Dale Dorning breaks down the lipstick shades and why certain colours look better on you than others!
Ever wondered why a red lipstick just doesn’t suit you but looks fabulous on other women? Or why you are drawn to soft, nude lipstick/gloss hues? Dale is here to help!
Pink Shades:
Pink impact shades are great for most skin tones. Avoid frosty pinks as these can tend to make teeth look yellow.
Orange Shades:
Orange shades are perfect for those with golden olive skin tones, as they have the beautiful warmth naturally occurring in their skin tone.
Warm orange-red shades suit women with paler complexions and lighter hair tones (blones/strawberry blondes) – Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Drew Barrymore.
Blue-Red Shades
Blue-Reds are truly universal, they work on everyone. There is a red for all.
Pro Tip: A blue-based, matte red lipstick will ALWAYS WORK to help disguise yellow teeth! Tinted red glosses also help if you don’t want a power mouth!
Pink-Red Shades
Pinky-Red colours suit fair skin, just ensure when wearing pinks your skin is even in colour, or the pinks will make your skin look more pink than it is.
Cool Berry Reds
Women of colour look great in Berry Reds. Think Halle Berry, Jess Mauboy, Rosario Dawson, Naomi Campbell, and Lucy Lui. Cool berry red colours on darker skin tones look very natural.
Achieving the Perfect Pout
PRO Tip #1 – Which colour?
When in doubt, go for a lipstick colour that your natural lip ‘throws’ i.e. Beige-pink, brown-pink or nude. Applying a gloss over any lipstick will definitely and always change your look.
PRO Tip #2 – Longer lasting lip colour
For longer-lasting lipstick, apply with lip brush, blot with a single ply tissue, dust with loose face powder, reapply colour and blot again.
Pro Tip #3 – Soften your colour
If you’re unhappy with your chosen lip colour and it is too dense, apply a small amount of concealer to the centre of your lips, and gently blend out to soften the colour on lips. This trick gives lips a 3-dimensional look compared to a flat, opaque look.
Pro Tip #4 – Brushing up
Use a specially designed lip brush, for control and precision, especially when applying ‘impact’ colours like reds, etc.
PRO Tip #5 – Fuller Lips
Apply foundation that is lighter than the area all over the lips & slightly above & below the lip line. Use a nude lip pencil and follow the natural shape of your lip, then plump up the corners only as it will still look natural. Use light feathery round motions on the outer corners of the top lip. Finish with a High shine gloss centre of the mouth.
PRO Tip #6 – Lining your Lips
- Always use a nude liner, so as the top colour wears off your lip, you are left with a nudish lip, rather than ‘colour’ outlining your mouth.
- Always apply lipstick with a brush to give more control and accuracy. The brush will also help to ‘push’ & stain the lip.
- Blot between applications (2-3 applications ensures longevity). In between applications, press /rub lips together as this helps settle the colour & also gives symmetry to the lip.
- Finish by feathering (light circular motions) nude lip liner to corners of mouth & cupids bow.
ABOUT DALE
International celebrity hair & makeup artist
A multi-faceted professional with talents ranging from hairdresser, hair stylist, educator and makeup artist, Dale Dorning has earned the mantle as one of Australia’s most prolific international celebrity hair and makeup artists, and can now add online entrepreneur to his accomplishments.
To date Dale’s roster of clients has included: Supermodels Miranda Kerr, Robyn Lawley & Jessica Hart. Oscar winner Jared Leto,Taylor Schilling, Mel B, Megan Gale, Delta Goodrem, James Blunt, Orlando Bloom, Rosario Dawson, Teresa Palmer, Xavier Samuel, Jennifer Hawkins, Sam Frost, Ricki-Lee, Kate Miller-Heidke, Samantha Jade, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Jessica Mauboy and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.
Dale’s work has featured on covers and in editorials for WHO Weekly’s ‘Most Beautiful’, Cosmopolitan, CLEO, DELUXE, INSTYLE, Culture, Prestige, VEGAS and Madison, on red carpets in LA to NYC, as well as locally for ARIAS, MTV & the AFI Awards. Various advertising campaigns, press junkets, music videos, and concert tours round out Dale’s roll call!
