I DON’t know many people who are watching “Cable Girls” on Netflix, but I was hooked from the first episode. The show is set in 1920s Madrid and focuses on four women who work as operators in the telephone company.
What you’ll notice on the show is that all the women have a perfectly painted lip as the focal point of the face. The girls wear different colors, from deep berry to red, and the look is super flattering on all of them.
Bold lipstick makes you seem like you made an effort on your face, even if you had zero time to do much else. Here are my tips for rocking that bold lip color:
Pick your preferred lipstick format. Liquid lipstick offers the cleanest line and stays on through anything, but some people are not comfortable with it because you have to be careful, and many formulas can be drying. You can use a lip pencil on its own to line and fill in the entire mouth, or outline the lips before filling in with lipstick. Lipstick pros can use a bullet straight from the tube without mistakes, but if you’re not as dexterous like me with bold lip colors, a lip brush gives you more control and you can apply a little at a time. For some people, sweeping strokes work, while others prefer feathering in the color. Practice and see what works for you.
You can go the whole nine yards and clean up the lip edges with a concealer brush, but I personally find this too taxing. If I make a mistake with a vibrant lipstick, I just wipe the edge of the lips with a dry cotton bud. If it’s liquid lipstick, I dip the cotton bud first in micellar water or lip makeup remover.
To keep bold lips looking modern and wearable especially during daytime, I recommend as little skin makeup as possible. Conceal only where needed and choose a foundation with a sheer or natural finish. Nothing ages you faster than heavy foundation, especially with a red, fuchsia or purple lipstick.
You can lay off the blush to keep the focus on the lip, and accentuate with highlighter instead.
To keep the look balanced, do your brows as usual, and apply generous coats of mascara. You can also add eyeliner; pencil for a softer look, or do a little wing with liquid.
Last, you do not need to have a perfect set of teeth to wear a bold lip color, but it does pop more when your teeth are nice and bright. Use a whitening toothpaste, or if your teeth have stains, try using Crest Whitestrips or a gentle brightener like Koko Clear powder.