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Photos by Kevin Hwang

Red is the color of extremes. It’s always closely associated with passion, love, and seduction. It comes as no surprise that red is the primary color for Valentine’s Day! Red is always very bold and strong—it’s a total statement color. It’s not a color that I find myself wearing year round, but I’m all about it right now for February.

Since red does tend to be a louder color, I typically prefer it in small doses. This top, for example, is the perfect amount of red for me. The red stitching on the black background makes this striking color pop without being overkill. Because of the black background, I was able to pair this top with some other black pieces. I completed this Valentine’s Day inspired outfit with a pair of black and white legging pants, my black over-the-knee boots, and a black bucket bag. To tie in the white, I added a white faux fur coat and white Kendra Scott earrings.

Another more subtle way to incorporate some red into your outfit is with lipstick. You can never go wrong with a red lip! It’s just a classic and it looks great on everyone. However, red lipstick can be hard to work with at times. It can easily become a total mess… To keep maintenance at a minimum, there are a few steps that I like to take.

The first step when doing a red lip, or any bold lip color for that matter, is priming your lips. It’s really important that your lips are in good shape because dry, cracked lips just don’t take to lipstick very well. For kissable lips this Valentine’s Day, I’ve been using the Mary Kay Satin Lips balm and lip mask exfoliating treatment. Both of these products leave your lips super soft and smooth and ready for some color!

Recently I have discovered the wonders of lipliner. Seriously guys, lining your lips makes such. a. difference. Your lips look bigger, your color stays longer, and it gives you more of a guideline to follow when you actually apply your lipstick. I used MAC liner and lipstick topped with Mary Kay lipgloss in Rock ‘N’ Red for the perfect Valentine’s Day pout. Who else is RED-y for Valentine’s Day?!

*Contact Carolyn Hodges for all of your Mary Kay needs

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Top: Alice + Olivia (similar)
Coat: BCBGeneration (similar)
Pants: Juicy Couture (similar)
Boots: Forever 21 (similar)
Handbag: Topshop (similar)
Earrings: Kendra Scott (similar)
Lip Primer: Mary Kay Satin Lips
Lip Color: MAC Lip Pencil & Lipstick
Lip Gloss: Mary Kay NouriShine Lip Gloss

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