A quick glance at M.A.C. Cosmetics Senior Artist Keri Blair and it's likely obvious why I consider her to be one of my soul sisters. But I'm not alone. Her sweet, rocker chic style, stellar attitude, and oh yeah, TOTAL MAKEUP MASTERY make her a fave among designers, photographers, makeup artists, media and Twitter followers alike (oh, hey, follow her on Twitter here!)
So, it makes sense that when I needed some guidance on one of Spring's key trends - the bold lip - I hit up Keri for her expertise. (For the record, I also trusted her to create my bangin' New Year's Eve look, which included one hell of a smokey eye - one that lasted far, far past midnight.)
Read on for Keri's wisdom on how to best achieve a BOLD lip:
First things first, are there any prep steps that are essential to getting a great, bold lip?
First things first – always keep your lips in the best shape possible – use lip conditioner or M.A.C. Lip Treatment often through out the day. Lip Treatment is great because it isn’t greasy and you can wear under lipstick or gloss. Also ALWAYS CONDITION your lips before going to bed and after washing your face in the morning. There are so many great products out there – so NO EXCUSES! When the lip is supple, any lip color will look great! Lips that are dry, cracked and peeling will still look that way under lip color.
What's the best way to decipher formula when it comes to lip color? (i.e. Lustre vs. Matte)
I think lipstick texture is really personal…Matte lips can make such a gorgeous statement especially when you have a bit of sheen on the eye or cheek; if everything on the face is matte, it can sometimes look dated. Keep it fresh; mix up your textures.
If you like the look of a matte lipstick but its tough for you to wear…try dusting a creamier lipstick with a loose powder. It will give you the look you want without feeling dry.
On myself, I personally love a creamy rich high color lip like an Amplified M.A.C lipstick…but again, as a makeup artist I am pretty partial to all looks.
RED is among my favorite bold lip colors, but it can be intimidating to choose a hue! How does a woman know what shade suits her best?
Reds can be tricky so TRY IT ON! That is the great thing about coming into a M.A.C location – the artists there will help you find the perfect shade and texture for you. I find if you are just wearing that bold pop of color on the lips use your hair color as a guide - if have a warmer tones in your hair, lip colors like Viva Glam or Dubonnet will create a more natural or balanced look to the face. I find those sporting more ravenous colors like dark brown or black hair look great in more blue based reds like Russian Red (ed. note: my fave!) or M.A.C Red. And this maybe on case where blondes really do have more fun…if you have neutral blond hair many different shades of red will work – just depends on what you want your makeup to say about you!
Any tips/tricks to making color last all day?
In addition to keeping your lips in the best shape possible by regularly applying lip condition and occasionally exfoliating (try using a wet toothbrush or washcloth or mix a little sugar into your favorite lip conditioner 1X -2X a week), try a lip primer.
I love M.A.C’s Prep + Prime Lip to reduce fading and bleeding. Here are my steps to a long wearing lip:
- Apply Lip Conditioner and let sit for a few minutes
- Blot off excess
- Lightly powder lips with a loose powder
- Stain your entire lip with a lip pencil that closely matches your favorite lipstick color
- Using your lipstick, apply your lip color directly from the tube onto your lip starting in the center of the mouth
- Use a lip brush to perfect the edges of your lip
- Blot with tissue
- Then apply one more light coat of lipstick
Lipliner or no lipliner? (That is the question.)
If you need to re-shape or balance your lip, I suggest using a neutral lip pencil (my faves are M.A.C Stripdown for light skin tones or Cork for medium to darker skin tones). It’s a foolproof way of getting your lips as perfect as possible prior to applying a color with commitment.
Any parting words on a bold lip?
Don’t be afraid of color…express yourself! Makeup is the best way to let the world know how you are feeling (hey you can even do a lipstick change in the middle of the day if you mood changes ☺)
And remember, to gloss is good but to LIPSTICK is divine! (ed. note: I shall make this my mantra!)
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