do you do a bold lip? - YouLookFab Forum

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do you do a bold lip?

Adelfa

Veteran

I thought about Alicia's fabulous saturated red and pink lip colors all day, before I got home and read the comments and saw others were similarly impressed.

I love a bold lip. When I was a child my mom wore no make-up except a fabulous coral-red lipstick. She looked so glamorous to me, and I dreamed of growing up and wearing bright lips.

DD wears bright red lipstick and looks smashing. For a long time she thought she couldn't wear red because of her red hair, but now she does, and it's just incredible with her ivory skin and gray-blue eyes.

I tried to do a bold lip for years and now have officially given up. I thought it should work well because of my coloring, but I think there are at least two reasons why the look doesn't work for me: one, because I have a small mouth, and bright colors make it close in; and two, perhaps my personality is too reserved for me to ever feel comfortable with such a strong statement.

Do you do a bold lip? What colors do you like?

Dressing

37 replies

Latest reply was from

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

My look now is a bold lip. I love red, orange and hot pink.

Deborah

Veteran

I do a bold lip and have done for a long time Red is my colour of choice tho I have previously also worn organge tones, blackcherry and pinks. I am now looking for a red that is 'red' but softer and a little more subtle just for a change.

Adelfa

Veteran

I love your bold lip looks, Anna!

cciele

Veteran

I rarely do a bold lip anymore; I think it looks aging on me. Same with eye shadow! Occasionally I'll do a red (I think it's MAC Viva Glam 1), but more as a stain, or a bright pink, but otherwise I go for neutrals or subdued pink.

deb

Veteran

No, my lips have always been on the thin side and with age have gotten thinner. I would just have a bold line across my face.

Adelfa

Veteran

Deborah, cross posted. Your lip is such a part of your style! I love red lips on a blonde--Lulu Soler, that blogger Inge featured, does this really well.

Cathy, I know what you mean. That's probably another reason I gave up! I wear brownish pinks, pinky nudes, and brownish plums.

Adelfa

Veteran

Deb, I know what you mean. However I have a friend with thin lips and she claims that John Steinbeck said that it's okay for a woman to have thin lips if she puts lipstick on them to make them look fuller!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I love the look of a bold lip. If I had one signature makeup it would be that - if I could ever manage to pull it off. My lips have a lot of color but I have never managed to put on strong lipstick without feeling clownish. My lips are very crooked and uneven, which is a big part of it.

Adelfa

Veteran

Shevia, those are interesting points. My lips have almost no color so maybe the color jolt is too much. Can you even up your lips with a pencil? I have read several times to use a lip-colored pencil to line bright lips!

Neel

Veteran

Yes. Red. (Since the last one year. Maybelline color sensation summer sunset). And I love it! Nothing like a bold lip with a simple jeans and tee outfit

I thought I couldn't wear red too. But there is a red for everyone out there!

rabbit

Veteran

I wear a bold lip for special events or with a monochrome/minimalist outfit sometimes. I'm pretty sure it looks good on me, but it always feels 'costumey' so when I want to go that route, I go red or purpley-red, when I don't I opt for pinks and a lot of lip glosses.

I often like a lip that complements but contrasts an outfit. So with a dark outfit, I like a paler pink lip and more eye definition. With a paler outfit, sometimes a darker/brighter lip and natural eyes.

ETA: I LOVE the look of a saturated red stain on lighter skin with freckles. I also love the look of certain pale pinks/purples/mauves and opalescent finishes with dark skin.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yes. I do a bold lip all the time -- either very red, or very dark. But it's true that dark lips make thin lips look thinner. I like the shape of my lips, and while the top one is thin, the lower one is full, so that's why I think dramatic lipstick works. I actually don't like how I look with pale pink or nude lipstick. It makes my lips disappear.

I do agree with Neel that there is a shade of red for everyone -- but you may have to apply it over vaseline to make it a bit more subtle.

Adelfa

Veteran

Neel and Elisabeth, I am entranced with the idea that there is a red for everyone. I think it's true that there's a red for every skin tone. I wonder if there's a red for every personality? That is, a red that wouldn't make me feel costumey as Rabbit says? Or do you just have to have a certain bold attitude to rock a bold lip?

Rabbit, Rae and I were talking about how there are colors (in clothes) that we know look good on us, but that we simply feel uncomfortable wearing. For me it's red, and for her it's bright pink. Kind of interesting because I'll wear bright pink in a heartbeat!

rabbit

Veteran

Adelfa, texture makes a big difference for me. I'm much more comfortable with a bold red in a stain or a gloss (or sometimes just a lip pencil colored in) than a thicker cakey lipstick. I powder it lightly and then apply it again just so it lasts awhile.

I'll also use different colors to highlight different parts of the lip and mix in brown and blue eyeshadows and pencils if I need to tone it down to achieve a mix of natural and bold. (Hey what can I say, I know more about painting that makeup).

Adelfa

Veteran

rabbit, I love mixing lip color too, though not with your level of sophistication! I usually find I chew it all off in an hour and then I can't recreate my look on the fly!

Marley

Veteran

No bold lip color for me - for several reasons: my lips are not my best facial feature so I'd rather not draw attention to them; bold colors in general do not look good with my skin, hair, and eye color; I don't really like a bold lip color on anyone to be honest with you! I think it distracts from the overall look/style of the person; and, I am much more drawn to someone's eyes as opposed to their lips.

Kiwichik

Veteran

I love bold lip colour and wear it all the time. Bright reds, fuschia, dark jewel colours - I just can't help myself.

