Lip service

The hottest colours at weddings over the past two seasons couldn’t be further from one another. Ravishing red and naturally nude have come a long way from their original starting blocks to knock the socks off what we consider fashionable for wedding make-up.

Ravishing red

Red lips have signified glamour from the earliest days of Hollywood. Stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe paved the way for red lipstick and these days Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and Dita von Tease lead the way. The easiest way to know what shade of red will suit you best is by comparing it to your natural skin tone. There may be a few tones that suit your skin tone, but the best way to judge is the following:

• Darker skin tones should stick to shades of plum, deep and mahogany reds. These shades prevent your skin from looking darker against the colour of your lipstick. The colour should enhance your natural tones not change it.
• Medium or olive skin tones can get away with richer or cherry red tones. With the help of a natural tan, these reds will bring out the natural glow of your skin.
• Fair skin ladies are the luckiest of the bunch because you have so many options. You can go for coral reds to deep reds and the tones are hardly ever a concern. A tan looks glowing and pale skin looks youthful. Remember not to overdo it with the rest of your make-up and to soften the look on your big day by keeping the rest of your make-up neutral.

TIPS FOR YOUR RED LIPS
• Use a lip pencil in the same shade as your lipstick and colour in your entire lip. Top this off with your lipstick – this will make sure you don’t overdo it when you need to reapply. Your lipstick will also last longer.
• Matte shades last much longer than glossy shades, so instead of using a completely glossy lipstick, use a matte one and finish with a small dab of lip gloss. The latest in the matte trend are chubby sticks that look like pencils, but are actually lipsticks. Easy to apply and store away and they come in amazing summer colours.

Naturally nude

Nude lips have been the epitome of purity and glamour throughout the years. No matter how dramatic the era, the lips seemed to have followed. The 60’s saw colour blocking, heavy liner and creamy nude lips walk the streets from London to New York.

This look can be achieved in so many ways from a lipstick to a gloss. Make sure that your lips are smooth when you are opting for nude colours because they show your flaws so much easier. Keep the look simple by pairing your pencil and lipstick in the same shade. Some women love to have a darker outer line than the insides of the lips, but to achieve this remember not to go more than a shade darker than your own lip colour. Some lipsticks can dry out your lips so run your toothbrush under warm water and gently use it to brush off dry skin.

Moisturise with a lip balm before applying your lipstick. For lip gloss options, use a product that’s not too thick. Often lip gloss tends to cake in the corners of your mouth leaving it looking untidy, so to avoid this, clean the inside of your lip after your application and only apply a second coat to the middle of your lips. Youthful appearances are easy to maintain with these colours so try and keep the colour simple to avoid messy lines, over use of product or thick lipstick smeared all over your mouth.

Try a slick of liquid liner across the lid and soft pink shades of blush across the cheek for simple elegance or create a mysterious look with smoky eyes and nude lips and cheeks. The options are endless so have fun!

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