How To Recreate Rihanna's Stunning Dark Red Lipstick Look

Rihanna might as well have invented the beauty industry. Not only is the Fenty Beauty founder sitting on top of a cosmetics company worth $2.8 billion, as reported by Forbes, but her inclusive makeup line also landed her British Vogue's Beauty Award in 2018 for Services to Diversity. Beaut celebrated Rihanna's many innovative cover shoots over the years and lauded her creative makeup looks.

The singer and beauty line founder is known to rock a bold lip on and off of the red carpet, but her standout shade is a sultry dark red. The Guardian calls it a power move, and we call it genius. Teen Vogue equates red lipstick with confidence, assertiveness, and strength, so it's only natural that Rihanna carved out space for various reds in her beauty line. The icon showed off Fenty Beauty's cult-favorite Stunna Lip Paint in "Uncensored" in a November 2017 Instagram tutorial. Celebrity makeup artist Priscilla Ono details how to recreate Rihanna's iconic makeup look.

In a video for People's "How It's Done" series, Fenty Beauty's global makeup artist Priscilla Ono revealed the secret behind Rihanna's gorgeous red lipstick look. There's a lot of prep work involved before the lipstick goes on. In the video, Ono first applies Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer to minimize pores and control shine before blending Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation past the jawline. The makeup artist told Elle that primer should always come first because it lengthens your makeup's longevity. She then goes in with highlighter and blush. 

Now, for the moment of truth: Ono shared with People that before painting Rihanna's lips her signature red shade, she exfoliates. "Whenever putting on any lip color, but especially with a liquid formula, you have to make sure the lips are exfoliated first to remove any flakes or dead skin," she told the outlet. "You don't want the color to catch onto any dry patches which would make the lips look uneven. Just like your face, lip care is just as important to ensure a smooth application!"

Ono also recommends Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer for plump and nourished lips, per Elle. Just one swipe and your pout will be kiss-ready.