When you think of lipstick, the pouts that probably come to mind are all in shades of pink, red, and nudes; traditional lipstick colors are designed to either closely match the shade of your lips or naturally enhance them with a pink or red hue. However, that traditional lipstick stereotype does not mean that all your lipsticks have to fit into a certain color family.
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Wearing odd-colored lipstick in shades of purple, black, brown, or even blue and green, can add a courageous pop of color to your makeup look.
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However, when worn wrong, outrageously-colored lipstick can also appear silly or immature. Read on to discover how to rock odd-colored lipstick with a few simple tips and tweaks to your makeup routine.
1. Cover Your Lips
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It never looks particularly attractive to have bits of your natural lip color showing through your lipstick. However, when you wear extremely dramatic, odd-colored lipstick that is nowhere near the natural color of your lips, keeping your lips completely covered with the product becomes even more important.
The best and simplest way to make sure your lipstick completely covers your lips is to exfoliate them before you apply lipstick. Exfoliating your lips before putting lipstick on helps slough off any dead, dry skin cells on your lips that are likely to flake off throughout the day and leave naked spots under your lipstick.
Also, when you apply your lipstick, don’t focus on the center of your lips. Make sure you distribute the lipstick all the way into the corners of your lips in order to cover your lips evenly from top to bottom.
2. Make It Last
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Another important part of wearing colorful lipstick is making it last as long as possible. Even if you apply your blue lipstick perfectly in the morning, it’s not going to look pretty if it smudges off onto your skin and teeth by lunchtime. Smudged, faded odd-colored lipstick ruins the colorful, dramatic pop of outrageous lipstick that makes it such an appealing trend in the first place.
There are many ways to increase the lifespan of your lipstick after you apply it. It is always best to invest in a high-quality formula, as these are more likely to last longer than cheaper, lower-end lipsticks. One of the easiest ways to make your lipstick last longer is to set your lipstick after you apply it. Immediately after you apply your lipstick, dust a translucent loose setting powder, such as the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder to lock the color into your lips and keep it from melting away as the day progresses.
3. Balance Your Look
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Balance is important when you’re wearing lavender or mint-colored lipstick. Outrageous-colored lipstick should always be the focal point of your look, so you need to design the rest of your makeup look around your lips.
The most important trick is to keep the rest of your makeup simple. Don’t try out a super sparkly highlighter on the same day you wear dark purple lipstick, and don’t draw on dramatic winged eyeliner to pair with your black lipstick. If you amp up the rest of your look at the same time you wear odd-colored lipstick, you will likely end up looking immature.
Another significant part of balancing your makeup look is to choose skin and eye makeup colors that complement your lipstick. If you’re wearing black lipstick, add a little extra pink blush to your cheeks for some bright color. If you plan to apply blue lipstick, balance out the cool tones with extra bronzer and warm eyeshadow.
4. Be Precise
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Precision is key when it comes to applying odd-colored lipstick. Nothing looks worse than turquoise lipstick that is applied unevenly or outside of your natural lip lines.
Always rest your elbow against a flat-top surface while applying lipstick to keep your hand steady and your lines sharp. It can also help to use a small angled brush to apply lipstick rather than just smearing on the lipstick straight from the tube.
To prevent your lipstick from bleeding out of the precise lines you applied it in, apply a thick line of lip liner to your lips before applying lipstick. Use a neutral liner that matches the color of your lips as closely as possible. Apply it in a thick line around your lips and blend it inward for a smooth finish.
5. Use Concealer
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A great way to enhance the color of your odd-colored lipstick is to coat your lips in concealer before you apply the lipstick.
Blend a thin layer of concealer into your lips immediately before applying your lipstick. The concealer will help blot out the natural color of your lips to help the lipstick’s color shine through more intensely. Plus, it helps your lipstick last longer, too.
Wearing outrageously colored lipstick can be frightening and a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. By following the tips in this post, you can rock odd-colored lipstick like a pro in no time.