2015 Award Season: Red Lips

Claire Danes at PGA Awards by @itsmatin and Emma Stone at the SAG Awards

Two beautifully done red lips!  First thing with red lips, in my book, is that the complexion must be perfect. It's hard to pull off a red lip without a full face of makeup even though you want to look like you're wearing nothing but the red lip of course.  I would assume they are both wearing a full coverage foundation, concealer, lingtly contoured cheek bones, a hint of blush (more on the cheekbone than the apple as to not appear clown-like), setting powder, and it looks like Claire is wearing highlighter as well.
They both have little lid showing, however you can tell that Claire has a neutral flesh toned shadow and Emma has a a thicker lined eye with some darker brown shadow on top, which she can pull off since barely any lid shows.  Black liner is a must with a red lip, either subtly (like on Claire), or thicker and more dramatic like on Emma.  I think Emma pulls this more dramatic eye off with the edginess of her jewlery, hair color, and more filled-in starker brow.  I'm not a huge fan of dramatic false lashes with a red lip or it can look like a cancan girl.
Applying a red lip is a whole other story:  Concealer or a clear lip pencil around the edge.  Lip liner and or lip stain.  Lipstick.  A little gloss, then more liner. Sometimes it's as easy as a stain, or a liner and gloss...  And picking a color?  Put reds on the back of your hand (the side the sun sees) and you'll see which tones warm up your skin vs. making your skin look more grey, dull, or ashy.