Bright Lips

I have made an observation about dark skinned people, they have a tendency to go for dark colours on their lips. I'm pretty guilty of this myself. I used to wear lots of plummy colours because not only did they look pretty good, but people used to say that dark skinned people shouldn't wear light coloured lipsticks. Those who do wear light coloured lipsticks, people frown upon and make not very nice comments about them.

I have found that dark coloured lipsticks actually make you look darker and they make your lips look boring, almost as if they're not even there. If smiles are contagious, you should brighten up those lips and direct attention to them.

I'm going to recommend two bright lipsticks I use and absolute love. They're by MAC and while these products are pricey, they're definitely worth it.

MAC Girl About Town

MAC describes this Amplified lipstick as 'Fabulous Fuchsia'. Fashion and beauty gurus say fuchsia is a shade of pink that looks fabulous on anyone regardless of complexion. The bright colour seems daunting to unadventurous, dark skinned people who just really don't want to stand out. My advice, put aside all those misgivings and give in to the bright side.

MAC Russian Red

Red lips, the classic Hollywood look! MAC's Russian Red is an intense bluish-red that looks divine on medium to dark complexions. It glides on beautifully and I just adore it. Most people shy away from this bright colour because they're not accustomed to seeing bright colours on their lips. On the plus side, these bright colours actually make your teeth look whiter because they're so intense. To wear this, I line and fill my lips using Revlon's Just Bitten (I finally found a purpose for it) and then apply the lipstick. It looks incredible and feels sexy.

How to wear bright lipstick.

• Firstly, exfoliate your lips. Take some salt and scrub away whatever dead skin there may be on your lips. You can do this before you wear any lipstick. It's called, preparing the canvas.
• Briefly moisturise your lips. Smudge on a layer of your favourite moisturising lip gloss and rub your lips together. In my Lip Gloss Review, I recommend some of my favourite lip glosses. Take a tissue and gently wipe it off. Leaving the moisture-rich lip gloss can cause your lipstick to bleed and ruin the application of lipstick.
• Outline your lips with a lip liner that matches the shade of your lipstick. If you are using a light, bright coloured lipstick, filling in your lips with the lip liner can intensify the colour. I do this with my fuchsia lipstick. For red lips it has been suggested that you blot out the natural colour of your lips using concealer. However, you do not necessarily have to blot it out.
• Apply your lipstick. It is important to not rub your lips together after applying the lipstick. If there is a particular finish to your lipstick, you would have ruined it by rubbing the lips together.
• If you used a matte lipstick and wish to add shine you can apply either a layer of clear liquid lip gloss or a gloss that matches the lipstick. For the Girl About Town I use MAC Cremesheen Lip Glass in Loud & Lovely.

An amazing product that adds a touch of sparkle to the lips for an evening look is the YSL Touche Brillance. It is pricier than MAC but it is a really wonderful product that also smells lovely.

Still scared to wear bright lipstick? It's a matter of confidence. Practice in the mirror! Get accustomed to seeing colour on your lips and then rock those sexy lips. It's a sure way to get noticed and brighten up your face.