How to wear a dark lip: 8 Beauty Panel tips for rocking this often intimidating look

Date January 9, 2014

It seems like everyone and their mother is sporting a dramatic red lip these days. Sigh. Don’t get us wrong – we can appreciate a good dramatic pop of colour just as much as the next gal. But there are times when a dramatic dark colour right on the ol’ kisser is exactly what the doctor ordered. Mastering how to do a bold lip can be a bit challenging, err you end up looking like a goth. Luckily, our beauty panellists are here to help.

As seen on runways around the world, the bold dark lip is hot hot hot. What separates the trend from previous lip treatments is a certain dangerous feel – a real femme fatale look that has an aspect of a brooding starlet. It’s not necessarily prissy, but can still be worn for a night out on the town. What’s not to love? Hollywood starlet favourite Philip Lim showcased an earthy brown matte lip, and a deep wine stained burgundy was on display at both Zac Posen and Pamela Roland. Derek Lam and Cynthia Rowley both favoured darker shades of violet while Vivienne Tam went for a dramatic ebony lip.

Challenge 44: How do you wear a bold lip? Check the answers now! »

While this all sounds just dandy, there are a few tricks to avoid looking like a kid on hallowe’en or a high school goth. The key is balance. Pretty much all of our bloggers mentioned balancing out their bold lip with a soft eye and neutral base. Let the lip take centre stage. Maggie Ng of Beauty PhD went for a deep rich plum that veered on black, but kept it light with bright accents elsewhere on the face. Both Amy McKissock of The Pretty Vain and Twenty York Street‘s Marilou Moles went for a purple infused shade, but they each offer up a different finish. Obviously, there is a lot of room to personalize it and make it work. Now own it!

Alexa Lowe
Montreal | Stealing Beauty

In this video, I’m featuring all of my go-to dark lipsticks from the drugstore; from easy to wear wine red, to dramatic burgundy and dark purple. I explain how to complement dark lips with the rest of your makeup and show you how to apply them.

Product list:
L’Oréal Crayon Petite Automatic Lip Liner in “Berries”, Rimmel Lasting Finish in “Bordeaux”, Make Up For Ever 300 Lip Brush

Amy McKissock
Burlington | The Pretty Vain

From the darkest shades of burgundy to oxbloods, purples and even solid-black lipstick itself, dark colours look amazing but can be intimidating for some people to pull off. What’s your go-to dark lipstick colour and how do you ensure the rest of your makeup/hair complements the look?

“It is the perfect time of the year to rock your favourite dark lipstick shade, and one that is always spoken of on the blogosphere is M.A.C’s Lipstick in Rebel. Rebel is one of those lipstick shades that every beauty addict knows, loves, and raves about every chance they get and since dark lipstick shades are all the rage I knew I needed to add it to my collection.

Rebel is described as “mid-tone cream plum” with a satin finish and of course is part of the permanent line. I find that Rebel is more appropriately described as a deep fuchsia than a plum, which makes it that much more intriguing. This is the perfect shade for anyone looking for a dark lipstick shade for winter but doesn’t want to over do it. That being said I truly believe that Rebel would make a stunning and bold lipstick colour for spring/summer as well. Not only is this shade beautifully pigmented and glides on flawlessly delivering an opaque finish, it also lasts for hours(4+) without budging or bleeding.

How To Make Your Lipstick Last:

Wearing dark lipstick shades can be a daunting task since most people are worried about their lipstick smudging or fading. However, that all ends now as Anna Sui has just recently released a Lip Colour Top Coat to ensure that your lipstick doesn’t budge all day. This innovative top coat was designed to ensure that your lipstick stays put for hours. You simply pat a bit of this smoothing gel on top of your favourite lipstick and wait for it to set. Be prepared for it to feel slightly odd and very slippery, but have no fear because it sets quickly leaving your lipstick with a semi-matte lipstick. For those of you who crave shine you can always then layer your favourite clear lipgloss over top to combat the mattifying effects of this gel. This lip product does contain the trademark Anna Sui rose fragrance, which can be a bit too much to handle for some so keep this in mind before purchasing this product. All in all, I highly recommend this Lip Colour Top Coat for anyone who wants to make they lipstick wear longer.

Other Tips & Tricks
• Exfoliate & apply lip balm to create a flawless base
• Use a clear lip liner all over the lips before applying your lipstick
• Clean up the edges of your lipstick with concealer and powder to help set a barrier to your lipstick

Shayna Wiwierski
Winnipeg | A Pop of Colour

Winter is all about the dark lip! Although I am more of a baby pink or nude kinda gal, I will sport a burgundy look every now and then to switch it up.

Since the lip is the main focal point, keep the rest of your face neutral. I like doing a simple eye so there is nothing else to conflict with the lips. I finish up the face with some contouring and a slightly burgundy cheek.

