Tuesday Treats: Seeing Red

I woke up this morning in one of those moods. You know, an "I wish I had a home office so I wouldn't have to get out of my pajamas" mood—one of those moods. And my quickest fix for a homebody getting ready for the office in need of a fresh-and-ready face?
Red lips.

I like to wear my red lips one of four ways, and all very intentional. The first, as an accessory. Nothing to wear? No problem. Paired with a "blank canvas outfit," these lips are meant to stand out and draw the focus to a fresh face:

The second, to make a messy ensemble instantly put together. Red lips are a magic trick to making the disheveled look seem almost intentional. I like to pull this trick out when getting off an airplane or meeting someone after a long car ride:

Another option— the bombshell. I have a penchant for old Hollywood glam. Big, relaxed curls. Long lashes. And red lips tops this look right off:

Lastly, the newest addition to my red lipstick repetoire. Bright eyes + red lips. For you blue or green-eyed gals, lining the inside of your eyes with a pearly shadow and pairing with a red lip makes those bright eyes pop—perfect for a fun night out on the town. This works best with a more orange or coral-based red versus a darker red:

But the perfect red is a perfectly awful fail if you don't prepare and apply correctly. Be sure you line the lips in a correlating red liner, and even apply the liner as your first coat so the red won't smear or run. The, pat a translucent shadow on top before applying the red lipstick as a final touch.
I'm no makeup guru (I'm guilty of often going without), but this seems to be my fix in every lazy morning bind. Not that I'd ever admit to being lazy...

(Photo credits here)