Born lippy

If there is one type of makeup that I cannot simply live without, it has to be lipstick.

Blame it on the fact that my lips are naturally dry and chapped. Or you could also blame it on my mom who believes that, on an ordinary day, a girl doesn’t really have to paint her face completely—all she needs is a trusty lipstick to take her from sun up to sun down.

I love my mom’s philosophy when it comes to looking glam on an everyday basis because it highlights the importance of natural beauty with hints of makeup used to highlight one’s assets—not to change the face completely.

My love affair with lipstick started out when I flirted with gloss back in high school. My mother gave me my first cherry mint clear lip gloss—which I admit was a rather bad choice when used alone because it only made me look paler, albeit it did moisturize my lips and kept them from cracking. By college, I switched to gloss sticks which I found out needed reapplication every so often. It was only when I became a working girl that I seriously experimented with lipstick.

Lipstick trends change about as fast as men’s suit trends do and underneath all the shimmer and matte, you will find out that there are core trends that simply take turns being hit by the spotlight.

Bold and Bright

Red lipstick is a classic favourite among the classier chicks. This is very tricky because only a few people can actually manage to pull this off. When it comes to red lipstick, there is a fine line between classy and tacky.

Red is all about confidence so channel this trend when you are feeling just that. Otherwise, flop the trend when you’re feeling too self-conscious. For uber-confident chicks itching to make a statement, fire engine red is the way to go. For those who are still trying to experiment with the trend and would opt to put off turning heads till later, deeper red hues are a must.

Since red lipstick is a statement in itself, keep the rest of your get-up simple and sleek. Red always goes best with black outfits in basic silhouettes. Bring back the 1940s screen goddess vibe with classic side parted hair or subtle waves swept up in a chignon and you’re ready to be a blockbuster wherever you go.

Dark and Daring

Burgundies and blacks do not only scream gothica, they scream rockstar attitude that for some is too much to handle. Like red lipstick, this takes a lot of guts to sport. For everyday use, I would suggest that unless you’re serious about going gothic, you stick to burgundies.

For evening affairs, deeper shades of purple and burgundy add a touch of mystery. With your lips taking center stage, eye make-up should be toned down for a more balanced look. Skin mustn’t be too pale unless it’s a costume party that you’re attending and you’re vying for the Morticia Addams dead-ringer award.

Soft and Stained

By default, I would go for more subtle lip trends rather than the bolder and more daring ones which is why on some days, I am a fan of berry-stained lips from lush, deep magentas to scarlets.    Berry stained lips often remind me of a little girl in the meadow burying her face into a basket of freshly picked berries.

Berry stained lips go well with gentle, child-like features like clear, unblemished skin and doe eyes. Swipe on some white eyeliner and subtly curl up your lashes to open up your peepers.

Keep your strands slightly unkempt for a bed head look and the rest of your outfit simple.   Dust on some shimmer for a subtle glow.

Nice and Nude

This is the reason why kikay kit is filled exclusively with Revlon’s Beyond Natural makeup line. I just happen to totally dig the no make-up look because it’s very versatile and it’s very appealing to many people no matter what kind of dress you put on.

Nude is about the soft and subtle looks of neutrals, coral, and pale pinks. To keep yourself from looking too washed-out, accentuate your fresh-faced look by emphasizing sex kitten smoky eyes.  If you’re too lazy to blend in your blacks and silvers over your eyelids, you can easily opt for a swipe of black eyeliner and a touch of mascara. Add a hint of blush on the cheeks to look naturally beautiful.

Pink and Playful

I loved it when Rihanna rocked this trend before. Pink, like red, is a statement color especially when it comes in fuchsia but unlike red, it doesn’t scream too much attention.

Rock it in pink if you’re feeling a wee bit playful or if you’re in Barbie-mode. Pink is a sweet color so go light on the rest of your features if you plan to make this your statement piece. You can swipe on a light shade for the eyes or simply stick with eyeliner and, voila, you’re good to go.

One basic tip when it comes to lipstick is that it’s okay to scrimp on it once in a while because a Php 129 lip palette will look just as good as that stick that’s worth a thousand bucks. 

Experiment with what shade works best for you but don’t limit yourself to one particular trend. Play with lip colors and let it reflect what you feel on the inside. ?