Neel

Veteran

Red lipstick has always been associated with cheap! Something to do with women with loose character ... Similar to animal print. So yes, probably one does need to have the attitude and courage to wear red lips without stepping into the red zone!! My MIL for instance doesn't like me with red lips ... But DH loves it and most importantly I love it :). Not sure what to make of that!

fuzzylogic

Veteran

Yes!! I love rocking the bold lip!!

True red lips with a golden and bronze tones in summer, bright pinks with brown/cream eyeshadow in spring, and dark plums and berries (and purple!!) with taupe/neutral eyeshadow over autumn and winter!

My lips have a lot of natural colour so I look ill if I try to wear a truly putty/nude lip. The most I can really get away with is a colour that matches my natural lip colour.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I've been wearing a more noticeable lip, but never a bold one. I can't stand the look on me. For a while I thought it was just because of my full lips... now I think it's a combination of that and a childhood thing from when I was forced to dress as a clown in a Halloween pageant (I'm afraid of clowns). o_0 Also, my mom always wore a bold red lip, and we didn't get along well growing up.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Never. It's not my look. I like it on others though.

Gigi

Veteran

Interesting thread. I too like the look of a bold red lip but can't seem to find a shade that works on me and doesn't make me look ill.

I have heard that there is a shade of red for everyone also. Deb recommended Lisa Eldridge's website for makeup tips in another thread (thanks, Deb!), and Lisa E. has some tutorials featuring red lipstick, such as this one:
http://www.lisaeldridge.com/vi.....yqLsSggqJc

I watched another video of hers the other day that involved wearing a very bold lip, and she said that sometimes wearing bold lipstick can drain the face of color. In fact, that's just what happened to her when she put the lipstick on in the video! She said that to counteract that, you should wear blush too. So maybe some of us can't get away with bold reds without adding similar coloring to our cheeks.

I have also read that using a creamy lipstick, or a shiny lip gloss, helps thin lips look bigger.

I hope you continue your search and can find one that works for you!

rachylou

Veteran

In the 80s, I did. Now, no. First, because I'm lazy and use a three in one stick and red eyes would be freaky. Second, makeup frightens the boys Freaks my bf out...

Emily

Veteran

I find a bold lip easier to apply and wear than a bold eye, especially as a glasses wearer. So yes

EveningMood

I love it and it has been my go-to look during my late twenties/ early thirties. Before that time, I was dating a young man (high school sweetheart) who hated visible lipstick and thought it looked tacky; so after meeting my husband, who loves a bold lip, I went crazy with it. I think it helps that I have dark hair, light olive skin with neutral undertones, and pretty heart-shaped lips. I am not sure that a bold lip goes necessarily with a bold personality. I like how it looks on me, but I am really shy and reserved, and I have found to my dismay that a bold lip can make you look aggressive and unapproachable, which I am not! My girlfriends actually say that bold lipsticks expresses traits of my personality that are deeply buried

After the kids came I have been toning it down, it's impractical around toddlers and for children activities, also I enjoy the alternative of playing up the eyes. But I still wear the look whenever I have a chance and when it really compliments my outfit. It is becoming a little harder to pull off as I age, because my skin is changing and I think I should start wearing lipliner to prevent bleeding, at least with very creamy and liquid formulas. But I am not ready to give it up! I prefer matte finishes in the winter and glossiness in the summer; I wear true reds, bright reds, deep reds, purple, berry, burgundy and fuchsia, but I love pink reds and berry reds above all. One of the shades Alicia sports, Mac Rebel, is one of my favorites. A few other of my faves are Chanel Palpitante, Chanel Fascinante, Dior Iconic Red, Guerlain Gigolo and Urban Decay 69. I also make my own mixes

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Nope. It looks HORRIBLE on me. I have found can carry off a slightly deeper berry tone than my usual light, near-my-own-lip-color shade (it would be very mid-tone to most people's eyes), but nothing bright or dark. You would think my coloring would make it work, but there is something about my features that makes it overwhelming and unappealing on me. I think it's that my eyes and nose are relatively large, on a small face and head, and my lips are a little thin in comparison -- it just draws the eye to my nose and mouth, rather than my eyes, which are my better feature by far. When I've tried a bolder color lately, I do think it ages me as well. No thanks! I'll stick with playing up my eyes.

I was kind of relieved that my husband is not a fan of bold or dark lips in general -- he says very few women do them well, and they tend to look clownish, so he's just as glad I don't participate in that look.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Absolutely! I have two shades of red I enjoy wearing - one is a little darker and the other has a touch of orange in it. I also enjoy wearing burgundy shades.

In the summer I tend to go a little lighter.

Inge

(website)

I absolutely love it on others, and it was one of the things that drew me to Alicia's blog in the first place: her bold lippies are an integral part of her outfits, don't you think?

Super bold colours don't seem to work with my complexion and style, but I have been wearing a slightly bolder (for me) and brighter lip colour lately (Clinique Chubby Stick Intense "Grandest Grape") and really love what it does for me.

gryffin

Veteran

No never. I love it on others. So chic. I do the MLBB look. I like Fresh Sugar Rose, Chanel glossimar glaze, clinique chubby in strawberry or the gloss in raspberry. Very subtle. I find this makes my skin look like I have blush on even when I don't. It like a natural make up look although I do a bit of a soft smoky eye for formal wear. But I adore this look on others. You just have to be able to carry it off!!

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