Milan S/S ’11: If you DO wear red lipstick (not orange or pink), then maybe you’d like to give it this smokin’ hot update

As you may have noticed, I’ve been chatting up lipstick lately in a BIG way. Specifically bright lipstick—which is what designers really, really want you to be wearing next spring. (And why not get a head start right now, right?)

The colour that’s been getting all the love is definitely orange, with neon and candy pinks a close second.

BUT! If you’re more of a classic red girl, then I would like to present you with a NEW, easy and rather awesome interpretation courtesy of Gucci. And I mean awesome in a money-saving, “Shop Your Closet!” sort of way.

Here’s the look:

And the update is…. SHINE!

Toldya it was easy. The combination of high gloss with the rich, red pigment gives it this incredible vinyl finish… so much more interesting than doing a plain red or a clear gloss! (Although those prodz definitely still have their time and place.)

Inklings of the vinyl effect have been trickling in here and there over the past little while, with the trailblazer being Prada at their S/S ’10 show last year:

DSquared² also did an amazing version of this lip earlier this year:

But back to Gucci, where the look is really the most wearable of the three versions:

Again, just like we saw with the green eyeshadow, this orange-red shade is actually a custom Pat McGrath blend of three different pigments. Darn!

But we can still get a pretty close approximation by simply slicking on a clear gloss on top of last year’s favourite red lipstick. No need to buy something new!

What’s that? You want to go shopping?  Okay—if you insist. You might want to try this L’Oréal Paris lip gloss, which is, to date, the only red gloss I’ve found that is simultaneously a) highly-pigmented, b) super-glossy AND c) long-lasting:

No matter what product(s) you use, make sure to use a lip brush so you get that precise, defined look around the edges. Japonesque makes the best ones:

Also don’t forget to wear your lippie with a dewy (not matte) foundation—you don’t want to look like you’re LITERALLY straight out of the ’70s, even if that’s the decade we’re referencing here. NEWSFLASH: CoverGirl is coming out with a foundation called NatureLuxe Silk, which is what you see here. I’ll keep you posted on what I hear about a Canadian launch, but I’m guessing it will be early 2011.

The finishing touch is matching glossy, red nails…

…which are a M.A.C shade called Shirelle:

Here the nails were short and square-ish, but you should know that I’m starting to see some longer, pointier nail shapes on the horizon. (See: DSquared², above.)

Annnnnnnnnnd…

What do you think of this new take on the red lip?
Do you like that, for once, I am NOT encouraging you to buy new beauty stuff?
Do you think the prospect of long, pointy fingers is a) cool or b) gross?