Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts

Friday, June 20, 2014

Dark Lips, Light Tips... Can't Lose.

Can we talk for a second about how much I absolutely Lisa Eldridge and her makeup tutorials? You name the makeup trend, she's tackled it, done a magazine cover featuring it, and then come up with a handy video to show you how to recreate it on your own. I've sung her praises before when I talked about rocking red lipstick, and if you haven't installed her wisdom as your go-to makeup-guru-fictional-bff, well, you're missing out.

The trend this winter/spring/summer has been all about lips. Maybe it's because I'm getting older (and more confident, heyo), but I'm obsessed with the bold lip trends. Orangey, red, super-dark... bring. it. on.

Nervous about trying dark lips? You have every reason to be nervous, but there's also absolutely no reason why you shouldn't try this at least once. Lisa's video below shows you how to create the look and pull it off.



I think there are two main tips to making dark lipstick work (which Lisa talks about in her video, but I'm going to emphasize here anyway), and really, these rules work for any lipstick. 

1. When doing your makeup for statement lips, do your foundation & concealer first, then your lips. Then, follow with blush/bronzer and eye makeup. 

Why do it this way? Lipstick can be weird. Some shades make you look naturally flushed, while some wash you out completely. Some shades look great with a bold eye, some shades look best with a single coat of mascara. When you're wearing a statement lip, it's best to center your look around it, instead of applying it at the end like an afterthought. 

2. Make sure to eliminate all redness from your face and around your lips. 

Tricky places this shows up? Around your nostrils, in the corners of your eyes. Statement lips will sometimes cause blemishes to look redder, scars to seem more prominent... get friendly with your concealer, and blend, blend, blend. 

Now that you've got the dark lips down, what do you put on your fingertips? Amp up the contrast with a pale, summery hue on your nails.

I recently tried Essie's "Nice is Nice," and I have to tell you - I'm obsessed! I've gotten so many compliments on the color. Who knew that purple would become a manicure staple? 

Essie in "Nice is Nice"
What's your go-to mani shade for summer? Are you going to try the dark lip trend?
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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Red Lips

Rolling out of the weekend into another stretch of weekdays can get really depressing. Sunday night blues are a real thing, and I think the way to counteract that is to rock Monday out in the best way possible. Take a risk, make a statement, go out for lunch or treat yourself to a latte... do what you need to start the week off right.

When I think about statement makeup, what comes to mind isn't an exaggerated cat eye or loads of colorful shadow. I instantly think of a red lip. And after trolling around on Pinterest and Marie Claire a lot lately, I just can't get the idea to try really rocking a red lip out of my system.





It's easy to find inspiration for a red lip, but pulling it off and replicating it on yourself can be difficult. There are so. many. different shades, and what looks good on one person, because of skin tone, hair color, etc., may not look good on another. Personally, I have very fair skin and exaggerated features - my eyes and lips are huge - and even though I adore the orangey-red hues like NARS Heat Wave, I've found out that I'm better off with true red colors that balance out the blues and pinks in the hue of the lipstick and the color of my skin.

Then I watched a video from Lisa Elridge, called the "Ultimate Guide to Red Lips," got some amazing tips and tricks and picked up a shade that she recommended (Maybelline's 14-hour lipstick in Ravishing Rouge). I agree with her philosophy that anyone can pull off a red lip, and I also agree that putting a red lip with casual, unexpected looks is so glam. You can watch her video below and get tips on what sort of reds to buy, and how to apply each formula for long-lasting wear.



Yesterday was my Red Lip Monday, and I loved it so much that I figured I'd rock the red lips again today.

Monday:

I stole a grey t-shirt from my husband's side of the closet, pulled on an easy pair of AE jeans, grabbed a pair of sandals and layered a few necklaces to complete the whole look. 

To help pull off the red lip, I applied my foundation (NARS Sheer Glow) and concealer (also NARS, not pictured) first, then put on the red lip. Sometimes once you put on a red lip, everything else looks really washed out, so I wanted to wait to put on blush/bronzer/eye makeup, etc. until after I had my lip set. I'm a big fan of Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in a shimmery brownish grey, and I've been using Smashbox's Hyperlash as my go-to mascara of late.


Red Lip Monday

Red Lip Monday by jlrey featuring nars cosmetics


Tuesday:

Borrowing from the husband again today. When we were doing a collective closet cleanse the last time we moved, he almost threw out this oxford shirt (I think it's from Land's End), and I rescued it. 

The shoes I'm wearing are almost identical to the Alexander McQueen ones pictured below, but I snagged mine at a Zara in Paris. I then piled on some gold jewelry and walked out into a gloomy, grey Tuesday. With red lips. 

Black & White
Black & White by jlrey
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