The Perfect Bold Lip
How To Create Fall/Winter's Beauty Classic Trend
Think of Christina Aquilera and Gwen Stefani's retro-glam looks - bold, sexy and feminine. It's easier than you might think to create this classic beauty trend.
Just as scarves and boots become must-haves when the weather gets colder, so does lipstick and bold lips. But lipstick can be an intimidating beauty tool and bold lips can be a high-maintenance look. With these step-by-step tips and useful hints, a bold lip look can be just as easy to apply as grabbing a favourite lip gloss, and much more on trend!
Inspiration
Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera have made this modernized glamourous look their signatures, and crimson lips were seen on Katherine Heigl, Kate Walsh and Heidi Klum on the 2007 Emmy Awards red carpet. It's a throwback to the Hollywood glamour of 1940s and 1950s, and it's an extremely sophisticated, feminine look.
The Steps For A Beautiful, Dramatic Lip Look
- Exfoliate & Moisturize: Use a dry toothbrush to gently buff the skin of your lips, removing any dry skin. Follow up immediately with a moisturizing lip balm. Before applying lip colour, blot your lips with a tissue to remove any excess product.
- Lipliner: For a matte lip look, using a lipliner in the same shade as your lipstick is key. With short, light strokes, outline your lips, then the entire lip surface. This step ensures that your look will last longer – the lipstick adheres to the lipliner, not your skin.
- Lipstick: Using a brush, apply your lip colour carefully and a little at a time until both lips are covered in a thin layer of colour.
- Blot: Separate a piece of tissue into two layers. Pressing one layer gently onto your lips will help to set the colour and remove any excess.
- Lipstick: Apply a second layer of lipstick as you did the first.
- Blot: Use the second piece of separated tissue and press it onto your lips. You're done!
Colours
Red is classic, but can be too strong a look for daytime. Think in shades of burgundy or plum and save the red for special occasions like holiday parties.
Tips and Tricks
- If you make a mistake, use a Q-tip to smudge it out. If necessary, the smudge can be covered with a bit of concealer or foundation and powder on a clean lip brush.
- You should exfoliate and moisturize your lips as part of your nightly routine year round, but especially in the dry, cold winter months when skin becomes dehydrated. That way, no matter what you're wearing on them, your lips will stay soft and moisturized.
- If you exfoliate and moisturize your lips before you start your make-up routine and do your lips last, the moisturizer will have time to absorb. Just remember to blot before you apply your lip colour!
- For a softer look, you may choose a sheer lipstick and apply it with your finger or directly from the tube. Just remember to apply carefully – you could end up looking like a clown otherwise! And remember to blot for a more natural effect.
- Keep the rest of your make-up simple. For a classically retro look, use liquid eyeliner and mascara on your upper lids and fill out your brows. For a modern look, smudge eyeliner or powder in navy, burgundy or plum along your upper lashline, then apply mascara and a highlighter along the brow and cheekbone.
