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Beauty trend: get reddy for spring

We show you how to get the new red just right...

Red lips have moved on from the perfect 40s pout of last year – even Gwen Stefani has toned down her trademark red to a softer shade.

‘This season, don’t use a heavy hand,’ advises celebrity make-up artist Lee Pycroft. ‘Red lips, although dramatic, should have a softness to them.’

That’s good news for most of us who are too chicken to go out looking like Dita Von Teese and would much rather opt for a stain or glossy effect and look like Anna Sui, right.

5 tricks to try
Lee is a celebrity make-up artist who’s worked with A-listers including Sienna Miller, Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow. She believes that red lips should be a statement that’s in keeping with your personality – here, she gives her advice on how to get the perfect red pout:

1 Take a good look at the shape of your lips before ploughing in with
a lip liner; you may find you only need a touch of pencil at a few strategic points around the lip line.
2 For this season’s softer look, pat the lip colour on to your lips to avoid it looking dense and heavy.
3 Tidy the edges of your lip line by using a clean lip brush and a cream concealer.
4 If you feel that lip liner is the only answer, sketch it on after you’ve applied your lip colour because it’ll keep the edges natural looking.
5 If using a red gloss, apply in the centre of your lips so that it doesn’t leak over the edges of your lips.

Choosing a lipstick
Don’t try lipstick samples on your lips; instead, use the pads of your fingers because that’s the body skin that’s closest to your lip colour.

The thinner your lips, the more aware you need to be about keeping the result soft, so buy a stain rather than a heavy colour.

This spring, the key trend is to experiment with different textures. A matt satin texture on your lips will create a bold statement, whereas a sheer texture will look more natural.

Must have make-up kit
Rimmel Rich Moisture Lipstick in Diva Red, £4.99
Jelly Pong Pong Supermodel Stain in Nymphette, £10
Pout Lip Gloss in Bite My Cherry, £12
Johnson’s Lipcare Moon Care, £2.99
Rimmel 1000 Kisses Stay On Lip Liner Pencil in Red Dynamite, £2.99
Dior Contour Lipliner Pencil in Holiday Red, £12.50

Stockists: www.boots.com, www.houseoffraser.co.uk, www.jellypongpong.com