7 Super Tips for Pulling off Bold Lips ...

1. Always Prep

We all have our own tested and tried strategies, tips on how to pull off bold lips and little tricks that help us go from great to wow, but this one is the absolute must. It’s the brick and mortar, the cornerstone of perfect lip makeup and, as such, something you don’t want to be skipping at any cost. Fear not, because it’s not rocket science! In fact, it’s super easy! All you’ll have to do is apply a concealer or a lip perfecting cream onto your lips and follow up with a foundation of choice. Pat in an extra layer of your favorite concealing/perfecting product if needed and voila – you’re ready to move onto the next step!

2. Line like a Pro

Once you’ve gotten your lips all prepped and your natural lip line neutralized, you should use a lip liner to outline the area you’ll apply the lipstick on. Use a color that matches your lipstick, drawing a perfect shape, correcting all that tiny flaws of your natural lip curve. Use your natural lip line as guidance, trying to stay as close to it as possible, tracing the liner over, above or below the lip line depending on the effect you want to produce. Once you’re done lining, fill in the lined area, using a lip liner to stain your lips so that the lipstick will hold longer.

3. Flawless Work Requires the Right Tools

Pulling off dark lipstick in that oh-so-perfect, photo shoot-ready fashion is absolutely possible with the help of the right tools. Use a lip brush to apply your lipstick and you’ll notice that it really does make a difference. Use a shade darker of soft lip liner to shade the corners of your mouth in order to make your lips pop even more and don’t forget to grab a concealer brush and your favorite concealer before you head out. Swipe above and below your lip line to cover tiny smudges and voila – all done! Professionally!

4. Keep It Subtle

Bold lip makeup looks best with classy eye and face makeup. I’m talking natural tan, soft barely there, fresh-looking glow, flesh-toned eye shadow, liner and mascara. No heavy bronzers or blushes, no in your face smoky eyes (unless we’re talking Halloween or Christmas makeup), no sloppy work! Keep your liner and mascara work clean, eye shadows blended and neutral and your tan matte, fresh and natural. Look at it like this: Dita Von Teese – yes, Christina Aguilera – no!

5. Natural Colored Skin and Bold Lip Makeup Are a Perfect Match

Natural skin is a perfect canvas to paint on when it comes to pulling off dark lipstick! Each skin tone is different, of course, which means you’ll have to figure out which colors work best for you, although the keyword stays the same – natural! Think Christina Aguilera again…now that’s one blotchy fake tan right there! And her obsession with heavy bronzers and blushes doesn’t help either! Do you want to look like that? Guess not! I’m still trying to wrap my head around Christina’s sudden urge to look like that but hey, to each their own! Work with the tan you’ve been born with, choosing winter when your skin is the palest for seductive glitz-free shades and late summer (when your skin is darkest) for those warm, glittery lipsticks you’ve always wanted to rock.

6. Wear the Right Outfit

So you’ve decided to go with bold lip makeup and made sure the rest of your makeup is low key, but what about the clothes? Well, here’s the thing – if you’re doing the bold lip thing, you should never ever try to match your clothes with your lip makeup. Seriously! You’ll end up looking like a circus performer or worse - Nicki Minaj! Opt for a complementing color (green dress for red lips, for example), experiment a bit or stick to the fool-proof basics. Nail polish, on the other hand, is something you’re most welcomed to match and I’m sure your grandma could confirm that matching lip and nail color used to be a huge trend-turned-rule some 50-60 years ago. The rule went back to being a trend and still pops up every few years or so, reminding us that this is one thing we can allow ourselves to be all matchy-matchy about.

7. Bring Backup

Dark lipstick makeup is kind of tricky off camera, which is exactly why I usually find myself ditching the bold lip idea whenever I’m carrying a tiny bag. Long wear lipsticks are great but even they are not perfect (no surprise there, I guess). Sure, the color doesn’t rub off but it gets dull and dry, which is why you’ll need to reapply at least once and seal with a clear, moisturizing gloss. Mosturizing, glossy formulas rub off much sooner, which means more reapplying and yeah…we’re pretty much back to square one. What I’m trying to say is this: if you want perfect-looking bold lips you have to work for them and you have to be prepared for touch ups. Bring your most essential tools and products with you, be prepared to excuse yourself a few times and hit the ladies room for a quick checkup/touch up and oh, if you don’t want to emerge out of this popular gathering place looking like Joker, I suggest you go easy with the booze as well.

Just keep this in mind and you’ll be great! More than great actually, as dark lipstick makeup stands for fabulous when applied correctly and worn with class and style. But tell me, ladies, are there any special tricks for pulling off dark lipstick you feel like adding?