Dark shades step out of the shadows

Christina Crawford

Reporter

Dark lipstick shades, the coveted cult item for gothic fashionistas and vampire fanatics, has now transcended to a predominant makeup fashion of 2014.

The deep brick red of the “oxblood” lipstick shade reemerges as a romantic, mature look to add edge to a fresh face.

In the past, this shade has been seen as dark and melancholy: the feminine alternative to black.

Where before this color has usually been paired with dark smoky eye makeup, the emphasis today is on showcasing the shade to stand out boldly on a neutral makeup palette. To get this look, moisturize face after cleansing.

Apply a foundation or tinted moisturizer to the full face, and highlight cheekbones with a neutral toned blush or bronzer. Avoid a shimmery blush and bronzer as they will detract from the natural skin look.

The secondary feature to this look are strong brows that can balance out the impact of the lip color. Groom, line and fill in brows. If desired, add a brow gel or clear mascara to set brows.

Add a subtle hint of shadow to accentuate eyes and a clean line of liquid eyeliner to upper lids. Finish eyes with two coats of mascara.

The final step: bold lips! This can be done most simply with a long-wearing lipstick. The benefit of a long-lasting lip color with deep red pigments is that it likely won’t need to start with a lip liner.

Carefully and precisely trace the outer line of the lips, and then fill in the lips with color. If desired, the lower lip can blend into a brighter red color closer to the inside of the lip. If adding shine, touch a clear gloss onto the fullest parts of the bottom lip only.

Et voila! This look is now ready for a Robin Thicke music video

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