Every time spring comes around, magazines attempt to push bright lips onto the faces of America’s women. Unfortunately, they never mention how to make traffic-stopping lips work in everyday life, especially in the life of a college female. Bright lips, however, can actually be extremely beautiful when done correctly.
This spring, the hot hues are coral, fuchsia, and orange; colors that sound slightly frightening for the face, but can truly spice up a beauty look for both day and night. No matter what skin tone you might have, there’s a bright lip color that will definitely work for you.
For ladies with a fair to medium complexion a coral lip can work wonders. You should aim for a coral that leans more toward pink than orange to play up any color in the face. Try Coral Crush by Maybelline. Orange can work for women with fair skin, but you really have to find the right color that won’t completely overwhelm your face—find a lip color that’s more sheer than true.
For women with medium to dark skin, coral can also work, especially if it leans toward the orange end of the spectrum. Try Gaily, a Slimshine Lipstick by MAC or Volcanic by L’Oreal. The hint of orange in the lip color will bring out the warmth in your complexion, giving you an overall bright and sexy look.
Women with dark complexions really shouldn’t shy away from bright lip colors. Because of your darker skin tone, you can really go for the loudest of bright lip colors. Fuchsia and orange hues work especially well for darker skin. Try Revlon Color Burst Lipstick in Fuchsia.
For all skin tones, the most important tip is to find the color that works for you. To make sure that you find a color that’s perfect for you, I suggest going to the nearest department store or Sephora to try on a vast array of bright lipsticks. You can either buy the perfect one there or search online for a drugstore duplicate— I know college budgets are a killer.
When incorporating a bright lip into your look, it’s important to remember that the lip is the centerpiece of the face. All other makeup should be minimal—clean eyes with mascara and a light blush for balance, but nothing more. If you’re feeling courageous, you could actually go with a simple brightly colored liner for two pops of color. If bright lips seems like too much for you, try tapping on a bright lipstick and topping it with a clear lip gloss. Also, remember to be extremely careful with the application. People will focus on your lips first, so application can’t be sloppy. I suggest using a lip brush or a lip liner.
Seeing beauty trends at their extreme on the runway can scare women away from trying them in real life. Just as fashion trends can be taken from the catwalk to the streets, beauty trends can be taken down a notch and still be fabulous.