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I love wearing lipstick and am definitely a red lipstick girl. For me red lips are associated with glamor and elegance so the allure of a new red lipstick is always high on my agenda. This season I am in luck. The trend has moved away from beige (which makes me look like I am about to throw up) and pale pink (anemia anyone?) to bold reds and I for one am excited.

Red lips are actually quite a traditional look stemming from the 1920′s when

Minerelle Marie Lipstick

shades of red were the only shade available. Fortunately by the 20′s lipstick was a sign of female empowerment rather than a sign of being a fast woman as it was previously seen!

The thing about wearing red lipstick is that it tends to stand out so wearing red lipstick is a state of mind. Wear it with confidence whatever the shade or style.

A few red lip trends and tips:

1. Go for gloss – glossy shiny lips with a hint of colour rather than a bold statement of red.

2. Choose a sheer red – I have a sheer red lipstick that gives the idea of red lips

Ere Perez Life Lip Bar

without the intense rich colour of a matte lipstick.

3. Blot back the colour – for a softer red look, apply a matte lipstick and blot back with a tissue.

4. Choose the correct shade of red for your skin tone. I have a blue skin undertone and so only wear blue-reds. If you have a yellow skin undertone, you can choose from the ocher reds as well.

5. Reapply during the day – I tend to arrive at work with lovely red lips and by mid-morning I have eaten most of it off (I snack frequently!). To maintain your elegant red lipped look, reapply after eating, drinking or kissing!

6. As to the above point, if you are going to eat off the lipstick you are wearing, make sure you choose natural products. Apparently women can eat up to 2kg of lipstick in their lifetime (I have yet to verify this fact however, I can only imagine how much I have eaten since I started wearing lipstick…certainly a goodly amount) and there is still the lingering risk of conventional red lipsticks containing lead (read more about this here).

Back in the bad old days (!) when I used conventional skincare and makeup I had about 20 different shades of red (told you I was obsessed). Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, a good natural or organic red is harder to find…but I have still managed to come up with half a dozen or so!

My favorite natural red is Lavera 20 which is a burgundy red with a blue base. It

is oh-so-bright so I usually wear it when I am going out. A great day time red is Lavera 18 which is called light berry but with a definite red look and feel about it. For a dramatic, not-to-be-ignored red, try Minerelle Marie. This red is not for the faint-hearted!

For those with yellow undertoned skin, Lavera 27 is the true red of choice. Gorgeous and intense, wear it with confidence!

Me with Red Lips!

If you prefer tints or gloss, try Ere Perez Life Lip Bar (the merest hint of glossy red) or EcoTints Plus Red for a stronger but still a sheer look. Another brand that has a few good shades of sheer red is Hemp Organics.

PS apart from red, the other shade of lipstick I wear are plum and dark pink – I pretty much go for strong, bright colours. When it comes to lipstick, subtlety is not my forte!

Last week I met a gorgeous rockabilly called Kat. Kat has her own You Tube site that shows other rockabilly chicks and anyone else interested how to do 50′s and 60′s hair and make up and she came into the store looking for natural and vegan make up. As a result of her visit to the store, Kat made a You Tube video which you can view here: My Little Rockabilly – 1960′s Hair & Make Up.

I love this era. It is all bright lips and sultry eyes…and you should see Kat once she has finished. Vavavoom!!!

The products Kat used include the following:

• Lavera Deep Plum lipstick #19. I use this colour also, however, I tend to blot it back a softer for daytime look.
• Ere Perez Black Eyeliner. This is a very soft pencil which is great for eyes, particularly the lower eye rim. If the pencil is too hard, it tends to pull on the eye.
• Eco Tools – Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set. This range is made from recycled aluminum, bamboo and synthetic bristles so animal friendly and vegan.

A couple of other great lipstick and eyeshadow colours that would also suit this look include:

• Minerelle Marie Lipstick – a true 1940′s blue red
• Lavera Chestnut #27 – the name does not do this colour justice. It is a gorgeous red with a slight yellow base
• Minerelle Dream Eyeshadow – a smokey dark blue grey
• Minerelle Lust Eyeshadow – a black eyeshadow suitable to use as a liner.

While on the topic of natural make up, I wanted to mention issues relating to lead traces found in make up, particularly red lipsticks.

A article in Reuters revealed that more than half the lipsticks of popular brands such as Cover Girl, L’Oreal and Christian Dior contain lead. Over 33 red lipsticks were tested in conjunction with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and it was found that 61% contained detectable levels of lead (0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm)).

Minerelle Marie - no lead in this red!

While 0.03 ppm may not seem like a lot, the concern with any lead content is that it is not easily detoxified and is readily stored by the body. Additionally, estimates indicate the average woman consumes up to 1kg of lipstick each year. This is where lead levels become serious cause for concern.

As a toxic metal, lead can cause all sorts of issues such as behavioural problems, aggression, learning disorders. It has also been linked with miscarriage in women and infertility in men.

Lead is not added to lipsticks intentionally. It is actually found in some colourants, particularly red shades. At this stage lead content in lipsticks is unregulated however there are calls for the FDA to do. In addition there are also calls to the cosmetic industry to reduce levels or eliminate lead from lipstick all together. It is definitely possible to make lipsticks without lead so there is really no excuse for continuing with the current practices.

Contrary to the popular urban legend, applying lipstick to a gold ring will not indicate the presence of lead. Lead is not a listed ingredient on lipstick labels so it is difficult to know if you using products that contain lead without independent testing. Of those tested, the brands listed above were shown to contain the highest levels. To find out if the brand you use contains lead, visit SafeCosmetics.org.

Lipstick is something I refuse to go without. And I am a big fan of bright lips (definitely not a gloss girl) so it is essential that my lipstick is safe. There are a growing number of  natural and non-toxic brands available including the Minerelle, Ere Perez and Lavera brands stocked at Vitale Natural.