For not exactly being a bold-lip lover (on myself that is, I always wish it was something I could rock without feeling uncomfortable), I certainly own quite a few bold lip products. Determined to not let these go to waste, I’ve been wearing them a lot lately lightly dabbed onto the lips and blended in with a finger or lip brush. I really like the result it gives - a lightly stained look that really brightens up the complexion, without washing me out like a full-on bold can sometimes do.
My favorite kinds of colors to do this are by far the berry shades. It just gives a lovely rosy look that makes it seem like you’ve gorged yourself on blackberries - I especially love to emphasize this look by concentrating more color towards the middle of my lips and smudging it so it feathers to the edges. I love the look that MAC Satin Finish Lipstick in Rebel gives when smudged in, but the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Audrey and the Bite Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Framboise give similar effects as well.
In the summer, everyone goes wild for orange and coral lips. Having super cool-toned skin, orange doesn’t always look that great on me. But if I pat in the bright orange of the Bite High Pigment Pencil in Zinfandel, it becomes much more wearable as it becomes more pink/red as it melds with the natural color of my lips.
Another possibility is a bright red. One of the most flattering reds on me is the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipcolor in Cherries in the Snow. It’s almost a hot pink color rather than a red (similar to Julianne’s Red from the L’Oreal Reds Collection), so worn as a stain it becomes a flattering, complexion-brightening pink.
Although it takes a little more effort to smudge the product in the perfect amount, you’re left with a stain that lasts all day (I even have to scrub a little at my lips at the end of the day to get it all off!). It’s fun to experiment and see how many different looks you can get with one lipstick!
Do you ever wear your bold lipsticks as stains? What’s your favorite?