“I swear I cannot pull off amazing bold lips!” I cried out to a friend one evening while getting dressed to get to a dinner reservation. “I see so many of you rock stunning bold lips. But, when I try and do a bold look, I hate how it looks,” I added further. So, when lines like Fenty Beauty expand their popular lipstick palette to include shades like wild lilac and wicked green, the last thing I felt was intimidation. And, that’s the last thing you should feel too! Later that week, I texted my most trusted makeup artist turned friend, Chantel, to spill her secrets of rocking a gorgeous bold lip. Here she shares her four best tips:
1) Exfoliate lips
Exfoliating lips are so healthy for removing dead skin. It eliminates flakey skin that builds up over time. Exfoliating lips can soften the lips and make them naturally plump.
Here are some of my favourites: Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator, these fun and delicious lip scrubs from Lush (all vegan!!).
Fun Little Tip: You can also use a toothbrush to exfoliate your lips. It immediately softens and plumps the lips. Keep in mind, don’t use the brush too harshly. Instead, use light and gentle strokes.
2) Moisturize + Hydrate
Buff away all the dryness on the lips with a blissfully buttery and super hydrating lip balm. “I’ve been using the Biossance squalane+rose vegan lip balm religiously,” advises Chantel, my gorgeous makeup artist. “Lip balm is also an excellent base to lipstick and allows it to glide on easier and gives your lips a silky smooth finish.” she further adds.
For deeper hydration, use overnight lip masks. I love the lip mask by LANEIGE. Although a sleeping mask, I’ve been using this mask as lipgloss as well, and it makes my lips look glossy and hydrated. A little goes a long way.
Little Tip: For sensitive lips, I would avoid using lip balms that have harsh chemicals, alcohol, and menthol in it. It can lead to skin irritation and cause an allergic reaction.
3) Line the Lips
“Adding a lip liner before and after a bold lip helps to define and bring back your lip shape, as it can sometimes get hidden within a bold lip colour,” suggests Chantel.
Depending on the look you’re going for with a bold lip colour, a lip liner can help achieve several looks. For instance- you could create an ombre lip effect and change your lip’s shape (bigger or smaller). Additionally, you could intensify the colour by adding a soft layer of lip liner over the lipstick.
Here are a few of the lip liner brands that we highly recommend at different price points:
a) Essence Soft Contouring Lip Liner
Category: Super- low Priced
Essence is one of the lowest-priced drug-store brands that does not compromise with its high quality.
b) e.l.f. Cosmetics
Category: Super-low priced
You won’t regret owning this non-irritating lip liner. This lip liner comes with a blending brush on one end and a retractable lip liner on the other end. This $1.20 lipliner is surprisingly smooth and high in pigmentation and doesn’t bleed because the blending brush helps to blend out any harsh lines very easily.
c) Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lip Liner
Category: Medium priced
The variation in nude colours sold me on these lip liners and that they were super creamy and long-lasting. The colours are just intense enough to give a beautiful wash of colour to wear all over the lip.
d) MAC Cosmetics
Category: High-End
We love MAC Cosmetics! For the liners from MAC, a little goes a long way, and it lasts forever!
(Photo by skintypesmag)
4) Fill in the lips with your favourite bold colour:
If you want to try an intimidating colour for yourself, don’t think you can’t go for it! The first step would be to research what colour suits your skin tone best. The easiest colour to start with is orange. It’s light, fun and fresh! And, from there, experiment with several different shades of the colour.
At the end of the day, it’s just lipstick. It’s fun and temporary. You’ve got nothing to lose. Make up routine, you just a got lot more exciting! Muahhhhhh!!!
Thoughts? Are there any tips that you’d like to share? Is there a colour that excites you? Let us know all about your fun lipstick adventures in the comments below.
xx
Yachna
(Featured image by Essence)