TIFF 2013: Amp up your red carpet beauty look on a budget

If you're heading out to a red carpet premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, it's easy to glam up your beauty look without breaking the bank. As M.A.C senior artist Melissa Gibson explains, the easiest way to achieve drama on a budget is through bold lipstick.

Go burgundy!

Rather than going the obviously route with bright red or pink, try diving into one of the season's deep burgundy pouts. Melissa used M.A.C Retro Matte Lipstick in Pre-Raphaelite. This matte colour has great staying power, but for an even longer lasting finish, try prepping the lip with a primer (Melissa used M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip) to smooth the surface, then discourage the pigment from shifting and even out the base by using a lip pencil. Melissa chose M.A.C Cherry Lip Pencil for a boost of bright colour underneath. Then, rather than simply lining the lips, she filled them in completely, giving the lipstick something to grip. This will also serve as back up colour as the evening progresses. Finish by setting the lip with a powder product. "By doing this," says Melissa, "you achieve the longest wearing, mattest lip possible."

Frame the face

A great way to help this bold lip stand out is to keep the face neutral for contrast, while playing up the brows for balance. This will create a frame on the face. "I like to make the brow darker through the high arch and soften it towards the outer corners of the eye," Melissa explains. As a bonus, strong brows are one of the hottest trends in beauty for fall 2013.

Once your look is set, simply toss your lipstick and a shine controller like M.A.C Blot Powder in your clutch and you're ready for your red carpet debut.

Obsessed with all things fashion, beauty and TIFF? Us too. Check out our TIFF blog for more red carpet-ready looks and much more.