I love wearing bright lips, in case you've not noticed! And maybe you never have, perhaps you're so used to seeing it on my face you don't give it a thought, yet alone a second one! Whether it's blue red, bright red, orange, hot pink, rose pink or various shades of plum, I now feel oddly underdone going out without my lipstick. And while I wear my 'war paint' for myself, I always get compliments on my lipstick. People love seeing bright lips!
Often though when I talk to admirers of a bright lip, they're terrified of it for themselves. There's a long list of reasons... "My significant other doesn't like it", "I don't suit red", "I don't want to look overdressed"... the list goes on.
So if you've been harbouring secret longing for a juicy bold lip but these excuses have left you nude, let's tackle these three common ideas before we get to some fabulous lipstick wearing tips.
1. Ah kissing! Well, it's true, bright lipstick isn't exactly the best friend of a make out sess. But hey, in private who cares how messy it gets? In public, encourage your partner to kiss the back of your hand. It's wildly romantic! Or fist bumps are cool. There are also kiss proof varieties of lip colour - but I warn you, they are (mostly) drying to your lips!
2. "I don't suit red lipstick" gets muttered at me over and over. If I had a dollar for every time I heard it... Everyone can wear red; it's a matter of finding the right red, and then not being scared of it! The trick is the base tone. Reds come in a myriad of varieties - blue based, orange based, pink based, brown based, true bright red etc. I'm lucky, I can wear most, but some peoples' base tones are more suited to specific shades of red. Ask the consultant at your favourite make up counter for help.
3. Feeling a bit too dramatic? Well, it's not as impractical or outrageous as say a feather boa and stilettos at the beach. It's two lines on your face, and you can remove it if it's really not working. But, it probably is. It looks great with that dress, girl! It gives a polished look to your office ensemble, with that tee and jeans look for a barbecue or even walking out of the gym! Colour has a direct influence on how our brains feel, after all!
Remember that "It's not as bold as it looks". If you're not a lipstick wearer, suddenly having a bold lip can be utterly terrifying when you first look in the mirror and you'll want to wipe it clean off! I always say to newbies to apply their lip colour and even if it's so strong it frightens them, leave it and walk away from the mirror for a few minutes. Go fold laundry or feed the dog or put your sunscreen on or something (no seriously, always put your sunscreen on!), and then come back to the mirror. You'll be amazed how less scary your bright lip looks on second glance.
So, let's get into a little colour theory if you're feeling tempted to take the plunge but want a little guidance on how to approach it!
I find a bright true red is often the most versatile colour in my lipstick wardrobe - it pretty much can be worn with everything under the sun, and you'll probably find the same. Why do I say this? Well, a deeper red can look quite heavy with a breezy summery outfit, or even an outfit with lighter tones of red in it. A prime example is when I got this wrong and teamed this very deep red with a Christmassy outfit. Oops.
But, that's not to say deep reds aren't amazing! I find they look great with more moody, wintry tones or outfits in the same tone of red.
Pink is a firm favourite of mine, and many others! I love going for really bold pinks, like this hot coral pink lipstick, teamed with a pink top. If an outfit has pink in it, I will pretty much always reach for a hot pink lip, or else a very 60s cool tone bright pink. A cooler toned pink is also great with pastel outfits, as it's softer.
Orange is a colour I live for in summer, I just crave wearing orange lipstick when the temperature rises! It looks great with outfits that need a little less drama than red, or have orange tones in them, which I just find suits my summer wardrobe so well. It also seems to suit outfits with a lot of tan in them, for some reason!
Purples and plums always get pulled out every few winters are they're dramatic, but they come in such a spectrum I don't always think of them seasonally. Plum looks best of course with a winter clothing palette, but a bright purple/plum can do all year round duty when teamed with bold colour choices like kelly green, teal, fuchsia, white or yellow.
Basically what I'm saying is when you start out, coordinate your lip colour with your outfit and you're going to find it a lot easier!
Keep in mind too the rest of your make up when you wear bold lipstick. I always recommend starting with a more neutral eye make up look until you're feeling more confident and again, look for eye shadow that compliments your lips. One of my key tips though is to put your lipstick on before your blush so you see how much blush you really need. You know you've got it right when your face somehow looks like it's bright and come together. I don't know how else to explain that, but you'll see!
Remember that "It's not as bold as it looks". If you're not a lipstick wearer, suddenly having a bold lip can be utterly terrifying when you first look in the mirror and you'll want to wipe it clean off! I always say to newbies to apply their lip colour and even if it's so strong it frightens them, leave it and walk away from the mirror for a few minutes. Go fold laundry or feed the dog or put your sunscreen on or something (no seriously, always put your sunscreen on!), and then come back to the mirror. You'll be amazed how less scary your bright lip looks on second glance.
So, let's get into a little colour theory if you're feeling tempted to take the plunge but want a little guidance on how to approach it!
I find a bright true red is often the most versatile colour in my lipstick wardrobe - it pretty much can be worn with everything under the sun, and you'll probably find the same. Why do I say this? Well, a deeper red can look quite heavy with a breezy summery outfit, or even an outfit with lighter tones of red in it. A prime example is when I got this wrong and teamed this very deep red with a Christmassy outfit. Oops.
But, that's not to say deep reds aren't amazing! I find they look great with more moody, wintry tones or outfits in the same tone of red.
Pink is a firm favourite of mine, and many others! I love going for really bold pinks, like this hot coral pink lipstick, teamed with a pink top. If an outfit has pink in it, I will pretty much always reach for a hot pink lip, or else a very 60s cool tone bright pink. A cooler toned pink is also great with pastel outfits, as it's softer.
Purples and plums always get pulled out every few winters are they're dramatic, but they come in such a spectrum I don't always think of them seasonally. Plum looks best of course with a winter clothing palette, but a bright purple/plum can do all year round duty when teamed with bold colour choices like kelly green, teal, fuchsia, white or yellow.
Basically what I'm saying is when you start out, coordinate your lip colour with your outfit and you're going to find it a lot easier!
Keep in mind too the rest of your make up when you wear bold lipstick. I always recommend starting with a more neutral eye make up look until you're feeling more confident and again, look for eye shadow that compliments your lips. One of my key tips though is to put your lipstick on before your blush so you see how much blush you really need. You know you've got it right when your face somehow looks like it's bright and come together. I don't know how else to explain that, but you'll see!
For my day to day life, I often just wear concealer, a brush of mattifying powder on my nose, eyebrow gel, a swipe of mascara and the red lips and it looks like I've put a lot more effort in than I really have. You can actually pare back on the rest of your make up with a red lip, or really work some film star noir vibes with a full on face. But, who doesn't love a quick beauty fix?
Love WTP x
P.S. Want to know the best way to apply your lipstick so it lasts all day? Check out this great application video from fellow red lip lover and friend NoraFinds.
P.P.S. Greasy food and red lips don't mix... so maybe don't wear red lippy to your local burger joint...
P.P.S. Greasy food and red lips don't mix... so maybe don't wear red lippy to your local burger joint...
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