While summer was filled with hot pinks and vibrant corals, lips are moving onto the darker side this Fall 2012. Three lipstick trends are emerging this season: Dark Bordeaux, Classic Red, and Hot Orange.
Trend #1 - Dark Bordeaux: Wine stained lips are darker and more popular than ever. Designers are sticking with a bold lip theme, but in rich purple, plum, berry, and merlot shades. Just take a look at Christian Siriano's Fall 2012 Collection. As you can see, this trend has the most dramatic impact on light skin tones.
To capture this look, stick with matte variations. Matte variations have staying power and a great bold lip statement. For a softer variation of the trend, use plum shades that have a hint of brightness. Then top off the lipstick with a sheer, dark gloss.
Because a dark lip adds a lot of drama to the face, wear a minimalistic outfit based around solid colors. This creates balance and prevents you from looking too harsh. Dark Bordeaux lips are often paired with basic neutrals, or - for an edgier look - black. Keep in mind that the bold lip is, after all, the beauty statement of this trend and should not compete with the rest of your outfit.
Trend #2 - Classic Red: Classic red lips continue to be a traffic-stopping beauty trend. View the trend in Zac Posen's Fall 2012 Collection. Red lipsticks were seen on the runways in bountiful ways. Variations include warm and cool tones in both matte and shinier textures.
Red lipsticks are really run the gamut with tones and textures this fall. Enjoy the range and have fun experimenting. Although red lips can be very intimidating for many women, be ahead of the pack this fall and be sure to embrace this classic trend.
Red lips go great with a little black dress, but they can also be worn during the day in more natural variations, such as in sheer formulas and glossier textures.
Trend #3 - Hot Orange: Orange powerfully emerged on the spring runways and it has now carried over into the fall season. See the color burst in Christian Dior's Fall 2012 Collection. Orange lips add a brilliant pop of color to your face. Best of all, orange lipstick flatters all skin tones.
Wear orange lipstick with a more natural face. This allows the punch of orange to serve as the beauty focal point. If you're looking for a more artistic feel, you can add some color on the eyes, but be sure to keep in mind the vibrancy orange lips will bring to your face.
For the fall, I like wearing orange with light beige cream colors or contrasting orange lipstick with deep colored clothes. Cobalt blue and royal purple contrast beautifully with orange. It will be hard to not turn heads with those pairings!
Meli, a graduate of the Makeup Designory (MUD) in New York City, is a professional makeup artist. She finds inspiration in enhancing a woman's natural beauty and making her feel her most beautiful self from the inside out. Meli believes lipstick should be the centerpiece of a woman's face, and she hopes her site, http://www.lipsticklookbook.com/, becomes the centerpiece of your beauty inspiration.
