Dark lipstick is one of the hottest winter makeup trends every year, yet some women still find it tricky to pull off or intimidating to wear. Truth is, it looks great on all skin tones – you just have to find your best shade!
Here are our top tips for wearing dark lipstick with confidence this winter season:
Find your perfect shade
Just like there’s a perfect red lipstick for every skin tone, there is a perfect dark lipstick for every skin tone. Makeup should be fun, and while we don’t believe in rules, there are certain guidelines as to which shades may look great on you. If you’re completely new to the dark lip game and need a source of inspo, try this: Fair skins pull off deep reds and pinks very well, while medium and olive skin tones look great against deep chocolate tones. Dark skin tones are the perfect canvas for plums and purples.
Try: essence perfect matte lipstick (R68.95)
It’s all about the prep
Your lips are more likely to be dry or flaky during the colder months. Before you apply your lipstick, gently exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub and apply a hydrating lip balm. Wait around 10 minutes for the moisture to be absorbed.
Try: essence coco kiss caring lip peeling (R52.95)
The coconut kiss caring lip peeling makes the lips feel seductively soft and smooth with the help of natural peeling particles made of grated coconut and sugar as well as 10 per cent caring almond oil. Simply pick up a small amount of the pleasant coconut-scented peeling with your fingers, massage it gently onto the lips and then remove – for ultra-soft and kissable lips.
Conceal
Women with fair skin tones often experience redness around the mouth area. We recommend applying a bit of concealer around the edges to mask it. Dark lipsticks with red tones may highlight redness in the skin, so as a general rule you may want to wear your lip colour with some foundation and concealer.
Try: essence camouflage+ healthy glow concealer (R64.95)
Invest in a similar shade of lip liner
A sharp edge is tricky to achieve with just a lipstick. A lip liner helps define the shape of the lips and also makes lipstick application much easier. We recommend outlining the lips with your pencil first and then colouring them in before applying lipstick. This intensifies your lipstick shade but also prevents the dreaded “lined lip” look should your lipstick wear off.
Try: essence stay 8h lip liner (R41.95)
Use a brush
Many women find it tricky to apply lipstick perfectly from the bullet, especially when it comes to the cupid’s bow. A lipstick brush solves this problem. Use your brush to lift colour from your lipstick and apply to the lips in short strokes. This allows you to build your colour and maintain the shape you created with your lip liner.
Try: essence angled lip brush (R29.95)
Keep an eye on the wear
Long-wear formulations last, but if you’re eating or drinking throughout the day (which of course we all do!), your colour may begin to fade or wear off. If you find the colour is mostly wearing off in the centre of your lips, there’s no need to remove everything and start from scratch. Simply dab a bit of colour onto the centre of your bottom lip and purse your lips together.
Focus on your lip colour
Though we love a full face of makeup, dark lips deserve to be centre stage. If you’re rocking a dark lip, keep the rest of your makeup simple. Some foundation/concealer, neutral eyes and a hint of blush or bronzer is all you need.
Don’t be scared!
Makeup is fun, don’t allow it to be intimidating. Wear your dark lip with confidence and enjoy the compliments that follow.
essence is available at Dis-Chem, Clicks, Foschini, Jet, Takealot, Zando & House Of Cosmetics
