It was just over a year ago, while custom mixing a vibrant tomato red lip color for actress Reese Witherspoon on the set of Vogue's January 2019 cover, that Gucci had the initial spark of an idea for the Lip Suede, Westman Atelier's very first lip color debut. "I've always loved the idea of multiple shades in one palette that can be mixed to create a bright pop of color, but I also wanted the ingredients to be clean, the finish to be both moisturizing and matte, and the formula to be volumizing," she says, ticking off the items on her wishlist.

 

Fast forward to the Lip Suede. Tucked inside a glossy red lacquer compact, it's a four-color lineup of supersaturated, long-wearing shades that are rich in active cherry and marula oils, as well as biomimetic peptides for collagen-boosting benefits: Along with that head-turning tomato, there's a fresh fuchsia, deep brick red, and a warm dusty rose. Each can be worn in its pure form, or tweaked and tailored with a bit of mixing— a dab of bold pink, for instance, turns the tomato shade into a lush cherry red.

 

In today's video tutorial, Gucci gives a quick lesson in how to mix, apply, and set a scene-stealing shade that looks good on virtually everybody. 

 

For more red lipstick tricks—finding your perfect shade, smudge-proofing, damage control—check out Gucci's ultimate masterclass.