How to perfect a metallic red lip

“If you want a high-shine look, you need to start with smooth lips. Begin with a scrub – any gentle grainy scrub is good – and follow with a moisturizing balm. This will leave your lips beautifully soft and nourished.”

“Use a lip pencil to fill in the whole mouth; the slightly drier texture will hold the gloss top coat better than a lipstick would – here, I used NARS’ Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. Then use the pencil to line the lips and round off the cupid’s bow, but don’t accentuate it too much if you’re going for a glossy finish.”

“Using a metallic gloss, like the NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Abruzzo used here, gives the mouth a beautifully rounded, almost 3D effect. The trick is to put the gloss in the middle of the lips and blend it out – this stops it feathering. Layer up a second coat for a super-shine finish.”