A Cheater’s Guide to the Perfect Matte Lip, Straight from the Bottega Veneta Runway

Laura Regensdorf
Updated
Polished and ultra-alluring, this lipstick look by Pat McGrath is worth stealing for date night. So are these model-approved tips for prepping kissable lips.

"Full Panic," in any other context around Wall Street this week, would have described a rollercoaster of a time in the financial world. But tonight, backstage at the American Stock Exchange for Bottega Veneta's fall 2018 show, makeup artist Pat McGrath wasn't describing a state of mind but a statement lipstick—vivid fuchsia, in this case. It was just one of several jewel-tone shades in rotation this evening—among them Vendetta, Candy Flip, Obsessed, and Divine Brown, all part of the MatteTrance collection by Pat McGrath Labs—and the effect was urbane, individualistic, and quietly magnetic. Set against creamy skin and a subtle wash of taupe eye shadow, the look communicated workplace polish, sure. But when a scarlet-lipped Vittoria Ceretti passed by, earning an exhaled "Amazing!" from McGrath, the purpose was clear. Consider your Valentine's Day makeup set.

That said, a precisely drawn matte mouth calls for a certain priming of the canvas, especially when chapped winter lips enter the picture. "Exfoliating is number one!" recommended model Isabella Emmack, who swears by her homemade blend of brown sugar, coconut oil, and water. "That's definitely a must-have on Valentine's Day," she added with a smile. Soo Joo Park, spoken like a multitasking New Yorker, uses a sugar cube swiped from a coffee shop as her lo-fi scrub, paired with a thick layer of hydrating L-Lysine balm. It was a unanimous decree: No date-night prep is complete without diligent hydration. "I like to balm my lips—they need to be soft!" Edie Campbell said, but she's firm on going au naturel with color if romance is in the cards. Otherwise, she joked, "it's basically like taking a Sharpie to someone's face!"

True, Kaia Gerber conceded, "but I think red lips is a power move for girls," she explained to Ceretti, who served as an exquisite Exhibit A. And when a matte lip à la McGrath proves that alluring, why not live a little and see where the night takes you? "If you want to wear the lipstick, wear it," said Theresa Hayes encouragingly. Let the makeout mishaps begin.

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Bottega Veneta Fall 2018 Ready-to-Wear:

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