The Empowered Women Series: How to Rock a Red Lip with Hannah Dawson

I’m back with another edition of the Empowered Women Series after a brief hiatus during COVID-19. Each month, I will feature one of these women through my new “The Empowered” series where they will share their brilliance in their field. This month, I am excited to share how to rock a red lip with a dear friend and fellow eastern North Carolinian, Hannah Hardy! We met via the Interwebs and hit it off over our love of dogs, eastern North Carolina, BBQ, and nail polish. Hannah has the cutest pup named Windsor, loves Kate Middleton, and her sweet nephew, serves up the best beauty reviews and laughs, and is the queen of the bold lip. Catch her over on her blog here and on Instagram here.

Today, Hannah is sharing how to rock a bold, red lip regardless of your complexion. Thanks to Hannah, I have become more adventurous with my choices in lip colors and her make up recommendations are always spot on.

How to Rock a Red Lip with Hannah Dawson of ‘The Hannah Hardy’

Red lipstick makes me feel like a badass bitch. Keep in mind that I am an uptight, anxious prude so I have to get my badass vibes via lipstick. Red is a power color. Whether you choose to wear red on your lips, your body, or your soles, red commands attention.   

EVERY SINGLE PERSON, read that again, can pull of a red lip. Yes, that means you. If you don’t want to go balls to the walls, start with a gloss or sheer formula and work your way up to a more opaque color. Even if you scared of such a bold color, put it on anyway. I promise you will love the way you look and feel.

I get asked how I wear such bold colors all the time. The simple answer is I put it on and go, but there’s a back story too. The first bold color I ever bought was MAC Candy Yum Yum. It is the brightest pink on planet Earth. It sat on my bathroom counter for MONTHS because I was too scared to use it because what would people think? What would they say? Would they stare? One morning I just threw caution in the wind and put it on and I felt AMAZING. I fully believe in the power of makeup and starting to wear such fun, bold colors really helped boost my confidence, changed the way I carried myself, and how I saw myself. 

What you’ll need

• Lip liner
• Red lip of choice
• Concealer (brush is optional)

First, you need to pick your formula.

• Gloss—sheer look with a shiny finish
• Liquid Lipstick—dries down to a transfer proof, matte finish
• Matte Lipstick—can be drying, tend to last longer, non-shiny finish
• Cream Lipstick—shiny finish, tends to be more comfortable
• Sheer Lipstick—light wash of color

Next, and this is important, you need a lip liner. Lip liner is crucial for a red lip no matter what formula you choose. You don’t want the color to bleed outside of your lip line or slip and slide and make a mess. Trace the natural shape of your lip. I’m not a fan over lining, but if that’s your thing, go for it.

Once you’ve lined your lips, fill in the lines with your color and formula of choice. I apply lipstick nearly every day, but I still manage to go outside of the lines all the time. If you strayed from the outline, use a Q-Tip, makeup wipe, your finger, whatever to wipe away/clean up the mistake. When you wipe it away, odds are you’re going to take your foundation with it. I take a brush with some concealer and clean up around the edges. You can use a brush or pat it in with your finger. 

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Pro Tip #1: Blue based reds tends to make your teeth look whiter.

Pro Tip #2: If you buy a cream lipstick with a shiny finish, you easily make it matte. Place a tissue or thin square of toilet paper over lips, dust some translucent powder over top with a brush, Remove the tissue and boom, you have a matte lip.

Hannah’s Red Lip Recommendations

Lip Liner 

• NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Hot Red
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in 714

Gloss

• NYX Butter Gloss in Cherry Pie
• Buxom-Full On Plumping Lip Cream in Sangria

Liquid Lipstick

• Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in Pioneer
• Fenty Stunna Matte Lip Paint in Uncensored

Matte Lipstick

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam 
• L’Oreal Colour Riche in Julianne’s Red

Cream Lipstick

• Maybelline Color Sensational Shine Compulsion Lipstick in Scarlet Flame
• NARS Audacious Lipstick in Rita

Sheer Lipstick

• Revlon Kiss Cushion Lip Tint in Crimson Feels
• L’Oreal Colour Riche Shine Lipstick in Enamel Red

About Hannah

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I’m from small, one-stoplight town in eastern NC where I live and work in agricultural lending. I blog about all things beauty on The Hannah Hardy. I’m a Meredith College graduate, Tar Heel fan, and a crazy dog lady. I love Jesus but I cuss a lot little too. I love Dateline, Diet Pepsi, and I start every day by pressing snooze no less than 5 times. I was born 2 weeks late and haven’t been on time since, but I promise I have good intentions. I prefer to enjoy nature with a nice barrier of Plexiglas.  I do hope you’ll stop by and stay a while!

What did you find most helpful about what Hannah Hardy had to share?  Do you like to wear red lipstick?  If not, what do you like to wear?  Let me know in a comment below!

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