It’s SIGNATURE STYLE time again, when CINDY and KIM and I join forces to bring you our thoughts on a topic and this month it’s LIPSTICK 💄! I’m looking forward to learning a thing or two from them, so be sure to read their posts after mine and remember, if you’d like to comment at the end of this, simply press the title of this article now and it will then reopen with a commenting option 😉

If you google lipstick, there are millions of articles on best shades, best finishes, best applicators. And then there’s lip primers, lip liner creams as well as what shades “not to wear” and how “not to apply” to avoid ageing you more. Not to mention custom colour recommendations for your skin/eye/hair combination. It seems endless and if I believed them all, that’s what I’d end up with! Drawers full of worn once lipstick! And given I aim to wear out everything I own and lipsticks have a use by date of around 12 months, it doesn’t really make sense to have too many to me. So what I can share is my experience on how I keep it simple in a beauty world that is anything but! And since (when it comes to anything makeup related), I’m a no frills kinda gal, its easy for me 😂

Which for me, doesn’t mean i’ll slap on anything….anymore (I use to 😂) ! These days I’m paying a little more attention in “curating” what I do choose to wear on my lips, so it works back with my curated closet 😉. What I do know, having played in the past with the lip brush and finger lip to cheek application, is that those two aren’t for me. Way too messy and fussy! As is all the priming and prepping! So what I now choose in a lipstick is:

1. A traditional twist and pop on! The first lipstick application I ever tried was this, and it appears its this simplicity has had me under its spell ever since!
2. Warm and Muted Shades. Since I had my wardrobe colours done last year, I know I’m an Autumn with a low contrast level (between hair/skin/eye) so I suit warm muted colours. Which to me, translates to wearing warm or muted colours on my lips too!
3. Medium Shine. No vibrancy and no super gloss! My mouth is small and my lips aren’t big, so I choose my lipstick to blend and compliment with what I wear, not stand out ☺️
   

All of which resulted in my finding two lovely lipstick colours I wore over the Summer months (which when mixed together gives me a lovely third). And they are by a natural Australian brand called ”Nude by Nature”. Nude by Nature are both vegan and cruelty-free, their lipsticks (and all other products) are eco-conscious and free from toxins. Nude by Nature products are made with 100% natural ingredients and formulated without synthetic ingredients or preservatives often found in cosmetics such as Silicone, Siloxanes, Phthalates, Sulphate, PEGS, Triclosan, Phenoxyethanol or Parabens, and do not contain Carmine, Talc or Bismuth Oxychloride. All very important, since it’s no secret, we ingest a fair bit of it! They also happen to have a variety of types, are widely available and well priced. I use the following products:

The Moisture Lipstick is my favourite, because its so easy to apply, is non drying and feels really well…..moisturising! I wear 03 Dusty Rose and 05 Pale Coral. Occasionally (if I can be bothered 😂), I’ll first apply their matt lip pencil all over my lips for durability. I use the pencils Rose and Coral. The result being a satin finish..

And look at the rose gold case it comes in! Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s worn well, lasts and has never broken off mid way. And since I buy my lipstick on sale at the local discount chemist, it only costs me $14-21 AU depending on the discount at the time.

And this is what it looks like on my arm. With the combined colour, it does lean towards a pinky shade, but its because I popped the rose on top. If I added the coral last, it would appear more orange.

And this is what they look like on me:

And I’m very happy with them! But what I wanted to introduce is a warm brown, similar to the one I create by mixing the two above, but without that hassle 😂…… and especially for the cooler months. During this time I move to a foundation (as opposed to a BB cream), often add a little more makeup to bring colour to my face, and sometimes even wear darker shades of clothes. And lots of leopard! So addding something slightly browner on my lips makes sense. And while none of the other colours in the Nude by Nature range appeal to me, what did was the brand bare Minerals. It’s available worldwide, reasonably priced at $30AU and also from my local Mecca Store. And knowing I like a moisturising, slight shine, I bought the colour Presence in the Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing range. It has all the vegan attributes of NBN, so again, safe to ingest.

And here it is on me:

Warm and muted, but different enough for me! I told you I like to keep it simple 😉 So that’s it! All 3 lipsticks can be worn by themselves, or mixed with each other should I wish. And they all work back with my carefully curated wardrobe! And in reality, they can actually all be worn across the seasons too.

And chances are you will already have preferences in colours or brands, which I think is great! What’s important is that what YOU choose to wear is what you like on you, works back with your wardrobe choices and together it makes you feel good! That way, your lipstick becomes an accessory in your own SIGNATURE STYLE.

But one colour eludes me…. the right red 🤔… I wonder if Cindy or Kim will share a shade I may like .. lets read on…

CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN

NORTHERN CAL STYLE

Sarah xx