Put your hand up if you haven’t tried the bold lip trend yet?
I’m sure there are quite a few of you…
Why is that?
It is probably because you might not know what colour to wear, maintaining the look throughout the day can be difficult and just in general feel it can be too much too soon.
By Michael Brown
Sound Familiar?
Let’s talk about this punchy lip trend that looks like it is here to stay and why it can be so damn good, when applied correctly of course!
Gone are the days of that ‘painted’ lip look…
You know the doll like lipstick look, which looks layered up and so shiny, one kiss and it was everywhere.
Our applications have changed a lot since then and so have lipstick textures with re-introducing more matte and balm like formulas which tend to stay put longer and can be great lip stains.
I used to always associate bright or especially a red lip with either very glam, event style makeup, Hollywood/theatre or older women in general – my grandma was a fan and wouldn’t be caught seen dead without her makeup and especially her red lippie, not even to get her mail from her own letterbox!!
That could have been because my make-up artist career started to take place around the year 2000 when brown, beige lips were a hit from that 90’s era of everything brown and caramel worked a treat – so dull.
I was always a fan of the coral and peach lips and started to introduce these shades into my work, but most women only wanted the smokey eye and nude lip trend that lasted for years!!
Now, in 2013, you can wear a red lipstick just to coffee and no one thinks twice!
Colour in makeup is such the norm, yes there are some shockers out there who ruin it by wearing it completely wrong, but in my opinion, the general public these days are really stepping out of comfort zones, trying new things and really embracing new trends – I’m gathering because of more awareness!
The great thing about the bold, punchy lip trend is that for the time poor – all of us – you can wear next to nothing makeup, as long as you have a beautifully applied complexion, apply your bold lip and you look fab! Ready to take on the world.
Women are saying they feel feminine, glam and love the bit of colour to hide any tired or dullness that keeping everything nude in makeup can create.
MB PRO TIP – As blush has always been applied to brighten a dull complexion, the bold lip has now taken over to give that wow factor and lift. For some it is easier to apply too! If wearing a bold lip, go easy on the blush and perhaps contour cheeks with bronzer instead for better balance. Keep your blush for your lighter or nude lip days.
Makeup is so easy in today’s world because most products are designed now to have more than one use – Love that!
You really don’t need more than 5-6 products to get a really great red caret ready look.
To make that lip as punchy as possible, you don’t need then to stack on the eye makeup as it will pull focus, keep everything else simple.
Mix foundation with your moisturizer for a great, even glow, add some highlighter above cheekbones and brow bone, use bronzer under cheekbones for shade and as a wash across the eyelids, then to finish, add mascara and your bold lip is all you need – a brushed up brow wouldn’t hurt either.
The above opening visual is the perfect example of this…
Inika cosmetics have just launched the perfect, quick and easy combinations of Lip/Cheek stains and cream shadows, one (champagne) also able to be a highlighter.
Two shades of Lip/Cheek stains and Cream Eye shadows – Certified Organic Crème Colours – $39 each.
This style of lip stains are perfect for the beginner bold lip fan as the pigment is not as intense as a lipstick which can scare some women off. Instead it gives off a beautiful hint of the bold colour you may want to try and the stain factor means it will last longer.
Then to team it with something like Crème Colour for eyes would work beautifully. Cappuccino as an eye base and socket definer and Champagne as a cheek, cupid’s bow and brow bone highlight – perfect!
Your actual lipstick can be used like a stain also – you determine how much pigment you see from light to intense.
The ‘painted’ lip look I referred to earlier usually means you have either applied lipstick straight from the packaging or used a lip brush. This means your lipstick has been applied over the lip, sitting on top and depending on how many layers you apply, can look quite placed and painted.
This causes issues with drinking and kissing someone, as the transfer rate is very high as it is sitting on top of the lip.
I personally like the stain effect… it looks on trend, slightly more matte and great for long wear.
This became popular when fingertips were introduced to apply lipstick. Your fingertip can ‘press’ lipstick into your lips, more than when ‘painting’ lipstick on with a brush. Because of the press and then melting action into your lip, a stain is created so even after eating, pigment is more present than traditional application methods.
It’s all about the dab and press ladies…
Nothing worse than seeing half eaten or only outlined lips out there! This technique also gives a nice full shape with your fingertip being rounded. You can gently press for a light stain to the lip for day or for beginner punchy lip wearers or you can keep layering and pressing for a deep, bold lip!
Once I have pressed lipstick into the lips with my fingertip giving the perfect, long lasting lipstick base, you can leave the lips as is, or, you can then use a lip brush to add extra shine/pigment if necessary – great for inner corners of your lips where the fingertip can be hard to reach.
In most cases you might not need a lip liner as the stain, un-polished lip trend is a big one. But for reds and certain lip shapes that do not have a large or perfect lip line, apply lip liner after lipstick application – this will give a more natural lip line, blending into the lipstick for an invisible, yet sharper outline. The old way of applying lip liner first can leave a definite line around the mouth and you can accidently shorten your lip space by tracing around nothing – much easier to trace around something already there by applying it after lipstick.
MB PRO TIP – The red lip trend is here this new season! Start deepening up those summery pinks and choose Hollywood shades of red going into winter. If you are fair skinned, lighter features go a more warm summery red (brighter) and if you are olive skinned, with more warm to yellow base features, go a blue base winter style red (deeper). If confused, get one of each base and place next to your skin and you should see immediately which one will give you a lift and not look dull or too much.
My favorite reds at the moment are from the Jasmin Rouge Collection from Tom Ford ($65) – This shade is ‘Diabolique’ From a slight sheen to matte, bright reds to deep, there is a shade for all of you to start this new season off with nicely.
Now that is one to pull out of your handbag for a touch up!!
MB x
By Michael Brown
Twitter: @mbrown_beauty
Facebook.com/michaelbrownbeauty
Michael Brown is speaking at the Rescu. Me! Event in June 2013! Book now