It’s all about bold lips this season. Whether the shade is hot fuschia, sizzling red, orange or coral, a bright lipstick is your most important fashion accessory. And if right now you’re thinking, “No way, I can’t…”, yes, you can, and here’s how.
Brights for beginners
Top French makeup artist François Nars reckons a woman can reinvent herself with just one lipstick. If you’re testing the waters with a bright lip colour, Nars makeup expert Janice Daoud suggests using your finger to press a little of the colour onto your lips for a softer, stained finish rather than going for a bold, highly pigmented lip. “Ease yourself into it,” suggests Janice. “Take it a little further each time.”
Sheer glosses and shiny lip butters and balms are also a way to use brighter colours without making such a strong statement. But if you’re daring to wear a vivid lippy, then this is what you need to know:
Start with a good base: Exfoliate and condition lips regularly to provide the best canvas for lipstick. Make your own lip scrub by mixing finely-granulated sugar with a little face lotion and rub it gently in a circular motion.
Find your shade: Choose the right bright for your complexion. If you have fair skin with pink undertones, pick warm pinks or brick-reds. Medium and olive complexions can carry true, blue-based reds. Tangerine is the hottest shade for 2012 but while fair skins can handle a bright orange, medium skins should go for a burnt orange and darker skins a blue-based orange. Hot fuschia is a good choice for any age, although steer clear if your skin has yellow undertones. And as for coral – Nana’s favourite shade is back and it suits just about everyone!
How to tell if it’s right: Test lipstick shades on your fingertips rather than the back of your hands, as they’re closer to your natural lip colour.
The decider: Can’t choose between two shades? L’Oréal Paris makeup artist Lisa Matson suggests holding both lipsticks up against your face. One will pop more than the other – that’s the lippy for you.
Pick a winner: It’s important to find a lippy that wears well – lipsticks that clump, smear or bleed into fine lines around the mouth aren’t comfortable to wear, as you’ll constantly be concerned they’re looking messy.
Load up on colour: Layer to get a longer lasting look. First, line and fill in the lips with a matching lip pencil. Then press the colour onto your lips with your fingers, to form a stain. Dust lightly with a little loose translucent powder and reapply colour with a lip brush.
Keep the rest minimal: “Make sure your bright lip takes centre stage,” advises Janice. “Keep the rest of your makeup minimal.” Try beiges on the eyes, then a touch of eyeliner, mascara and light foundation.”
The final trick of the trade: If you’ve decided to go for a very saturated lip colour, make sure you don’t top it off with a gloss, as that will be too much for the look.
MY BEAUTY SECRETS
MasterChef’s Nadia Lim (26) is the author of the new book Nadia’s Kitchen (Random House, $55).
My beauty philosophy is…Smile! A smile makes anyone look great. They’re infectious – I can’t help smiling back if someone smiles at me. I think big smilers are incredibly attractive.
The skincare products I can’t live without are… You’ll laugh, but I rate a bit of olive or avocado oil mixed with a little salt as the best facial exfoliant you can get. I exfoliate with that mixture once a week or once a fortnight and it leaves my skin so smooth and glowing. For body moisturiser I love Ecoya Vanilla Bean Hand and Body Lotion.
My haircare secret is… Don’t dye your hair! Although I might have to give in soon, as I’ve spotted a few white ones in my hair recently!
The must-have products in my makeup bag are… A bit of lippy does wonders when you rush out the door with no makeup on. I’ve been using L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche in a pretty fuchsia colour.
My favourite beauty treat is… Having a huge bowl of something yummy – such as fruit salad – that you know is good for you.
My biggest beauty sin is… Probably forgetting to wear sunscreen. I’m trying – it’s one of my New Year’s resolutions. And I should exercise more to get the blood flowing. I’m trying to work on that one too!
The best thing my mother taught me about beauty was… Eat well, sleep well, drink lots of water. Sounds boring, but it’s true! Have a diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and include
foods that are rich in omega 3.
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