Girls Dressing Up: SO HOT With 25 Stars in Red Lipstick

Prep Time
Pull off a bold red lip flawlessly, whether you have two seconds or an hour to prepare.
Break Up Monochromatic Tones
Wearing earth tones and bright colors with red lipstick can sometimes look overdone. Make like Freida Pinto and wear your red with black and white. "When it comes to fashion, I love pairing red lips with stark colors like black, white and grey," says celebrity makeup artist Amy Nadine

Carry Concealer
When shopping for red lipstick like Fergie's, make sure to wear concealer to cover any serious redness in the skin. You'll look more polished when trying on colors, and feel less ruddy.

Learn About Lip Liner
Try and match your lip liner shade either exactly or in a darker more complimentary tone. "Lip pencils are a tool to create a more defined, perfect edge. They create more depth to the edges and the corners," says makeup artist Pati Dubroff, who works with Julianne Moore.

Embrace the Balm
Keep a tube of your favorite lip balm near your bed and apply it every night before you go to sleep to fight chapped lips—the sworn enemy of a scarlet pout like Blake Lively's.

Pair It With Liner
Red lips don't have to be a solo act. Emma Stone's makeup artist Mai Quynh advises pulling off two trends at once, "Pair this season's deep wine lip with a dramatic eye. Well-defined liner is in for fall.

Brush It On
Apply high-gloss reds like Taylor Swift's shade with a firm, synthetic lip brush.

Scrub it Smooth
"If you have even the littlest piece of dry skin it will stand out and ruin your perfect red lips," says celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles. To create a perfect pout like Nicole Kidman's, Stiles suggests exfoliating with a lip scrub, then slathering on a rich lip balm.

Consistency
Matte or glossy? Find the perfect formula and finish for your crimson lipstick.
Take to the Matte
Matte lipsticks, like the bold red seen onRachel McAdams, are among Stiles's favorites. "I find matte lipsticks to be fantastically low maintenance," she said. "They keep color from traveling and they aren't as dry as the mattes of the past."

Mix Textures
Take your face makeup into account when choosing your lipstick. "I like to mix textures," says Quynh. "If your eyes and cheeks are dewy, opt for a subdued finish to avoid looking shiny in photos." Kim Kardashian gets the balance right with her matte skin and glossy lip.

Start With a Stain
For a stay-put color like Liv Tyler's, Stiles suggests layering your products. "A good trick is to use a red lip stain and then apply a clear or cherry-tinted gloss over that," she says. "It helps the color stick around longer."

Dress Up with Creme
If you want to dress up a night look, Nadine suggests picking a lipstick with a creme finish like Diane Kruger's.

Break It Down
For a flawless lip like Amber Heard, Nadine breaks application down into a three-step process. "Apply red lipstick directly from the tube, then use an eyeshadow blending brush to apply translucent loose powder to your lips to set the color," she advises. "Follow up with a second coat using a lip brush."

Really Rosy
Keep it in the color family: Red lips likeSelena Gomez's complement pink cheeks and blush shadow.

Perk Up Pale Skin
If you have fair skin like Amanda Seyfried, choose a red with some orange in it. "The tomato red really pops on lighter skin," Stiles says. "It looks so chic and beautiful."

Warm it Up
According to Quynh, warmer red shades flatter brunettes with olive skin tones like Cheryl Cole.

Redheads Can Wear Red
Jayma Mays shows that red hair looks great with bright red lipstick. The pop of color pulls the face together.

A Taste for Wine
Take a welcome break from the super pigmented neons of summer and choose a deep wine shade like Gwen Stefani's for fall.

A Red Lip Quickie
You can pull off a bold lip, even if you're in a rush. Just go for minimal eye makeup likeCate Blanchett. "If you don't have time to make up your eyes, red lips are the perfect way to still look polished," says celebrity stylist Kate Young.

Consider Your Skin Tone
"True red lipsticks look great with dark skin—the color tends to pop more against golden undertones like Zoe Saldana's," says Stiles.

Fashion
Red lips can add a pop of color to a black and white outfit, or can be the finishing touch to an evening ensemble.
Add a Girlie Touch
Take it from Tyra Banks—a deep scarlet lip is the perfect dash of femininity to mix with menswear-inspired clothes.

Sweep It Up
An unfussy updo like Rose Byrne's is a great way to highlight—not compete with—a bold lip.

Create a Contrast
Contrary to popular belief, you can wear red lips with a red dress—just don't go for an exact match. Instead, switch up your color palette like Malin Akerman. Young suggests trying a vampy shade of burgundy.