It was the inimitable Coco Chanel that once said “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack”, and it perfectly sums up my relationship with lipstick, from an early age I was mesmerised by the glamour of it, seeing my mother carefully fill in her lips with ‘Diva’ by MAC, a dark blood red rose on her smiling mouth, which always left my own mouth hanging, the extraordinary feminity and strength that came from that final touch of lipstick to her outfits were, and still are the icing on top of a very beautiful cake. Lipstick has always been a thing of joy for me even though my lipstick choices in the past have always been a little on the uh… unpredictable side and there are more than enough photos on the blog archives of my bizarre makeup choices (hey in my defense turquoise lipstick was a trend at some point!)
As the temperatures dip, I now declare that Lipstick season is finally upon us, and it’s time for us to put away our dewy finishing sprays, our lip glosses, our highlighters and embrace bold lips with a matte flawless skin. The cooler months are my favourite time to be a little more playful with my makeup choices because, a). it won’t melt off my face and b). there’s just something about a solid red lip and the autumn/winter that makes me feel like a powerful woman that has her life together. To celebrate the dip in temperature, I’ve put together a little lip lookbook of sorts, paired with some of my favourite A/W pieces from Joanie Clothing (who I’ve previously modelled!), from K-pop inspired barely there flushed lips and cheeks to a deep oxblood vampy red for those days where you’re feeling a little excitable. Here is my A/W Lipstick edit…
[ Blotted ]
Think fresh-faced, barely there, romantic flushed cheeps and just kissed lips. What is Autumn without warm pumpkin toned dresses, thick fluffy Borg lined jackets and comfortable boots made for walkin’. Mildly obsessed is a good way to put my love of the lazy blotted look, for me it’s the perfect way to brighten up my face in a hurry or when on the move (its especially good for days where you’ll be eating or drinking a lot as it naturally fades as the day goes on and it’s easy to reapply), the trick to this look is having a super simple base, think a swipe of concealer, a pinky red pop of colour on your cheeks, your favourite lengthening mascara and moisturised lips. I dot the lipstick only on the centre of my lips and then smack my lips together or use my fingers to fab out the colour for a muted ombré effect which gives just the right amount of colour to your lips.
What I’m wearing: Katrine Rust Floral Wrap Dress by Joanie Clothing*
Products used: Glossier Balm Dotcom ‘birthday cake’ | CLE Cosmetics melting lip powder ‘cherry red’ .
[ Comme Une Francaise ]
Think a classic mid-toned red, a swipe of concealer and a simple coat of mascara à la the effortlessly chic ladies of Paris. Whenever I go to France I am always left in awe by how simply beautiful Les françaises are. From their perfectly coiffed yet undone hair, their inimitable outfits and their makeup, simple and sophisticated. J’adore ça! This key to this look is moisturised semi dewy skin, again like above, we keep this simple with a little concealer (and even a sheer foundation if needed), a good black mascara, coiffed eyebrows, a little highlighter on the cupid’s bow and of course, the pièce de résistance, the French gal favourite red, ‘True Red’ by Sephora. Pair this red lip with a (slightly cliché) striped jumper reminiscent of a modern marinière, with an on-trend cotton button down skirt and a beret et voilà! Instant simple Parisian chic.
What I’m Wearing: Agatha Bold Stripe Jumper by Joanie Clothing* & Gladys Belted Skirt by Joanie Clothing*
Products used: Sephora cream lipstain ‘Always Red’
[ Everyday Everlasting ]
Think the bold red that takes you from your first client meeting of the day, all the way to drinks with your friends on a Friday night after leaving the office. Almost smudge proof and wine-friendly. Ironically, these photos were taken about thirty minutes before I had a client meeting aha! Ruby Woo by MAC has got to be one red lipstick that is universally flattering on what seems to be every single skin tone out there, from dark to light, I think the neutral slightly blue-ish tone looks beautiful on everyone. The trick with this type of matte lipstick is to have a well moisturised and exfoliated base because it is intensely drying (which is why it’s staying power is unrivalled). I will always exfoliate with a product like Pixis lip exfoliator or even simply a mixture of brown sugar, Honey and olive oil.
I was actually on my way to a meeting just before shooting this and my client meeting get-up is a lot more high maintenance than my day to day office wear (think the most comfortable chinos, a fluffy jumper, and my trusty vans). I’ve been digging high waisted cropped cotton flares due to their modern vintage style, add a simple button-down white shirt, some leather loafers and you have instant lazy girl architecture chic.
What I’m Wearing: Dietrich Wide Leg Crop Trousers by Joanie Clothing*
Products used: MAC retro matte lipstick in ‘ruby woo’
[ Vampy ]
Think dark, autumnal warm purple red’s. Paired with soft velvets, smooth leopard prints, and complimentary tones. My A/W favourite as seen in many a blog post or Instagram has for sure been Colourpop’s LAX matte lipstick, the tone, the staying power and the intensity – even on darker skin tones has made this one of my go-to lip products and dare I say even an A/W holy grail. Leopard print is back with a bangddadag (shout out to speedy baba), but it doesn’t have to be Pat Butcheresque, go full vamp with an oxblood red, and simple accessories to keep the focus on your lips.
What I’m Wearing: Corey Leopard Print Dress by Joanie Clothing* & Johnson Slogan Jersey Bomber Jacket by Joanie Clothing*
Products Used: LAX Ultra matte lipstick by Colourpop Cosmetics
I always get asked what red lipsticks I would recommend, particularly which ones work well with darker skin tones so I hope this has been a helpful and enjoyable read! What are your go-to red lipsticks that make you feel on top of the world when you wear them?
As always, have a blessed week!
x
