Over the last couple of years, matte lipsticks have become all the rage. While I personally prefer a bright pop of color to a swatch of nude (my heart belongs to NYX’s “Fig” and pretty much everything of the hot pink variety), I have found a neutral pink color combo that I think looks really great.

I’d like to first state that by no means am I a professional makeup artist. Makeup is a hobby of mine, not a career. So if you dislike the way that I do something, note that I am not an expert.

Before I begin this lip look, I start by applying a good moisturizer at least ten minutes beforehand. Since matte lipsticks are often drying, this is a step that I always take. The last thing anybody wants is to spend a chunk of time perfecting a look only to have it immediately become crusty. Talk about irritating.

Lately I’ve been using a coral lip balm from Sephora. It’s been lying at the bottom of my makeup bag for a while now, so I highly doubt it’s still available. However, it’s nothing more than your standard lip balm. Anything that you have will do.

After I’ve moisturized my lips, I line them with Nar’s “Rikugien,” which is one of their satin lip pencils. If you’re a Sephora rewards member, then chances are this product sounds familiar. That’s because it was the birthday gift in 2015. It’s on the expensive end, but I think it’s worth the splurge. A good lip pencil is a fantastic investment because it’s very versatile. You can use it on its own, or to amplify the intensity of a similarly colored lipstick. “Rikugien” is great pencil with a long-lasting finish. Its texture is silky and the product glides on with ease.

When I outline my lips, I tend to move in and cover the entire lip in a layer of the color. I feel like this creates a nice base for when I apply the lipstick. I don’t know if that’s accurate (as I said, I’m not a professional), but it seems to make for a nice color.

Next, I take and add my matte lipstick. The one that I’m currently loving is “Backtalk” from Urban Decay’s Vice collection. When I was at Ulta a couple of weeks ago, I received a booklet of twenty-four sample from this collection. I’ve tried out a lot of them, and this is certainly one of my favorites. The formula is smooth and creamy. Plus, the product is incredibly blendable. I apply this lipstick over top of the lip pencil to finish off the look.

It’s dawning on me that the lighting in these photos makes my lips appear slightly discolored. I would have retook them, but I already removed my lipstick. I included the swatches to show that isn’t the case. The colors are quite similar.

Let me know if you would like to see more swatches from the Urban Decay Vice Collection. As I said, I have quite a few of them and I would be happy to share.

 

What’s your favorite lip combo?

Sincerely,

Paige

 

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