As for the shade, I don’t go too dark because I’m naturally very fair, and I find that a purple-toned dark lip works the best for my skin tone. I like to keep the hair sleek so the lips can truly shine out.

Products used: Yves Rocher Lipstick in “Dark Purple”

Maggie Ng
Toronto | Beauty PhD

Dark lips are definitely a lot harder to pull off than most makeup looks. Because the lip colour is so intense, I chose to keep everything else pretty low key and neutral. Used some highlighter on the entire lid all the way up to the brow bone. Two coats of mascara, top and bottom. A nude eye pencil in the inner rim of the eyes. Some bronzer to contour my face and then a blackened plum lip pencil that I used to fill in the entire lip with. Pair with your favourite black outfit. Done!

Products used: Miyu De-Stress Mi Beauty Essence, Kellett Force Field Illuminating Day Treatment Moisturizer, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Powder Foundation in “#118 Neutral Beige”, NARS Illuminator in “Copacabana”, Annabelle Biggy Zebra Bronzing Powder, E.l.f. Brow Kit in “Medium”, Benefit They’re Real! Mascara in “Black”, Rimmel London Scandaleyes Eye Liner in “#005 Nude”, eos Lip Balm in “Pomegranate Raspberry”, MAC Lip Pencil in “Nightmoth”, Clarins Fix’ Make-Up.

Alison Leong
Vancouver | Alison*Elle

I am a huge fan of dark vampy lips in the Fall/Winter, with my go-to colours being deep wines and burgundies. For more intimidating lipsticks like this one from MAC (it literally looks almost black in the tube!), I often like to create stains as opposed to wearing them full-on. First, I apply the lipstick straight from the tube. Next, I blot with a tissue and use my finger to blend the colour. This process can be repeated again for a deeper shade. As for the rest of my makeup, I like to keep it simple and usually within the same colour family.

Products Used: Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette, Marcelle Double Precision Liquid Eyeliner Pen, NARS Blush in “Sin”, MAC Lipstick in “Sweet Succulence”

Laurelle Alexandra
Toronto | Paint Me Pretty

I love a dark lipstick. It really makes a statement. But it can be tricky as well as a lot of maintenance. And there is always the question: if I wear a dark lip what do I do with my eye makeup?

My rule whenever I choose to wear a dark lipstick is keep the eyes simple. I generally will wear matte neutral colours and a winged liner. It makes your whole appearance look simple but you stand out in a crowd. My favorite dark lip is a deep dark purple, almost black. Now I won’t wear this dark of lip on a regular basis but it’s definitely one of my favorite looks. There is something seductive when you wear such a bold colour.

Remember when you wear a dark lipstick: apply concealer, powder, lip liner and then the lipstick itself. You apply with those steps, you’ll avoid bleeding and have longer lasting lip colour.

Products Used: Make Up For Ever Face and Body Foundation, The POREfessional, Cover FX Cream Foundation, Make Up For Ever HD Translucent Powder, Benefit Bronzer Hoola, TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush, Make Up For Ever Brow Tech in “Dark Brown”, Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long Wear Mascara in “Black”, M.A.C Lip Pencil in “Burgundy”, Urban Decay Eye shadow Primer Potion, Too Faced Neutral Eyeshadow Collection, NARS Liquid Liner, Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense in “#14”

Marilou Moles
Ottawa | Twenty York Street

I love a good challenge and darker lips is definitely a difficult one for me. Though deep burgundy, oxblood and dark purple can be very flattering, caution must be taken into finding the right shade as dark hues can have a more sombre effect that’s quite aging in some cases. Keeping the rest of your make-up simple, especially on the eyes, line your lips to provide a perfect outline to prevent the lipstick from bleeding. I mixed two different shades of the wet stain to give a more dimensional look rather than just a flat dark colour on the lips. The result? A glossy yet matte lip combo that will make you stand out this winter!

Products used: Rimmel Scandal Eyes Retro Glam in “#003”, L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain in “#186 Berry Persistent” and “#187 Infinite Fuchsia”

Michelle Louie
Toronto | A Lovely Allure

I was so afraid of lipstick during my entire journey through high school. I thought a dark lip was too bold for me, a nude lip washed me out, and a glossy lip made my lips stand out too much! Only recently have I accepted that I actually do look best in darker lip colours, rather than something fairly light. I’m still in the process of feeling comfortable in darker lip colours… and remembering I have it on. Here I’m wearing Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry which to me is a deep mauve. It is not extremely darker than my lips, so wearable on a daily basis, but still eye-catching. To feel comfortable wearing a dark lip colour all day long, I make sure that it is a stain and long-lasting, and that it is not too far from my natural lip colour, so when it wears off, I am not desperately trying to apply more. I like to make sure the rest of the makeup is subtle, and my eye makeup is neutral. The most important thing, is to wear a darker lip only to the extent that you feel comfortable with, from there, if you’d like, you can gradually go darker!

Products Used: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in “Sultry”