2022 saw a mix of experimental and wearable makeup trends—from baby braids and Y2K glossy lips to double-winged eyeliner. A common theme among them was the inspiration they all took from popular culture. Movies, TV shows, music videos and even anime(!) served as front-and-centre references for beauty enthusiasts.
One genre that has collected the most love tokens from audiences worldwide is K-dramas with their swoon-worthy leads and fairy tale romances that always end happily ever after. These shows have also catalysed the entry of K-beauty products and K-drama inspired beauty trends into the Indian scene.
A beauty look straight out of a K-drama that’s been grabbing eyeballs lately and could turn into your next obsession is the diffused lip.
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What is the diffused lipstick trend?
As the name suggests, this technique results in a finish where a tint or lipstick is used to create a dark, soft finish in the centre where your lips meet and the same colour is blended to create blurred edges of the lips. An ideal daytime look, diffused lips can be topped with a generous amount of gloss to amp it up.
How to get the diffused lip look?
Step 1: Prep the canvas
First things first, hydrate and plump up your lips with a lip mask or oil followed by lip balm. This prevents cracks and dryness from tarnishing your soft lip look. If you have naturally dark lips, we recommend using a concealer with light coverage over your lips. Don’t forget to then use a light brown lip liner to gently bring some definition back to the outline of your lips.
Step 2: Inside out
Unlearn everything you know about using lipstick the traditional way. No sharply drawn lips with a lip liner for this look. Diffused or blurred lips go the opposite route. Take a lipstick, or a lip stain, and directly apply on your lips, starting at the centre and moving towards the outside.
Step 3: Blurred lines
This step, where you blur the edges of your lips to achieve the look, has multiple approaches. You can use your finger, or a cotton bud, or a fluffy brush, and blend the lipstick towards the periphery of your lips until it reflects that diffused effect. You can also use a pigmented lip stain and then blot the excess pigment with a tissue towards the edges. Another trick you can use is applying a powder blush of the same tone as your lipstick to the outline of your lips.
Step 4: Ombre all the way
Emphasise this diffused ombre by reapplying the lipstick or lip stain just to the centre of your lips. Top your lips off with some clear gloss to seal the deal.
Step 5: Play on mute
To make your lips pop, opt for muted shades for the rest of your makeup. Go for a blush that’s similar to your lip shade or dab on the same lip stain to your cheeks and blend it in. For your eyes, pick a warm, nude eyeshadow and blend well.
Cover Image : Instagram/@ponysmakeup
