Getting Lippy

Lipstick.  I've always worn it.  I've actually worn it since I was about 7.  But I always was always when I was showing horses.  So to translate the look away from the show ring has taken a little work.  Wearing lipstick always seemed so fancy, so over the top.  But as of late, I've been working to make the look more everyday appropriate.  I knew my lips were being neglected and they needed to become a party my beauty routine.  My friends used to yell at me, "You look unfinished, you need something on your lips."  Okay, okay.   Maybe they were right.  Something was missing when I had on a full face of makeup - cheeks bronzed?  Always.  Eyes lined?  Of course.  Mascara applied?  Duh.  Lips?  Naked.  So I started small. I bought  Estee Lauder's lip pencil in Fig.  My friend Kristin actually got me hooked on it, and I loved the fact that it made my lips look fuller without looking like I was actually wearing lipstick.

From there, I made it my point to perfect the nude lip.  I blame that obsession on last years most prominent beauty trend- smoky eyes and nude lips anyone?  Finding the right shade of nude lip is difficult.  If the beige doesn't match your skin tone, you can literally look like a corpse.  I found my perfect match in Chanel Rogue Allure's Mythic lipstick.  If I was rocking a tan, it was a little light, but then I would top the lipstick with Chanel Glossimer in Beige Guitar and have a slightly warmer hue that was perfection.

Then of course, it was time to tackle the grand-daddy of them all - Red Lips.  A trend I've always loved,   Something about crimson lips paired with a tan is so beautiful, I was bound and determined to find a red that I could wear.  My problem (which was probably partially in my head) was that I though I looked so much older wearing red.  Or a street walker.   With some playing around I discovered if I wore an orangey red, the look felt far less formal.  Pairing that orangey-red with no more than some bronzer and a dash of mascara, and I had the exact look I was going for.  I've found that Revlon's Orange Flip is the perfect bright hue - young, fresh, and slightly funky.

Now that I've shared my lipstick diaries, here are some inspiring photos that make me want experiment even more.   Up next?  The perfect berry-hue for fall, and a lip stain that doesn't make me look like a four-year-old who just ate a popsicle.