Red Alert: Spring's Lip Update
By Danielle Fox for The Edit
Call it a red renaissance: at the recent spring/summer ’15 shows, bold lips offered a welcome burst of color amid predominantly neutral palettes, as a host of designers –including Missoni, Burberry Prorsum, Dolce & Gabbana and Emanuel Ungaro –showcased lipstick shades spanning the scarlet spectrum. From deep burgundy to fiery tomato, these mouths didn’t whisper, they roared.
Could this new-found love of red be down to how, with the right hue, it can update youreveryday look into something that little bit more special? Or perhaps it’s inthe improved textures and innovative formulas that require no preparation, justa simple slick and go. The key difference for this season is that when themakeup artists reached for reds, the focus was on the textures (velvety mattes)and effects (soft edges, graduated color).
But how do you pull this look off in the real world? “Stick to two colors, one darker than the other, let them blend together naturally and use a Q-tip to diffuse the edges,” says makeup artist Lucia Pieroni. One thing is for certain: every woman needs the perfect shade of red in her makeup arsenal for this season. Here’s how the experts did it…
Back to Matte
The Show: Missoni
How to: Inspired by Paul Gauguin’s paintings, Lucia Pieroni redefined classic coral lips with a velvety tomato. Recreate the look with a little ‘mixology’: layer on MAC Lipstick Dangerous with Artis Brush Linear 1 Brush, then add MAC Lipstick Relentlessly Red to the center of the lip for depth of tone.
Wear It With: Add a light blush across the apples of your cheeks with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion – it will prevent skin from looking flat.
Blurred Lines
The Show: Topshop Unique
How To: “I kept the edges soft and diffused to create vibrancy,” says Hannah Murray, who created the look. Apply a berry shade like Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Brat Pack, using a Q-tip to blur it towards the edges. Then dab Topshop Lip Ombre, a dark burgundy, in the middle for contrast.
Wear it with: To avoid a gothic look, create a golden glow by sweeping Chantecaille Compact Soleil Bronzer in Capri across temples and cheekbones.
Sicilian Señorita
The Show: Dolce & Gabbana
How To: Pat McGrath blended three shades to achieve her desired result: Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Amethyst and Ultra on the lip line, and Dolce Matte Lipstick in Dolce Desire in the center for a plumping effect.
Wear It With: Use Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil to sculpt your brows – keeping the shape fuller at the start of your brows and tapering towards the outer corner. Groomed arches will add balance to a bold pout.
