Try This Look Tonight: A Bold Red Lip Like Katie Holmes

The saturated crimson Elisabeth Moss wore to the 2013 Emmy Awards was the work of careful layering by her makeup artist, Sabrina Bedrani. "To achieve this perfect effect, I first lined Elisabeth's lips with the Dior Crayon Contour in Rouge Royal ($30; sephora.com)," she said. Next, Bedrani continued filling in the star's lips with the pencil, and dabbed the Rouge Dior in Trafalgar ($34; sephora.com) on top for a slight glossy sheen.

Lupita Nyong'O is gaining momentum as one of our up-and-coming style crushes, so it's no surprise to us that she already knows how to work a high-impact lip like a pro. For the New York City premiere of her movie '12 Years a Slave,' her makeup artist Nick Barose chose Tom Ford's Cherry Lush ($49; neimanmarcus.com), a true opaque crimson. "I applied the color directly from the tube, blotted with tissues, then added extra coats for intensity," he told us. "Bold lips should be bright, but not overly defined. A good lip brush is key for covering those hard-to-reach areas."

The actress's high-octane hue certainly packs a lot of punch. "I worked the rest of her look around her red lip," said her makeup artist Jenn Streicher. Getting a crisp shape is key when working with bold colors like Steinfeld's, so the pro used a lip brush to apply the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Radiate, a vivid hybrid between hot pink and true red ($18; sephora.com).

Va-va-voom! Jennifer Morrison channeled her inner Marilyn by pairing her animal print dress with a sexy red lip. "The combo of leopard and brick red is sexy, in charge, and fierce," said her makeup artist Nick Barose, who used Dolce amp Gabbana's lipstick in Devil ($32; saksfifthavenue.com). The effect between both elements was striking in itself, so Barose balanced the look with a few coats of mascara, and a sheer wash of petal blush.

Washington mirrored the print of her flirty Stella McCartney dress with Lancome's Color Design Lipstick in Red Haute ($22; lancome-usa.com). Because red can emphasize ruddiness in your complexion, the star's makeup artist Carola Gonzalez recommends taking extra time in blending concealer or foundation over any areas that tend to flush easily. "Start by applying concealer, highlighting the area under the eyes, nose bridge, middle of the forehead, and chin to create dimension," she said.

"For Sophia's lips, I applied Chanel's lipstick in No. 104 Passion ($34; chanel.com) with a lip brush for perfection," said her makeup artist Gianpaolo Celiliato. The secret to her pronounced cupid's bow? Well-placed illuminator. Cecilato added a touch of shimmer above the middle of the star's lips to create definition.

Combined with her winged-out liner, Howard's matte red lip appears to be a nod to Old Hollywood glamor at first glance, but the subtle orange undertones give the hue a modern-day update. "The look we were going for was young and professional, but with an edge," said her makeup artist Gita Bass. Sounds perfect for party season! Bass blended a custom hue for the star, mixing the NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick with Pure Red ($6 each; nyxcosmetics.com).

Victoria's Secret Angel Ambrosio certainly knows what goes into creating a sexy makeup look, and the shiny ruby lip she wore to a Chloe dinner in Los Angeles just screams bombshell. "I used the Rouge Dior lipstick in Ara Red ($34; sephora.com), blotted it with a tissue, then added a second coat with a brush to define the shape of her lips," said her makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani. "We thought it was a nice pop of color to complement her chic, elegant Chloe outfit."

If you don't have full lips like Lakshimi, you can still give off the illusion of a more-ample pout with creative lining techniques. "Red lips can accentuate how small your lips may be, so when doing it, you can cheat outside the natural lip line slightly," said her makeup artist Nick Barose, who used Besame's Red Hot Red ($22; besamecosmetics.com) on the star. "Don't overdo it-use a matching red pencil to line the lips, and start from the center and work your way outwards to ensure symmetry."

Orange may be the new black, but Schilling looks stunning in a wine-red lip. "Taylor's black and white floral dress was feminine and sexy, so I wanted the makeup to have the same effect," said her makeup artist Gita Bass, who used Tom Ford's Black Orchid lipstick ($49; neimanmarcus.com). "We went for glowing skin, fluttery lashes, and a deep pop of color on the lip." Because the hue is so strong, start by dabbing the product on straight from the tube until you've built up your desired intensity-a little goes a long way!

Nothing sets off a strong red lip like well-groomed brows, and we're loving the effect of Ashley Madekwe's flawless set paired with her deep carmine hue. Her makeup artist Lauren Andersen chose Avon's Ultra Color Lipstick in Cherry Jubilee ($8; avon.com) for the star, and went easy on the eyes so the effect wasn't overpowering.

Gurira, who stars as the zombie-fighting Michonne on AMC's 'The Walking Dead,' killed it in the style department when she walked the red carpet in a bold sanguine lip. "We used the NARS Cinematic Lipstick in Future Red ($26; narscosmetics.com)," her makeup artist Nick Barose told us. "Always slightly blur the edges of the lips with a pointed Q-Tip-I dip it in loose powder and gently blend along the edges so the color won't bleed, and so the lines are precise, but not too severe."

The trick to Katie Holmes' ultra-glamorous lip? It's all about layering! Bobbi Brown began by tracing the star's lips with her brand's own lip liner in Red ($22; bobbibrowncosmetics.com), then layered the aptly-named Hollywood Red lipstick ($25; bobbibrowncosmetics.com) over the line. To dress up the effect, Brown swept on the Lip Gloss in Siren Red ($24; bobbibrowncosmetics.com) as the finishing touch.

As Joan on 'Mad Men,' Hendricks is already a seasoned pro in the art of the red lip, and the bright vermillion hue she picked for the 2013 Emmy Awards added the perfect amount of flair to her Christian Siriano lace gown. "We chose the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Lipstick in Power Red ($25; elizabetharden.com), which looked bold and elegant against her skin," said her makeup artist Vanessa Scali.