Seen on everyone from Sandra Bullock to Hilary Duff, cranberry lipstick is undeniably in style this year! What’s more the beautiful berry hue looks fabulous on everyone! With its blue undertones, cranberry isn’t too light or too dark so it brings out the best in all skin tones. Not many lipsticks are capable of that!
If you’re thinking of shunning this trend because you’re intimidated by it, you’re not alone! Cranberry is certainly an intimidating colour, and a colour that many women feel they simply couldn’t pull off or ever apply correctly. But wait! Give me 5 minutes of your time and let me show you the many approaches you can take with a cranberry lipstick!
From a glamorous night time look to a subtle fresh look for mundane work days, I’m going to give you 7 tips on how to rock cranberry lips!
#1 Use it as a subtle stain
Source via www.bellasugar.com
If you want to steer clear of wearing full-on cranberry, you could alternatively use your lipstick as a stain. Cranberry lippy is particularly effective when used in this way because a little goes a long way and it is a very buildable colour.
Use your ring finger (the finger with the lightest touch) to lightly dab the lipstick on to your lips; then use a clean finger to blend the lipstick in. You’ll see that you’ll end up with a very subtle and natural cranberry colour; perfect for the day time.
#2 Create matte velvet lips
Think pinup! Velvet looking lips are just beautiful and the most sophisticated way of wearing any red shade of lipstick but particularly the rich colour of cranberry.
Achieve your velvet cranberry lips by applying the lipstick precisely with a lip brush, build the colour up as much as you like, and then simply blot correctly. You may have seen blotting where a tissue is placed in between the lips; I don’t like this way of blotting because it tends to create an uneven amount of colour on the outside. Instead, press the tissue lightly on top of your lips to ensure the colour stays even and voila, pure matte perfection.
#3 Use a lip liner!
When it comes to creating a precise, polished and more dramatic lip, lip liner is the tool you need! Most effective when used with dark and red tints, liners enhance the lipstick, stop it bleeding and even make it last longer.
So if you want to wear your cranberry lipstick on a night out or need it to last all work day long then always use a lip liner! Remember to choose a colour that matches your natural lip colour, you don’t want a liner that is too dark or too light. Blending is key!
#4 Gloss it up!
Source via jordanhartley.ca
Think pearls, a little black dress and a whole lot of razzmatazz! Glossy cranberry lips are in a league all of their own!
Gloss is fantastic for adding the perception of fullness; making your lips look noticeably more plump and kissable. Dab a little clear or coloured lip gloss (I suggest you try Estee Lauder’s Pure Colour Gloss in Wet Cranberry) on top of your cranberry lipstick and smudge together for the perfect amount of gloss and no excess goop. This works wonderfully when the lipstick has been applied in its most pigmented form, however, even if you’ve gone the subtle stain route, gloss on top can add that little more noticeability.
#5 Gloss it down!
Lip gloss is almost always applied on top of lipstick to create the wow factor as I said above. However, have you ever thought of putting the gloss under the stick? I’m serious!
Start by applying a thin layer of clear lip gloss and apply your cranberry lipstick on top. You’ll end up with a much more natural look as the gloss instantly dilutes the pigment and thus lightens the tint!
This look is perfect for day time and for those feeling a little tentative with the intensity of the cranberry colour.
#6 Pair it with soft eyes
Source via www.justluxe.com
Cranberry lips, in all degrees of intensity, look best with very soft and minimal eye makeup to:
- ensure your lips stand out if you’re opting for full on saturated cranberry.
- to avoid looking too made up! Heavy dark eye makeup paired with cranberry lips tends to look far too much!
So stick to nude and beige eyeshadow colours and finish with simple eye liner and mascara when wearing cranberry lipstick.
#7 Ever heard of cranberry blush?
Cranberry lips have a tendency to make the skin look very pale so you’ll need to choose a nice blush to complement the lipstick. In my opinion there is nothing better than co-ordinating your look and using your cranberry lipstick as the blush itself!
Using lipstick on the cheeks is one of my all-time favourite makeup tricks and cranberry lipstick is just perfect for it! Apply the lipstick to the back of your hand and warm it up with your finger. Start to work it in to the skin blending upwards with a clean finger. Always make sure you apply it before your powder!