Pretty, Please: The Prominent Pout

Retire your lifeless lip lacquer – be bold beauties! Color your kisser fearlessly this fall with head-turning hues.

Statement lips are still rotating on the runways for fall/winter 2013 looks.  If you haven’t tried the forward fad, there’s still time.

Before running to the nearest department store to brave a burgundy or master a magenta, there’s a few details to mull over before polishing your pout.

COLOR THEORY

The color wheel is essential to understanding warm, cool and complementary colors to perfect loud, yet lovely lipstick.

Since the masses aren’t celebrities employing a makeup mafia, it’s important we educate ourselves on lip colors that generate only complimentary double takes – not ambiguous ones.

The Color Wheel 

• Primary colors are fundamental (red/yellow/blue).
• Secondary colors are equally blended primary colors (orange/green/violet).

Tones

• Warm tones range from red, through orange to yellow.
• Cool tones range from green, through blue to violet.

Examine your skin, hair and eye color to decide if you’re warm, or cool toned.

Skin Color	Warm	Cool
Light	Yellow, gold and peach	Flowery, snowy pinks
Medium	Oranges and reds	Olive
Dark	Orange and red-browns	Dark olive, ebony

Warm complexions should use:

• Brown
• Rust
• Salmon
• Candy red
• Hot pink
• Maroon

Cool complexions should use:

• Eggplant
• Plum
• Black cherry
• Orchid
• Lavender
• Fuchsia

While selecting a lipstick color requires talent, now that you know the rules it’s time to bend them, and even break them. Some lipstick shades can intensify eye colors, and hair colors … especially if you’re neutrally toned.

“Brave a burgundy, master a magenta, or even rock a blatant brown.”

ENHANCE YOUR FEATURES

When you look at a color wheel the primary colors are directly across from the secondary colors. Pairing primary tones with its counter-secondary tone will produce a pop of color.

For example, lets say you’ve got blue eyes. Paint on a salmon-orange lip shade and your lips will brighten while your eyes shine a brilliant blue.

Now, I know we’re talking beauty but thanks to my education at Paul Mitchell the School, I’ve always been able to remember my complementary colors through commonly known sports teams, and a holiday.

These colors enhance each other:

• Florida Gators: orange and blue
• Los Angeles Lakers: yellow and violet
• Christmas: red and green

Trust me – it works. Next thing you know, you’ll be sitting at your vanity eyeing your collection of lipstick reciting those advertised color combos in your head. Seem silly? You’ll see.

These fundamental guidelines will ensure a statement lip that’s smashing on you individually. The department store is awaiting your arrival. Now I’m confident you can effortlessly brave a burgundy, master a magenta or even rock a blatant brown.