Makeup Pros' Secrets To Pulling Off Dark Lips

Lucy Hale in a custom-blended dark lip. Photo: Getty Images

At last night’s American Music Awards, a few stars dared to wear a dark lip—and it certainly made them stand out in the best possible way. Lucy Hale, for example, looked part punk, part young sophisticate in an oxblood-hued lipstick. (Her makeup artist, Kelsey Deenihan, mixed Mark Lipclick lipsticks in Whiney and Hot & Spicy for a custom color).

Olivia Munn in Lanvin, with makeup by Shane Paish. Photo: Getty Images

The look is very of-the-moment, says makeup artist Shane Paish, who created a deep berry lip for Olivia Munn. “It feels modern because of, one, the season—winter always will bring out darker tones in beauty,” he says. “But two, I think it’s a way for a woman to show strength and confidence.”

Inspired by a vintage Yves Saint Laurent campaign from the ’70s and this season’s Lanvin campaign, Paish aimed to pay homage to the designers while keeping Munn polished. First, he used a clear Dior lip liner to slightly overdraw the lips. “This holds the color,” he explains, adding that dark colors can make lips look smaller than they truly are. He then filled in Munn’s lips with Rouge Dior lipstick in Prune Daisy before leaving the center of the lip slightly lighter for the appearance of fullness.

Lorde wears a deep purple lip. Photo: Getty Images

Of course, you can always tiptoe into Goth territory as Lorde did; a nearly-black purple, like MAC lipstick in Heroine, lends a suitably rebellious look. Regardless of how you wear dark lips, it’s all about finding balance, says Paish. “You have to look at the total look from head to toe and place a dark lip like this as a piece of jewelry, an accessory,” he says. “A simple white or black dress, say, can be taken to another level to achieve a chic, pulled-together total look.” Good to remember as we head into the holiday party season.