Maybe it’s the warmth they bring to cooler months—cue mugs of tea, hot chocolate, falling leaves and spiced everything—but dark lips are a whole mood. Bright reds and pinks of summer lead into a moodier, broodier palette, and we’re here for it. A deep-hued, pigmented lipstick can give you a look that is sophisticated and irresistible, not to mention a welcome change. But our favourite is how well darker lipsticks complement our skin, which nicely rounds up all the reasons why we feel dark lips are a great choice for party and holiday glamour.
These shades can be worn with versatility: there’s a whole spectrum of tones from which to pick, from balmy browns and chocolates to deep berry hues, mahogany, burgundy, wine...and the list goes on. They’re also wearable on any occasion—swap out your neutral lips with dark ones and you might be surprised by how easily you can wear them everywhere, from work to when you’re going out-out. Should you choose to take a leaf out of the Kylie Jenner look book and wear a bold lip we’ve distilled the technique to for you. Here’s to bringing a bit of savoir faire to your end-of-the-year glam:
To start with, do your prep-work and consider a lip base
Prepping your lips with skincare—an occasional scrub and regular lip balm, ensures smooth application of any lipstick. When you’re going dark, try buffing a bit of foundation or concealer right onto your lips, so that the true colour of the lipstick is transferred onto them and you get the full effect of it.
Keep the rest of your look minimal
If you’re confused about how to go about it, this celeb-approved way of wearing dark lips is a good starting point. Essentially, you keep the rest of your makeup quite clean, pairing dark lips with nothing more than a subtle blush, a minimal winged eye or mascara. This prevents your look from being vampy or dramatic when that’s not what you were going for, and keeps the whole look fresh, crisp and modern.
Find a shade that works for you, and wear it comfortably
Just like red lips, dark lips come in various tones and shades, and there might be a few that look particularly good on you. We like to recommend using your skin’s undertone as a guide:
Skin with cool undertones: Blue and purple-based lipsticks can look great on you.
Skin with neutral undertones: Many shades of dark could work for you, from cool to warm.
Skin with warm undertones: Warmer shades, leaning towards reds and orange-based lipsticks might work best for you.
Truly, though, these are just guidelines, and you should feel free to rock a shade of dark lipstick of your choosing. Whichever one you choose, wear it as proud and comfortably as you would your lip balm, and trust that you look as good as you feel!
