The smoky eye is as popular this season as always. As quintessential to style as the little black dress, it’s in everyone’s bag of tricks.
I first noticed it a few seasons ago when I put on my signature midnight black uniform and tie, complete with a big smile welcoming customers to Estee Lauder counters all over the Magnolia State. It began with an intense black smoldering dramatic nighttime smoky eye that softened up this past spring with hints of blue, purple and green. Fall 2013 introduces a new smoky eye to town in come-hither hues of slate, charcoal and gray — still bold and dramatic.
So, with the smoky eyes stealing the spotlight, perhaps the lips should fade into the background. The nude lip is not so simple to create without a few basic tips that I have learned, both behind the counters and behind the salon chair.
The first thing is prepping the lips with an exfoliating scrub to gently remove dry, flaky skin and following up with a moisturizing lip conditioner. One I love is Estee Lauder’s conditioner, but simple ChapStick or a dab of Vaseline will do in a pinch. Now that the lips are softer, prime them with a lip primer to plump up tiny lines around the mouth, smooth the lips, and encourage a longer lasting lip color throughout the day or night. One of my favorite primers is Clinique’s All About Lips.
Pay attention because the next trick is one I learned from one of the world’s most famous celebrity makeup artists, the late Kevin Aucoin. The very idea of a nude lip is the absence of any color, so select your favorite creamy concealer and pat it all over the lips to completely camouflage the natural hue God gave you. I suggest a long-lasting concealer like Estee Lauder Double Wear which lasts and lasts.
Once the lips are colorless, choose a flesh colored lip pencil to draw around the lips top and bottom, going just outside the natural lip line for a thicker pout. When choosing a lipstick shade, go neutral. I love Bobbi Brown in Beige, MAC in Honeylove, Dior Rouge in Angelique Beige and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Canotier.
The last step to beautiful nude lips to pair with your smoky eyes is a bit of lip gloss in a clear shade. Remember that where’s there’s smoke, there doesn’t necessarily always have to be fire. Sometimes we say more just by being quietly dramatic, and that can be the case with beautiful nude lips.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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