Blood Is the New Makeup: ‘New Moon,’ ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ & Lady Gaga

Robert Pattinson and Megan Fox make sucking it sexy, Lady Gaga accessorized last night's VMA performance with it, and HBO makes it True: Blood is having its moment. While sporting a pair of plastic fangs is only cool in a middle school cafeteria, and stage blood should stay on stage (though it also makes unnecessary appearances in middle school cafeterias), fashion houses like Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, and Dolce & Gabbana have made fashionable interpretations of all the pop culture gore, sending modern-day vamps down their fall runways. With variations of pale skin, dramatic eyes, and blood-red lips, the look is perfect for a little bloodletting after hours, and with a few tweaks, can also be wearable at your day job.

Day Blood
Runway: Moschino Cheap & Chic, Rachel Roy
Real Way: It may be tempting to dust on powder and create a smudged smokey eye for your best Megan Fox impression, but for day vamping, it’s lip service only. The spectrum of bloody lips for day can go for natural-looking stains, wet glossy lips, and highly pigmented matte mouths, balanced with a clean eye. Bobbi Brown, who has mastered the look for Rachel Roy’s fall runway, says “When your lip color is strong, it’s best to keep the color on your eyes subtle, so those features don’t compete with each other for attention.”
Try: Clinique Vitamin C Lip Smoothie in Currant, $22. Revlon Matte Lipstick in In the Red, $8.

Dark Blood
Runway: Bleeding at a piano only works for Gaga, however, there are ways to take the gore over the top. Bottega Veneta paired purple hued lips with vampire pale skin and dark eyes, and while McQueen’s over-the-line lips only work for members of Six Six Sick, it does drive the point home.
Real Way: Don’t think about balance here, but do be conscious of shape. Use a lip pencil to maintain the mouth; otherwise, you may begin to look a little like the Joker as the night wears on. Be sure to do the same with eyes, and opt for grays or smokey plums instead of black eyeshadow. “Superintense lips can be strong and pretty,” Brown promises. “For more precise application, use a lip brush to paint color on instead of applying it directly from the tube.” With a clean, sharp line, you’ll be vamping like Anna Paquin in no time.
Try: Dior Addict Lip-color in Decadent Plum, $26. Max Factor Vivid Impact Lipcolor in Wine Not, $8. Smashbox Double Take Lip Crayon in Currant, $22. Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeshadow in Fortune, $36.