July Color of the Month - Carnival Red

Each month, HGTV.com features a Color of the Month on their website. They spotlight different shades of a particular paint color in many different decorating styles. It's a great way to get inspiration if you were wanting to use a certain color but didn't know which direction to run with it to satisfy your taste. Well with summer being just around the corner, the color for July is Carnival Red. I mean just the name of it makes me think of fresh strawberries and tomatoes, a cherry snow cone, or a pop of red lips to top off your look for a night out. 

I didn't want to focus on just home decor and paint colors of that hue since HGTV pretty much has that covered. So I thought 'why not have a mix of beauty, craft, food, and clothing items each month that all have a common color theme?' So here it is...the LaO blog's first installment of Color of the Month. I'm going to follow the lead of HGTV for this one with Carnival Red since it's such a gorgeous color and I found so many lovely things to share. Please keep scrolling to enjoy the red good-ness that is about to ensue...

So I'd like to start out with some good classic red beauty items. Everything from a bright red lip, cherry toned polish, or that great cheek tint that you're longing to try out. Some ladies are a bit scared of the bold reds {myself being one of them}. With a fair complexion, I've been a bit hesitant to try any type of red lip because sometimes the contrast can make pale skin look even paler. BUT...I found a great chart put together by YouBeauty.com that breaks down their red-hue recommendations by skin tone and undertone color. So glad I found this chart! I can now find a red that's perfect for me without having to test drive it and then return it if I don't love it. 

I also found quite a few great cheek colors that look quite scary in the pan but, when used with a light hand, can look great on any skin tone. There's even an at-home hair color that is so intense that it shows up as a true red on any hair color but washes out in 2-3 shampoos. So if you're going to a NC State game or want some red streaks for Halloween or Christmas, this is a great option. And several other colors are available!

1.Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lip Gel 2.YouBeauty.com 3.Beauty Blender 4.Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee 5.Nars blush 6.Colour Pop Super Shock blush 7.Garnier Color Styler Intense Wash-Out Haircolor 8.Formula X for Sephora

Next came craft and DIY items that I've found that included this great shade of red. From home and party decor to seasonal decorations and furniture. I've rounded up quite a great selection of things to add a little red punch to your surroundings.   

1.A Pop of Pretty 2.Cottage at the Crossroads 3.Homespun with Love 4.Love Pomegranate House 5.Finding Home Farms 6.Crap I've Made 7.Positively Splendid 8.Operation Home Blog

Who doesn't love a good recipe share? I found some great ideas for sweet and savory foods plus a few beverages to spruce up an otherwise not so colorful table.

1.Life is Poppin' 2.Martha Stewart 3.Lauren's Latest 4.Cooking Classy 5.Dashing Dish 6.Vitamix 7.Frugal Coupon Living 8.Jo and Sue

This turned out to be a great way to start being more open minded about a color that I use very often in my home and beauty routine. I think I'll probably be sticking with this as a monthly post and I hope you all will come back each month to see what color themed goodness I've rounded up. I may or may not follow HGTV's lead each month, just depending on how inspired I feel by their color of choice for a particular month. If you've got a great Carnival Red project, beauty product, recipe, or decor item, please link it in the comments for all of us to see!