We all like the thought of wearing a wacky lipstick colour, but determining whether or not you can pull it off may be a bit intimidating! We constantly see Rihanna on the red carpet wearing black lipstick, Lupita in strong berry shades, and we don’t believe we’ve ever seen Gwen without her distinctive vivid red lipstick. Still, most of us are sceptical – we’ve all tried on that one lipstick that was truly awful and decided to stick to our favourite nude for the rest of our lives.
We’re here to inform you that not only is it the time of year to step up your bold lipstick game, but it’s also quite simple! Here are our principles and techniques for pulling off a strong lip like Rihanna:
Rule 1: Don’t just wear it, WEAR it!
Confidence is everything! Believe in your lipstick. We see lipstick as our ‘power suit’ it makes us feel bold and brave, and we love the power that lipstick can bring – not just to our mood, but our look too!
Rule 2: Experiment!
We can’t promise that every bright colour will fit you – but you never know, some people can pull off anything (Lupita knows! ), so experiment with different colours. Consider celebrities with skin tones comparable to yours, then look through their Instagram to get some ideas. If you don’t already have a bright red lipstick in your makeup bag, learn how to choose the perfect red lipstick colour here.
Rule 3: Liner, always!
One minor mistake with bright lipstick and you’ve gone from utterly elegant to a hot disaster – errors aren’t as easy to fix as they are with a neutral hue. That being said, it’s also not difficult; you simply need to prepare with a lip liner. A excellent lip liner will not only help you define and contour your lips more effortlessly, but it will also prevent any colour from running or feathering.
Tip 1. Tidy up
Clean up any imperfections with a small amount of foundation on a thick brush or a queue-tip – we prefer these tiny queue-tips from Muji.
Tip 2. Learn to contour your lips
Lip contouring is so simple and can transform your bold lip from elegant AF to uber seductive in minutes. Our key to bigger, juicier-looking lips is a little overlining. The trick is to move slowly and progressively overline, so you don’t go too far. Check out our whole instructions here.
Tip 3. Matchy-matchy is cute
Matching your lipstick colour isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if these A-list stylists are doing it, we’re all for it. Do you have a berry evening gown? A vampy cherry colour may be the ideal topping. If you want to channel your inner grungy, wear it with a sultry matte black lipstick! Colors on the other end of the spectrum also work well: Consider a cobalt blue jumpsuit with pillar box-red lipstick, or a green outfit with a fiery pink or brilliant purple lip.
Tip 4. The finger trick
We realise that seems strange, but there’s no other way to put it. To avoid putting your perfectly placed lipstick on your teeth, open your mouth and place your index finger (pointing finger) inside your mouth in the centre of your lips, then gently take it out while closing your lips around it. You may grin with confidence since your teeth will remain lipstick-free.
Now go forth and be fearless!! Let us know if you use any of these strategies and what your favourite strong lipstick hue is in the comments.
