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To get to the origin of the red lip, it’s time to travel back to ancient Egypt where women, and often men, would crush gemstones to wear on their lips. Cleopatra was also known for using crushed ants and beetles to get the perfect ruby pout, as well as other more toxic ingredients. It’s had a somewhat rocky history since then, but in 1915 Maurice Levy invented the first lipstick tube and scarlet shades have traveled in and out of vogue ever since.

The 1950s saw starlets Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor make the red pout sexy, while the 80s saw Madonna give it a try. The 90s were more about those Drew Barrymore brown tones, but red reemerged in the 2010s in a big way. Taylor Swift was never seen without red lipstick around the time her ‘Red’ album was released, and every Instamodel worth her endorsements has rocked it at least once or twice.

Rihanna makes it look cool, while Gigi Hadid takes sultry to a new level. To replicate the look at home, there are a couple of different methods you can try. The first is the traditional liner and lipstick look. MAC has it covered with their lip duos for $56. There are four different shades of red to choose from. If you don’t have the time or steady hand for that, you can try a lip stain instead. Sephora Collection at Sephora has a cream lip stain that lasts and lasts. The best seller only has to be applied once in the morning and comes in at a very reasonable $19. Flame Red is a striking shade, while Dark Red works for a more sophisticated look.

Where red lips are beginner level, red eyeshadow is for experts only. If done wrong you’re at risk of looking like you’ve got an unfortunate eye infection, so there’s plenty of reason to be cautious. That doesn’t mean you can’t give it a try though. Armed with the right products and perhaps a YouTube tutorial or two, you’ll look fierce and high fashion in no time. First, take some inspiration from the pros - or the people who have the pros doing their faces: celebrities.

Lupita Nyong’o recently tried out a subtle red eye look with lots of liner. This could be reproduced with Mac’s eye shadow in Ruddy for $33. It’s a high pigmented powder that blends well.
Cara Delevingne went for a bolder, metallic eye that popped with her bleached crop and strong brows. Try it for yourself with the Sephora Collection shimmer eye shadow in Watermelon Falls for $17.
Sarah Hyland tried the trend with a twist when she wore a burgundy smokey eye. Give it a try with the Australis shimmer pot (available at Priceline) in Berry for $12.95.
 
Visit the retailers at Charlestown Square to try this trend today.