stage make up by definition has to be far stronger than normal make up if you are to show any of your features - otherwise your face looks like a pale, washed out blob under the lights, a factor that a make up magazine is unlikely to take into account.

Basically though, only you know your own face and what looks good on you make up wise so your best bet is trying out looks which you think sound promising in front of the mirror. Playing aroun like this is by far the best way of discovering the perfect look for you - I guarantee you'll find something that looks much better than any magazine could have thought up! :lol:

I've been booked for a shoot, specifically for my smokey eye & red lip look. The uniform shoot I did, the photographer wanted me to have the uniform with the plain look and then contrast it with my fully made up look. :twothumbs: But I use a grey to charcoal rather than black.

I'm of the firm mind that my makeup isn't complete until I'm a brush-stroke away from drag.

xx CL