beauty queen: zoe kravitz

Thank you, Zoe Kravitz! This week the actress proved to the world that it is possible to attend a fancy museum event on the Upper East Side and still look, well, downtown. And somehow, she did it without appearing the least bit schlumpy or unkempt--it was actually the opposite.  Part of the credit might be owed to that tiered black dress (or her tattoos, or her septum ring), but her deep cranberry-colored lips are what really drive the look home.

The key here is to keep the rest of the face looking natural--minimal eye makeup and blush--and let the purple-ish lips do the talking instead. It's gorgeous, edgy, and effortless...isn't that what everyone wants?

Calling it now: we're going to use Kravitz as beauty inspiration for all of our holiday parties, so it's a good thing we have plenty of time to practice. Get started below. 

LINE IT: Makeup Forever Aqua Waterproof Lipliner Pencil in Matte Dark Raspberry. $19

Yes, we said lipliner. It might have unfortunate '90s connotations, but don't knock a good berry-colored pencil just yet. Carefully line the edges to make sure the color stays put, then lightly color in.

FILL IT: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine in Deep Raspberry, $34

Swipe this intense oxblood shade on your lips. The good news about making your mouth so bold is that you can be lazy with the rest of your face. Minimal eye makeup makes your lips stand out. 

GLOSS IT: MAC Lipglass in Clear, $15

OK, so we know there are tons of clear lip glosses on the market, and many of them are great. But we've yet to find one that works quite as well as this classic from MAC. It goes on smooth--not sticky--radiates major shine, and lasts forever.