The dark side of the lipstick

The lip make-up in dark shades surely looks sensational on the catwalk. Still, the first morning I wanted to wear a dark burgundy lipstick, I had a slight hesitation. Slight, true enough, because in that particular day my make-up just didn’t present any high stakes: no important meetings at the office, neither a romantic evening planned afterwards.
It was just this feeling that, well, you know, a color this dark wouldn’t be quite appropriate for an early morning. I gave in after all and chose a cheerful coral shade. However, no, I hadn’t dropped the idea.
Now I am convinced that that my instinct was right: even if it’s in the trends, the red-wine shade lipstick is more suitable for the evening: at a party where you wear either an elegant dress, either a masculine suit or a rock outfit. And yes, it’s OK to choose black for your lips – on condition that the rest of the make-up will be almost invisible and, of course, you must love the result. Head for the party with super self-confidence, with a sexy smile, and without any of the usual doubts like: Is it too much? Wholeheartedly assume your choice and you will shine.
But wait, it’s not quite so simple. A lipstick that strong requires some preparations. No, you cannot apply it in the car, at the traffic lights, on your way to the party. Maybe you can – but it’s not elegant and you won’t like the outcome. So, start with the most important step: hydration. Don’t forget to apply some lip balm a few hours before.
You can start from the morning: the dark lipstick will look good only on perfectly hydrated lips. Then you’ll need a lip liner for an impeccable outline. Even if you usually don’t use a lip pencil, now it will turn out to be a big help: fixing the lipstick and, moreover, once the outline is traced, making it much easier to apply the color. And here’s the secret: your lip pencil must match exactly the shade of the lipstick.
And that’s because, no, it mustn’t show. At all. And if you simply can’t find a lip pencil to match the exact same color of the lipstick, I’ve learned a trick: it can be a bit (with just one hint, no more) lighter. Carefully cover it with your lipstick brush and there you go: you’ve got yourself a look, right from the catwalk.