dark lipstick lips

The winter season is always a dark makeup time of year. Winter in general is a great time to rock those sultry dark tones, be it in clothing or makeup. But dark makeup requires a little bit of finesse. Applied too heavily and with the wrong foundation, and you end up looking like an Elvira caricature. Below are several tips to make sure you’re wearing dark makeup with class.

Know Your Shade Of Lipstick And Work From There

If you’re going with dark makeup, know that you have a wide range of shades to work with for lip color. When people think of dark lipstick, they see Goth black lips. It’s certainly an option for more statement trends, but for more basic wear you might not want to go with such a harsh look.

That’s where the wide range of dark lipsticks come in, from deepest black-red to chocolate brown to a basic sultry red. To get the most complimentary look, take your underlying skin tone into account. Fair skin tones will look good with pink-based shades such as brighter, but deeper red; medium skin tones look good with blue-based tones like muted dark reds, and dark skin tones look great with dark brown-based colors.

Moisturize And Exfoliate 

If you want to wear dark lipstick, you need to start with the healthiest lips. Because the shade is so dramatic, it also accents any imperfections like flakey lips. So make sure to exfoliate lips with a basic brown sugar and olive oil scrub, and keep lips moisturized with a balm.

Precision Is Key

When using dark makeup, you have to make sure it’s applied well. Any smudges or mistakes will be amplified by virtue of the darker shade of the makeup. That means when you are applying your lipstick, use a similar shade of lip liner to prevent feathering of the lipstick. Also, use a lip brush to apply the lipstick so it doesn’t look streaky, which can happen with darker lip colors if not applied perfectly.

Coordinate The Eyes And Lips

The key to wearing dark makeup is to not overdo it. If you went with a heavy, dark lip color, avoid any dark eye shadows or liners. However, create balance with a couple coats of dark mascara.

On the other hand, if you went with a lipstick that’s on the brighter side, you could get away with a dark grey smoky eye or darker liner and eye shadow.

Go Light With The Foundation And Other Coloring

When wearing dark eye makeup, you’ll want a brighter skin appearance to balance out some of the darker shades. Go with a light, dewy foundation as a base against darker eye and/or lip colors. A small amount of pink blush or some bronzer on the cheeks also helps add a bit of brightness and balance.

Advertisement