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| Just a few favorite deep dark berry rose shades in my collection |
The first lip color I can remember obsessing over as a child (yes - I started young) was a deep dark vampy noir red. Not pink, not peach, not red. I even recall the excitement I felt when I realized for the first time that it was POSSIBLE to even wear a color that dark on the lips.
It looked gorgeous. I was in love.
As an adult, I've built quite a collection of deep dark lip shades over the years, but let's face it - for most of us, these gorgeous blood colored shades don't get a lot of air time because they are so dramatic. Until you learn how versatile they are of course.
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| L'oreal Infallible Lipstick in 337 Refined Ruby worn sheer |
One of my favorite things to do on days when I don't want to spend too much time on my makeup is to take one of these vampy reds and wear it as a translucent matte wash over the lips, over a neutral lip pencil. The final effect is polished but not harsh, relaxed but still dressy.
Steps:
- Apply nude/neutral pencil around the edges of lips and blend in a bit so it's not a visible line
- Swipe your deep dark lipstick in the center of the lower lip only (this is usually the perfect amount to achieve this effect)
- Press your lips together a few times to transfer and spread the color onto the rest of your mouth
- Use a brush or your finger to tap and spread the color out to the edges of your lips
The edge of the mouth is not meant to be harsh and precise so I prefer fingers over brushes. Also, this is a great way to make your dark lipsticks go further, both in terms of being able to use them for more occasions, and also from the perspective that you really need very little product each time.
Choosing a red:
Not every dark red works the same way though. The trick is to look for the ones that sheer out to a cool berry-ish rosy red. There are some that sheer out into a brown or purple tone that can look dull and dirty against the face.
For an example, below are a few good options that are currently in my rotation, although I will also mention a few other old faves.
