For some, a bold lip is a staple in our repertoire of looks. For others, we look forward to the holidays all year long as an excuse to rock a deep berry or rich red. It’s a special statement and signals a celebratory occasion. Even though we won’t be attending any beautifully catered holiday parties (the cookies, the cocktails … ugh), we can still get our lip on for a festive feel at home, and take plenty of photos, and drink plenty of wine.
The first step is selecting the right color and finish. We are particularly obsessed with Clove + Hallow’s Lip Velvet because it’s an incredibly clean brand that totally performs. This liquid color has a matte finish, but miraculously doesn’t dry out the lips. It actually hydrates, and doesn’t budge through nibbles, sips, and kisses under the mistletoe. We know, absolute witchcraft. And we are 1,000% behind it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to make the most of your gorgeous holiday lip:
A sugar scrub is the best way to prep your pout. You can DIY one from a medium-grit sugar and some coconut oil. In a pinch, you can even use a soft-bristled toothbrush, or damp washcloth, rubbing in circular motions. This rids our lips of any dryness or flakiness, making them a smooth canvas for color. It also increases circulation, giving them a temporarily plumped look and a flush of color!
One of the best tricks to make a bold color really pop on the lips is to use a neutral yet slightly yellow-toned concealer blended out expertly near the lips. We don’t want any pink hues competing with our lip color—just a bold contrast for a full pout. However, we don’t want to look like a clown either. The key with color and concealer here is moderation and subtlety. Blend, blend, blend.
Ideally, we’ll find a lip liner that is the exact shade of our lipstick. Because that’s not always possible, we can go for a nude color here. We really just want to define the exact outline of our lips so that it’s easier to “color in the lines,” so to speak, and give a little bit of a sticky primer for our color.
Once lined and filled in, carefully apply the lipstick, starting from the middle of the inner lip and coming out to the corners. Go to the edge for the lip last, because it’s always easier to blend out, but harder to blend in from the precise line around the edges and bring the color in evenly. Kiss kiss, darling.
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