Hot Trend Alert: Bold Lips

Hey all you Beauties out there in cyberspace,

              Well it's Friday and that means it was payday for moi and payday equals shopping. I ended up in Sephora (Yes, when I say "ended up" I mean "made a bee line for it") and I really wanted to find a bold and funky lip color. You know when you go into Sephora there is like a rainbow of lip colors and a huge variety of brands to choose from. I was looking for more of my normal, pink, red or coral but I noticed a purple color from Makeup Forever and instantly fell in love. Bold lips are a huge deal for the season and I gotta say, I'm lovin' it. I just love how diverse all the color palettes are. It's super exciting. But some people (including myself at one time) feel like it takes alot to pull off bold lips. They think it will wash them out or that people will look at them funny. Well, here are a few pointers for pulling off bold lips.

Tip #1
Bold lips are fun, a raspberry color in the fall can warm up any look. A hot pink in the summer can make a beach day your very own photo shoot and a cherry red can make anything look good. But sometimes people underestimate the power of a bold lip. They go way too far. When thinking bold lips, think in terms of less is more. You really don't need a whole whack of eye shadow on your eyes to pull of the bold lips. My first tip is, when wearing bold lips, take it easy on the eyes. A naked eye will allow the lipstick to do all the talking. I like a do a matte skin toned shadow all over (up to the brow) and a thin winged liner on top. On the bottom I usually opt for a gold or white liner. This gives definition without screaming overdone.

Tip #2
Bold lips are fun but only if the color lasts. I have learned this lesson the hard way. I have got out of my house with some awesome, sexy bold lips but by the time I arrive at my destination, the lipstick has worn off and only lines my lips. This is a problem alot of us have and I find when I skip this step, I regret it later. Here's the deal: You want to apply your lipstick (preferably with liner but that doesn't always happen), Blot, reapply, blot and reapply again. This seems like alot of work but trust me when I say, you will notice the difference. You can even apply a dab of translucent powder between coats as well and you can do a third round of application for a more intense color, if you desire.

Tip #3
Take your time. This is the most important tip because the way you apply bold lipstick defines the way it will looks at the end of the process. Sometimes life gets rushed and we just need to hurry out the door, but lipstick defines the look and you never want to rush a high pigmented color. High pigmented colors can leave a stain when removed, therefore no matter what you do to try and remove it, there will always be a faint stain. My thing is, follow your natural lip line if possible and if the lip line is undefined, then use a lip pencil in the closest shade to the lip stick color you are using. This will help give an even shape.

Tip #4
My final tip for you is, wear your lipstick with confidence! Sometimes when trying something new that no one has seen you in before can make us self conscience that people are staring and lets be honest, sometimes when someone walks into a room with bright orangy red lipstick we tend to notice that first. But when someone walks into the room and shows that no matter what anyone thinks, they feel fabulous, that's when these colors work.

I hope this little list of tips gives you some food for thought and helped you decide if the bold lips trend is for you. Remember, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder', so if you think your beautiful, the world will too. So go out and rock those bold lips!

Up Next on The OBQ: Ever heard of 'tight lining'? If not, you'll want to check out my next post AND my review of E.L.F is coming soon too! Stay Tuned...