life & style // 16 Beauty Tutorial: 24-hour red lips » Break out the bold this Valentine’s Day Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor § Milifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca ho doesn’t love a daring red lip for Valentine’s Day? But if you’ve ever worn one you know that vibrant colour you so love can bea real pain to keep bright. As someone who’s used to making my makeup last for 13 to 20- plus hours on a convention floor, ’'ve decided to share a couple tips on how you can make sure your red is kissable all day. First and foremost what you need to be concerned with is colour selection. Different skin tones go better with different shades of red. For pale people, like myself, as well as people with darker skin tones, we tend to look better in truer reds. This means going more for the carmine or fire engine red, as opposed to the ruby or scarlet reds. The difference lies in what the shade is mixed with. For true reds, they have more primary red pigment and therefore will compliment either pale or dark skin tones. Because the pigment is more : saturated it also means that the : shade itself will appear darker : on the lipstick, so try it out : before you decide whether you : want to buy it. For people with medium or : olive skin tones, you'll tend to : look better in reds that have a : pink undertone. This means all : those ruby or cardinal shades : that sound so pretty, and whose : : names we're all familiar with. —: Now that you have your : shade all sorted out, it’s time : to get to the good stuff: how to : apply it so youre not checking : yourself in the mirror and : missing out on your date! To start with, you'll need to : prep your lips. Try to use a lip : scrub the night before to avoid : flaky, chapped areas. I tend not : to use a primer when doing a : red lip, because the undertone : won't affect the shade of : lipstick and it seems pointless. : But if you have darker lips, or : you use the primer because it : has a plumping agent, go right : ahead and then wait until it : dries before moving on to the : next step. If you're like me, just : : balm you lips and let it soak in : slightly. After your lips are prepped, get out that lip liner. Anytime : you're going for a bold shade : like purple, black, or red, you : should be lining your lips. Even : if your lips have the perfect : shape and never allow colour to : bleed out, it just looks cleaner : and nicer. Line your lips gently; : this means no stretching the : skin or making goofy faces into : your mirror. The line doesn’t : need to be thick, and don’t fill it in. Instead of colouring in the : line you've drawn, apply a lip : stain. If you've used a primer : you can skip this step, as the : primer won't allow any stain : to soak in properly and might : just turn it pink. Using a stain : instead of filling in the shape : with a pencil will help the red : stay vibrant longer. It will also : keep the red shade up longer : through eating and drinking, : so you don’t end up with patchy : spots on your lips. After allowing that to soak in, apply your lipstick. For extra : control and precision around : the corners of your mouth, : bring out your inner makeup : artist and use a lip brush! Top it off with a red gloss or matte finisher if you so desire : (it’s not required to make : it last longer, it’s purely for : aesthetics), and get out there to : conquer the day! theotherpress.ca Image from Thinkstock Stop HIV & hep C now » Show me your status and I'll show you mine, get tested to be my Valentine Andrea Arscott Senior Columnist Frere deserves love, and if you're HIV-positive, you might just need to be extra confident in yourself and your health in order to meet the right person. If you're an online dater, there’s an abundant selection of websites to choose from (PlentyOfFish, Match, eHarmony, ChristianMingle, etc.), and you have the option of dipping your toes into a different pool by wading through dating sites specifically for people with HIV and/or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The Positive Connection and HIV Singles are two of many. Going out with someone who also has an STI might make you feel more comfortable about having an STI and disclosing it. If you have HIV and date someone who’s also positive, that person will have a greater understanding of the virus : and the challenges and stigma : associated with the illness, : as opposed to someone who's : HIV-negative. So, it just makes : ita little easier to connect on : that level. The downside of dating someone with an STI when : you already have one is risking : getting another STI ora : stronger strain of HIV if you : don’t practice safe sex. Having an STI is very common, so no matter who : you date or how you protect : yourself, there’s a risk of : contracting an STI during any : intimate activity. Also, your : sexual partners might not : know they have an STI for the : following reasons: they have : no symptoms; at their last : test, they didn’t consider the : three-month window period : for HIV; since their last test, : they’ve engaged in other risky : activities; they falsely believe : they've never engaged in risky : behaviours, and therefore : refuse testing; or they believe all : their partners were truthful and ‘e faithful, all went for ST] testing, : all tested for every STI, and all : tested negative for every STI. In order to reduce : the chances of HIV or STI : transmission, it’s best to follow : universal precautions and : use protection every time you : engage in any oral, vaginal, : or anal pleasuring. The key to : loving someone else is to love : yourself first. This meansyou —: need to accept and love yourself : : the right guy or girl. So, don’t as you are. And if someone puts :; you down, verbally abuses you, : : or shows disrespect to you, don’t : : tolerate it. Build a fence, andif : : anyone crosses your boundaries : : shut the gate and lock it. You're : worthy of a partner who adores : you and who doesn’t shame you : regardless of your physical and : mental health status. : effort to meet someone special, : and some of us will go through Most of us have to make an the gauntlet to catch a date with : M. ey Image from Thinkstock : sit back and expect Cupid to find you if your butt is glued : toa couch during the evening. Take a leap, take a hike, take a : bike, and get out—or at least : get online and take a stab ata : Valentine. Stop HIV and hep C now. : To get tested, call the New : Westminster Public Health : Unit at 604-777-6740 and book : an appointment, or contact the Purpose Society for more : information.