For sublime lips this winter, dress them up with rich colour and vary their texture throughout the day. Beware, however, darker shades are not for everyone!
Before slapping on a bold colour, it’s important to know that all shades of red work with brunettes, but blondes should avoid those with purple and blue hues. Also, avoid bright reds if you tend to look drawn out, tired or have wrinkles; if this is true for you it’s best to stay away from orangey and purplish reds and stick to the reds with a bluish sheen.
Made with dehydrated oils, these reds with a matte-yet-velvety texture are likely to last the longest. Plus, they’re good for both daytime and evening looks. There is one caveat, however: matte reds match best with a uniform complexion due to their tendency to accentuate blemishes. Ideally, you should apply such reds with a brush after you’ve traced the contours of your lips. Contrary to the reputation of most matte products, here are three matte reds that won’t dry out your lips: Revlon Really Red Matte Lipstick for a creamy finish, Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss No 107, which is a wine-tinted red with a velvety texture that gives you perfect coverage, and Cabaret Rouge or Soft Matte Lip Cream by NYX Cosmetics that hydrate and soothe your lips for hours on end.
Infused with moisturizing waxes, pearl and glossy reds catch the light and add volume to lips. Perfect for a daytime look, these lipsticks are both comfortable and versatile, but they still have longer staying power than their matte counterparts. For better hold, use a lip pencil that matches your chosen shade to outline the contours and entire surface of your lips and apply your lipstick afterwards. Here are some great options: infused with Labrador tea extract, Lise Watier’s Rouge Fondant Suprême (Marilyne) and Personnelle Cosmetics’s Rouge Distinction Lipstick.
They light up your face, hydrate more than lipstick and make your smackers sparkle all day long. On top of that, they plump thinner lips to perfection, giving them a more desirable contour. Clarins’ Joli Rouge Brillant in “papaya” dresses lips up with a gorgeous clear red, while the hints of pearl in Lancôme’s Gloss in Love in “Under the Spotlight” makes them look outstandingly radiant. However, gloss isn’t as long lasting as our other candidates and thus requires more frequent application.
