Get the Look: Red, She Said

A red lip will never go out of style—but even the most classic beauty look can benefit from a creative update. For new face Cindy Bruna, L’Oréal Parisglobal makeup director Val Garland designed a stunning red-lip look with a glossy twist. Using touches of metallic makeup on eyes and cheeks, Garland created a look that is dramatic yet refined. It’s also 100% universally flattering—and now you can see it for yourself! Use the L’Oréal Paris ModiFace Try On tool to get a virtual snapshot of just how gorgeous Cindy’s makeup can look on you and then follow the steps below to recreate it IRL.

Step 1

The impact of this bold beauty look may be sourced directly from the final step—creating that glossy red lip—but it all starts with perfecting skin. Use a medium-coverage foundation like L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation to even out your skin tone. Apply it starting from the centre of your face—that’s where redness or discoloration typically appears—and blend it outwards toward your hairline and jawbone. Working with an angled buffing brush that has compact bristles and using a gentle circular motion will help achieve an airbrushed finish.

Step 2

Need further help to address dark circles under your eyes or an irritated blemish? Call on L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer. The full coverage, transfer-resistant and waterproof formula easily covers a wide range of imperfections (even stretch marks or veins) and melts into skin for long-lasting camouflage that won’t fade or flake. Use the XL-sized doe-foot applicator to dot on skin where needed, and then gently dab and blend with your ring finger—the natural warmth of your body will help create a seamless effect.

Step 3

Moving on to the eye area, focus on creating subtle definition that will help to balance out the dramatic lip. Start with your all-important arches; they do the heavy lifting for this part of the face. Use a tinted brow gel to fill in any sparse areas, add dimension and sculpt the overall shape. L’Oréal Paris Unbelieva’Brow comes with a double-ended brush that makes it easy to apply the water- and smudge-proof formula. Apply it directly to your brows with feathery strokes before combing through with the spoolie end for a natural finish.

Step 4

Next, add extra sparkle to your eyes by blending a creamy metallic shadow on your lids. Cindy is wearing L’Oréal Paris Color Queen Oil-Eyeshadow in Bravery. The richly pigmented bronze shade is flattering for all skin tones and eye colours.

Step 5

This step pulls everything into focus and makes eyes appear bigger and brighter. That’s right: It’s mascara time! Choose a lengthening mascara, like L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Original Mascara in Blackest Black. Apply two coats, and then stand back to admire the transformation—the fragrance-free polymer-rich blend lengthens lashes by up to 60%!

Step 6

Nearly there! But before you move on to the main event for this look, take a few minutes to show your cheeks and cheekbones some love. Adding a healthy glow to skin always pays off, especially in the case of a more dramatic look. You need a subtle flush of colour and illumination to bring life to your face. Start by blending a liquid highlighter along the highest points of your cheeks, like L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glow Amour Drops in Golden Hour. The ultra-lightweight liquid is blended with hydrating shea butter, and there are countless ways to put the light-reflecting drops to work. Use them alone to add warm radiance or mix them into your fave serum, moisturizer, primer or foundation to customize a glow.

Step 7

Use a blush brush to top your cheeks with a light dusting of L’Oréal Paris True Match Blush in Precious Peach. The oil-free powder imparts natural-looking colour in a smooth texture that appears fresh for hours.

Step 8

OK, so this is what you’ve been waiting for! Time to create Cindy’s classic red lip with a modern vibe. Start with a pencil lip liner to enhance the shape of your mouth and create a base for lip colour. Try L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lip Liner in In-Matte-Uated With You. Use short strokes to trace along your lip line, perfecting the shape and subtly balancing out any asymmetry. Then use the creamy pencil texture to fill in lips from the outer edges toward the centre of your mouth. Garland’s tip: Fill in your lips completely with your lip pencil; it will help provide long-lasting shine when it comes time to layer your gloss on top.

Step 9

An intense red shade with a glossy finish is what makes this lip look a knockout. Use L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Signature Liquid Lip Colour in Be Powerful. This brand-new formulation, available in 12 intense colours, is an ultra-lightweight, richly pigmented, super-shiny and oil-infused liquid lip colour that seals the deal!