Dare you to wear Red Lipstick all week...!

This week I’m daring us to wear red lipstick. All week. From morning till night, regardless of the occasion, company or mood you’re in.

Am totally stealing the idea from a cool book I’ve just started to read called Anonymums about a few mothers who, bored with the perceived monotony of their lives, give each other dares to spice things up a little.

Made me think about how it is easy to fall into a fashion rut once we become mums, and we acquiesce into the sartorial monotony of our ‘mummy uniforms‘.

So, at Fox in Flats we’re instigating a ‘Dare of the Week‘ where each week we’ll challenge ourselves to trying something that might just be out of our style comfort-zone, but might just spice things up a little too.

This week’s dare: Red Lipstick

The rules:

Wear red lipstick everyday, from when you get dressed in the morning till you brush your teeth before bed at night.

Tips:

If you don’t have a great red lipstick, now’s the time to find one. Head off to a cosmetics counter where they should be able to help you find a great red to suit your colouring.

Some tried and true red lipsticks to consider:

MAC: Ruby Woo—a matte blue-red, this cult favorite is the preferred lipstick of Dita von Teese.
MAC: Russian Red – a matte dark red.
MAC: Lady Danger—an orangey-red that pairs well with MAC’s Redd lipliner.
NARS: Heat Wave – a tangerine-based red.
NARS: Cruella – a matte red chubby pencil. Try it with Amazon lip liner by NARS.
Revlon: Fire & Ice – a bright blue-red that’s been going strong since the ’50s.
Maybelline: Red Revival – a deep, satiny red.

How to apply & get it to stay on longer:

Buff lips with a washcloth or toothbrush to make sure they are smooth.
Swipe with a little lip balm to soften, then blot with a tissue to remove.
Dab concealer over lips to give the lipstick something to grip onto.
Use a neutral lip liner to softly line the lips and fill in with colour.
Apply lipstick with a lip brush or directly from the tube – the biggest difference here is how long it takes.
Separate a 2-ply tissue and press one layer on top of your lips to blot the colour.
Reapply and blot again.
And to avoid getting lippy on your teeth, poke your finger in your mouth, close your lips around it and pull it out. It’ll remove the parts of the lipstick that would end up smeared on your teeth.
For more detail and other great tips on how to apply your red lipstick, check out this great post over at Super Kawaii Mama – that girl sure knows how to rock a red lip!

OR, if that’s all too hard:

Simply dab lipstick on your finger and gently smudge it over your lips. It’ll give you a modern, sexy stained look – just be careful to keep within the lines of your lips or you’ll look like you’ve been pashing all afternoon.

Keep the rest of your makeup neutral for a fresh, polished look for day, and be ready to check and re-apply regularly or you’ll end up with crazy red rings around your mouth.

Share the Dare!

Share the dare with your buddies, and share back with us to tell us what it’s like.

Is it a hassle or easier than you think? How does it make you feel: vamp-ish? camp-ish? tramp-ish? or just totally glam-i-fied?

In the book, one of the Anonymums tried the exact same Red Lipstick Dare for a week and chronicled her day-to-day experiences. It was eye-opening. Who’d have thought a little red tube of waxy stuff could make such a difference?

If you’re up for the dare, share your experiences in the comments section below, or on Facebook or Twitter, and feel free to showcase your racy red lips by attaching a photo.

Thanks to everyone who’s had fun with the dare so far…Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!

…but you can join in any time!