When we think of switching up our makeup, it’s often something dramatic that springs to mind. Are you picturing a smoky eye? Graphic winged eyeliner? A pop of the brightest blush you’ve ever seen? Then hold your makeup horses.
Trying something new doesn’t need to mean marching out of your comfort zone at speed, and can be as straightforward as simply re-discovering a classic. Case in point: pink lipstick.
It’s often overlooked in favour of red, but as far as shades go, pink lip colour is uniquely diverse. It spans from soft rose and cute baby pinks through to vampy, almost-purple hues – passing through punchy cerise and fuchsia en route. Pink lipstick certainly ticks the stereotypical boxes of feminine and pretty, but it can be so much more than that, with the ability to look fresh, confident and modern too.
Keep these key considerations in mind when shopping for a pink lipstick. To take out the guesswork, we'd always recommend our Match2Me tool. It takes your skin tone, hair and eye colour into account to generate your perfect shades.
Pink lipsticks cover a huge amount of ground, meaning you’re likely to feel spoilt for choice when choosing a shade. As a general rule, don’t opt for a colour that is any lighter than your natural lip colour. Why’s that? It’s because this will wash out your complexion, which is the exact opposite of what a pink lip should do, which is to perk up your skin. If you have a deep skin tone, look to dark, sultry pinks like berry tones or colour pop brights. Both will look gorgeous against your complexion. Those with olive or warm-toned medium skin are best suited to coral pinks with a touch of orange, as these will balance out the more yellow-hued elements of your complexion. Finally, if you are porcelain or fair skinned, a pretty powdery or pale pink is your best match.
Not all pink lip colours are created equal, and the finish will vary depending on the product. For a seriously bold lip, Trinny London Lip Luxe offers the most densely pigmented pinks. The colour pay-off is rich, intense and easy to build. Use sparingly for a wash of colour, or build in layers for a real look-at-me finish. It works well for day and night, depending on the look you’re after.
If you did want to up the ante for an evening out, the Trinny London Lip Love is the pink for you. It has a pearlescent quality that gives a lustrous, frosted finish to your pink lip. Because of the light-reflecting nature of the formula, it actually makes your lips look plumper, making it a great choice for anyone who thinks their lips are too thin to wear colour.
Cautious about diving in with a pink lip? Start with shades from the Sheer Shimmer or Lip Glow collections. The former gives a dewy veil of colour with a subtle glow, while the latter is traditional high-shine lip gloss without the stickiness. Both will create the illusion of fuller lips, without making a huge commitment to the colour.
Finally, if you did want to double-up on a pink lip and pink blusher, Lip2Cheek is the perfect product. Designed to be applied to your lips and cheeks, the colours in the range offer a flush of rosy pigment with impressive staying power. Dab on with fingers, or apply with a brush for increased precision.
Something strange has come over me in recent weeks. I’ve begun a bit of a love affair with pink lips. Easier to wear than reds and an instant face ‘perker-upper’; my blush pout stocks have now doubled thanks to a few hauls in this particular category. Oops. But I can’t get enough – fuchsias, nudey ones, warm, cool, whatever – they’re just the perfect accompaniment for lazy days when I can’t be fussed to bother with anything fancy on the eye. Though there is a knack to it, so today I’m divulging my Pink Lip 101: how to wear ’em and my favourites I’ve found so far…
Hold up with the blush. I have an on/off relationship with blush anyway, but when pink lips come into the equation it needs cooling off even more than usual. If you’re naturally ruddy like myself then skip it all together, but if you really, really need your fix then just go easy picking a shade not too far off the one you’re planning to smother your lips with. If you go overboard just run your foundation brush or sponge over the top and you’re back to square one again. Done.
Work your way up to it. It’s the same rule that’s followed with lips. If you’re wary of boldness then begin with a sheer, glossy texture – erry’one loves those – then build up to a medium wash of colour with a satin finish. Then before you know it you’ve grown the balls to throw on an audacious shade of rose like a boss.
Find your hue. Pink lips work on the same colour spectrum as reds; there are your warmer, more yellow-y shades and then your cooler blue-ish tones. Not everyone is going feel equally flattered in every single colour so experiment to find what rolls best with you. Personally more rosy hues work with me, but if I want something really unexpected I’m happy to rock a wickedly cool toned fuchsia.
Don’t think of it as a red. Crimson, in the beauty world, is a colour that a load of us shy away from, but pink really doesn’t have to be approached in the same way. Our lips are that colour naturally – remember that.
Pep talk ticked off, let’s move swiftly on to shades that get two big VDM thumbs up. I’ll begin with the sheers. The Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch which I’m wearing in the left picture – though not the most sophisticated in formula (a tad drying) – is good starting point and a nice one to layer over bolder formulas to calm down the colour. Two that are a little higher up the pigment scale are The Body Shop’s Colour Crush Shine in 14 and Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick which both have hi-shine formulas that linger on the lips.
Something that sits in the middle is the YSL Kiss & Blush in 1, which I’m wearing in the centre pic. It goes on quite dewy, the applicator is the perfect size, but it dries down and lasts well. I’m in lurve with the colour too – in fact I think it’s my favourite of them all. Then if you really want to dial it up I’ve got two in my collection for ya. Bourjois’ Velvet Edition in Pink Pong – cute name, kick ass formula or CHANEL’s Rouge Allure Velvet in La Diva which I’m wearing in the far right picture. Both fall in to the shocking pink category and are line in with my belief that when going loud on the lips, it’s always better to go matte.
So my parting question to you is – how badly do I need NARS’ Schiap (a.k.a the supposed crème de la crème of the pink lip crop)?