The cooler weather is the perfect time to inject some bold colours and make a statement. Use this tutorial from makeup artist Nicole Thompson for a bold, matte lipstick look.
Making It Up, New Holland Publishers, RRP $49.99, available from all good book retailers or online at newhollandpublishers.com
Step 1
You do the applying, your lip primer does the holding! We have primers for all over the face now, and thank you makeup gods for coming up with this one! This guy has become a staple in my personal and professional kit. I mean, if you are going to put all this effort into the application, you want to see it on longer that your first coffee sip. Take the moisturising primer over your lips and also over the outer edges of your lips to stop the bleeding of the colour.
Step 2
Once your lips are all evened out with your foundie and highlighter, go straight in with the lip product. Liner or lipstick first? This is completely personal. When I am using a super matte liquid lip product that sets, I don’t mess with them, I get them on first! Often they are so opaque in colour and set for so many hours you may not need a lip liner at all – gasp!
Step 3
Start the colour in the centre. High impact lip colours will show up any unsymmetrical shape so it is best to start in the centre. Create the bow of the lip, get that perfect, then drag the colour down towards the outer corners. On the bottom lip, start in the centre and then paint upwards toward the corners. Work quickly with that colour and open your mouth wide to make sure you completely fill your lips in, no edges or gaps.
Step 4
Now with your matching pencil (or slightly darker to give dimension) use it as a corrector. You have more control than with a brush and cream. It is so much easier to tidy edges and not add any more product and make a mess.
Step 5
Clean up any soft smudges with a flat brush and coloured face powder. Make sure the colour is not too light or it will look like a white halo around your lips. Tip: If you make a big mistake or smear, do not wipe off your entire lip colour! Instead, use the flat brush, this time with waterproof makeup remover, and swipe the brush through the smear, backward into the lip. You should have created a hole in the lip colour. This hole is way faster to paint in than to do the whole lip again!
Step 6
Powder with very sheer, invisible loose powder to set and smooth the lip.
Tip: Don’t have time for all these steps? Your favourite lip liner can be a fast and controlled alternative matte lip colour. Draw over primed lips so the colour won’t be patchy and colour your whole lip in.
For more: