vamp it up.

a few months ago i wasn't sure how i felt about lana del rey...or her less than stellar performance on "saturday night live." after this week and her walk down the red carpet at the met gala, however, i'm thinking a bit differently. besides her unbelievable dress and to-die-for cape by joseph altuzarra, her dramatic blood wine-stained lips rounded out one of the costume institute ball's best looks in true vamp fashion, even if it was more fitting for autumn or winter rather than a spring event. check out the full look at vanity fair.

she wasn't the only celeb to purse her plum lips at the gala either (just one of the few to do it right). camilla belle and kate bosworth worked the pre-show photogs in dark lipstick hues, and jessica alba, kate upton and sofia vergara showed off bright reds and pinks. the bold lip was one of the hot trends at the event, next to peplum-skirted dresses and bright yellow and orange gowns.

the bold lip is one of my favorite accessories the past few months, as it instantly transforms a black leather skirt, sundress, colored jeans or cocktail attire into something that's a little more high fashion or formal. and surprisingly it still works on my thin, almost non-existent lips to help pack a punch.

want to pull off lana del rey's deep lip color yourself this weekend? after months of searching for the right red and perfect purple hues and coming up empty, i finally layered the two of these and found a match i think you'll like. here's my secret mix:


first, layer on the sephora rouge cream lipstick in "bewitch me," which is the darkest in the collection...

then add a quick swipe of mac cosmetic's "russian red" and blot. you're all set! it doesn't look like a huge difference in the pics, but trust me, in real life the red helps tone down the purple so it's not so gothicly harsh.

it's pretty long lasting, too. touch-ups are only needed every now and then, even though i don't use a lip liner. besides, even when a bit wipes off, the stain leaves a slight ombre look that's oh-so "in" right now.

the best part? when i'm wearing it i can drink all the pinot noir and cabernet i want with no worries. now i just need to find a cape...