Red lipstick saves the day!
So, I got back to work from vacation in the middle of the week, and I'm discombobulated. I haven't unpacked or done any laundry. My bangs are being little evil witches that WON'T LAY RIGHT. My body clock is all screwed up. And for some reason, my once-attractive self tanner has crackled on my skin into something that resembles the scales of Lizard Man, High Priest of Lohan Swamp.
I'm a mess, is what I'm saying. So what do I do when I feel like a mess? Red lipstick!
It is the easiest, quickest way to PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, MAN. Even if you're wearing baggy jeans from 10 pounds ago with black Bubble Yum suckered to the butt, and you haven't done your roots in three months, and you have Mount Vesuvius on the side of your face, the lipstick looks great.
Red lipstick makes your teeth look whiter and your lips look fuller. It adds cheeky glamour to any look. Think of all the times Gwen Stefani has trotted around in, like, wrestling boots, cutoff shorts and her signature red lip. It pulls it all together, regardless of what you're wearing. And it never goes out of style.
Try it, I'm serious. You'll feel pretty. Here are some of my red lip tips:
KEEP IT COOL: Choose a shade with cool blue undertones. Anything with orange or coral hints will make your teeth look yellow. Try MAC's Viva Glam lipstick in intense brownish blue red.
IN THE LINES: Wear lip liner. Some makeup artists poo-poo lip liner, especially for young women, as it can be aging. But for something this drastic, you need to avoid Granny lip runs. Choose a nude shade, or one slightly lighter than your lipstick, and blend it -- no severe lines. If you color your entire lip first, it will also help maintain the color through the day. Try Cover Girl's Outlast liner in nude.
GLOSS IT OVER: You want to keep this look young and fresh, so add a dab of gloss to the center of your lower lip. It will give the illusion of fullness without making you look like a Vaseline pot. I LOVE Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush gloss, on sale now, three for $15 or six for $20. I have about 20 of them. Try Juiced Berry or Red Delicious shades for a candy apple top coat. Bonus -- they taste great.
SMILE!: You have successfully drawn the focus away from your eyebrows, which you haven't plucked in 37 days! You go, glam girl.
~ Deal Diva Stephanie
Photos: Times files, Victoriassecret.com


Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or
Since she was a little girl Nicole Hutcheson dreamed of dressing like a Vogue cover girl. But her reality was more JCPenney catalog. The fact only honed her better ability to find luxury for less. Always on the hunt for markdowns on designer labels, this Deal Diva’s weaknesses are good jeans and killer heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8828 or
Colleen Jenkins learned two invaluable shopping tenets from her mom: 1. Buy quality. 2. Get it on sale. Then she added one of her own: Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! This Deal Diva’s idea of a blissful Saturday includes a trip to the Ellenton outlet mall. She loves mixing classic with trendy and cheap Target accessories with her markdown Banana Republic duds. She can be reached at (813) 226-3337 or
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or
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