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Posted by Dain, Wednesday, July 18, 2007 1:42 AM (Eastern)
Nothing is more personal than lipcolor, which is why I hesistate to recommend for others what I like myself. Plus, I'm not sure how to categorize lipcolors. By product (liner, lipstick, lipgloss)? Lame! The virtue of lipstick is that you can sheer it down, top it with gloss, fortify it with lipliner—it is a most flexible medium. By shade (as I did with eyeshadows)? Better, but a plum that works for one may not for another, even if I take care to choose a so-called "universal" shade. By coloring, then? Now we're getting somewhere. It reminds us that matching a lipcolor to a face is a bit like choosing a blush, from a Mediterranean tan to the rich browns of African skin to a redhead with a milky complexion to the high contrast coloring of Asians, coloring dictates what one can and cannot wear. And yet, this is not enough. Because a woman needs as many lipsticks as she has moods. And that is how I decided, after all, to categorize lipcolors, by mood, a few suggestions each to command a range of skin tones.
CASUAL
These are usually sheer, glossy shades that add a little polish, but little color. The stuff you'd wear on weekends with a bit of concealer and mascara. NARS Sweet Dreams Lip Gloss, a sugary grapefruit pink is great for those who like a light lip look, very feminine; a little bit of gold pearl makes pastel pink sophisticated, rather than porn-star-esque. For those who require a bit more color, a sheer blackberry is just so easy and flattering to wear. And I cannot but name the one that started it all, Clinique Black Honey, which has a bit of a glossy finish. For deeper skin tones, I love the look of a soft nutty mauve color shot with lots of gold, like Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss in #2 Gold Praline; on pale skin, it would be very lipsticky, but on dark skin, it's a very subtle effect.
WORK
Shades with a bit more pigment, for a lipsticky look, but no less neutral. A sheer rosewood, of which NARS Dolce Vita attains the perfect balance between pink and brown, pigment and sheerness, is perfect for those who are a little less adventurous with color. But for those who embrace it, I love the burnished rose (much like Wet 'n' Wild's infamous #666) of NARS Gothika Lip Gloss; the berry tones give it a sophisticated edge. And what could be better than MAC O, a shade so complex that it defies categorization? It runs the risk of looking dank on pale complexions, but it is so rich and decadent on deeper skin tones.
NUDE
To me, there is nothing natural about nudes. The whole point is to exaggerate the fleshiness of the lips by canceling its natural color, particularly in contrast with smoky eyes. For the greatest effect, the best option is in fact a silvery lilac, which negates the any natural pinks of the lips, like MAC Nico Lip Glass. A more traditional color is NARS Chelsea Girls Lacquer, without shimmer, just creamy, creamy nude, very simple but effective because of its opacity. But for the ultimate nude lip, dab a bit of foundation and top with lip balm.
BRIGHT
Cheery colors work brilliantly on tan skin, and they're wonderfully festive for cocktail parties. Fresh Desire Gloss Absolute is absolutely charming from top to bottom: the lemon sugar scent, the cherry popsicle color, and girly compact. A more grown up but surprisingly wearable option is the glitter-laced sheer purple-plum of Patricia Wexler's No-Injection Lip Plumper in Merlot. For a color shock to set your teeth on edge, NARS Schiap takes absolutely no prisoners: it's hothouse pink, no sheer or shimmer to temper it.
ROUGE
Armani got it right when they devoted an entire collection to red lipstick (the ad above, so gorgeous that I keep posting it). Red are the lips' classic idiom, so much so that "rouge" was once the word for lipstick. In French, the word for lipstick retains that history, rouge à lèvres, literally "red lips". Finding the perfect red is akin to questing after the holy grail (I actually termed that word, long ago, but I don't suppose anyone remembers it), but you'd be hard pressed not to find it amongst the Armanisilks (my personal favorite is #46 Bordeaux). But onto more specific recommendations. Chantecalli Nougat Lip Gloss is a soft, muted rosepetal shade for those who are approach the color with trepidation. It becomes festive as a redcurrant shimmer like CHANEL Rouge Allure #18 Sexy. But for a rich, true red, consider the aptly titled Kevyn Aucoin Bloodroses The Expert Lip Tint.
Labels: cream of the crop
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