I love wine or berry coloured lips and winter is the perfect time to wear this look. I’m always being asked about my lip colours so here are my favourites and some tips on making darker colours work for you. When wearing lip colour, it’s important to make sure your lips are soft and plump, without any dry or chapped skin. A good exfoliator once a week or so, along with a good lip balm everyday will really help get you through the winter.
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: These lip balms have a heavenly taste and are super moisturizing. They come in different tints and also have a spf 15 to protect your lips from the sun. I always have one in my purse.
Fresh Sugar Lip Polish: This gently exfoliates and conditions, leaving lips incredibly soft and smooth. Brown sugar crystals and natural humectants buff away dry flakes while shea butter and jojoba oil nourish the skin.
Bigelow My Favourite Night Balm: This overnight recovery balm with Shea butter moisturizes for 8 hours. It’s thicker than most lip balms so it will last through the night and you’ll wake up with soft satiny lips. This one is good for the guys too.
Lancome Juicy Tubes: These lip glosses are so moisturizing and have great staying power. When I’m out in cold weather, or for using over my lipstick or stain, this is my go to gloss. My favourite colour is Tickled Pink which is a sheer pink with no sparkles that looks great alone or over any wine or berry lip colour. I even wear it at night when my lips are very dry and chapped.
NARS Fast Ride: This is my go to lipstick. It’s a semi-sheer super-chic mulberry shade. It’s perfect anytime of the year to pop up your lip colour and is especially amazing for fall and winter. It’s great for night time or a natural day look.
NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Amsterdam: This is a beautiful dark berry colour that doesn’t look dry or chalky. It’s ultra-pigmented and long wearing yet moisturizing. The colour is fully opaque. There’s a muted quality to the colour with enough burgundy/brown in it to keep it from looking too red. This is my night out statement colour.
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Palais Royal: Absolutely beautiful dark wine colour. Romantic and sexy. This is more of a lip crayon than a pencil. It’s creamy and deeply saturated with colour that gives the effect of a stain with a touch of gloss. So easy to apply too.
Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte in Black Dahlia: Black Dahlia is a deep burgundy colour. This isn’t your average burgundy. It’s a bold, sexy, vampy look. The finish is semi matte which gives it a hint of creaminess and makes it very comfortable to wear. It has great staying power and leaves behind a beautiful berry stain on your lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat: This is my favourite lip pencil for outlining lips. You can reshape and make your lips look fuller, and it has great lasting power. It keeps your lip colour from feathering, yet it goes on smoothly—no skipping or tugging. It also makes a great base for your lipstick when applied all over lips. It comes in a gorgeous array of colours to complement a wide range of lip colours.
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: Not everyone can do a dark opaque lip. It your lips are very thin they will look smaller. Try using a sheer wine colour instead. Black honey has been a cult classic for years and it’s still a favourite today. This iconic sheer berry shade is flattering on all skin tones. If you haven’t tried it before, give it a try.
Laura Mercier Stickgloss Lip Colour: Part lip balm, part lip colour, and part lip glace, Stick Gloss provides a sheer wash of colour, creates dimension and adds fullness to the lips. Ultra-hydrating and longer wearing than a traditional lip glace. Black Orchid is a wonderful sheer berry/violet hue.
Tips for applying dark lipstick:
– Condition your lips with a lip balm
– Apply lip liner and feather down into the lips. You want a soft definition not a hard-sharp line. Use a soft rounded tip liner and a lip brush to feather.
– Select a lip liner in a neutral colour that matches your lip colour. Never darker.
– To set your lips, blot with a paper towel and not a tissue so you don’t end up with white residue all over your lips.
– To keep lipstick from getting on your teeth close your lips around your pointer finger and slowly pull it out of your mouth.
– Use a Q-tip to apply lipstick or stain for a softer muted look.
So there we have it ladies, go rock the dark lips, whether it’s in a sultry dress on a night out, or rocking the Gucci sunglasses on holiday in the med, it all works!