How to wear dark lipstick and still look chic and sophisticated

I always wanted to try a very dark almost black lipstick and have been always afraid that it will look ugly, strange or just unflattering. I have some very deep dark burgundy matte liquid lipsticks that look almost black when they dry, I really love them and they can really look amazing on some people.

So, happy to say that I think I finally managed to pull of a dark lipstick, what do you think?

Like with any other lipstick you just need to find the one that suits your skin tone.
Prepping your lips is very, very important if you want to wear such a bold and dark color and it will make a massive difference in how the end result will look. For a perfect finish you should definitely exfoliate your lips first to get rid of all the dry skin and ensure a smooth application. Apply a nourishing lip balm and buff a bit of foundation on your lips, that will allow the pigment of your lipstick to stay true to the shade. Next comes a lip liner to add definition and keep the lipstick from feathering. And the final step: apply lipstick, preferably with a brush for extra precision.

Darker lipstick can make lips look smaller, with this in mind you can top your lips with a gloss. I went for 3D shimmer lip gloss with golden particles but you can simply add clear lip gloss. If your lips are really full you should keep them matte. Dark lips can look beautiful on people with fair skin due to the strong light contrast between their skin and the lip colour. I have light to medium skin so I went for a berry wine tone. Darker complexions can go for bolder and deeper colours, meanwhile tanned, olive complexions can opt for brown based shades with a golden undertone.

To bring this dramatic dark lip look together start with your lip first, followed by blush and leave the eyes until the end; you will not need to do much for your eyes as this is a look focused on your lip. The darker your lip the less colour will be on the rest of your face as very deep, dramatic and dark lipstick can visually drain your skin of colour. In this case go for a flush of colour on your cheeks, preferably with a bit of shimmer to add luminosity and glow. A perfect winter trend, a dark statement lip can be chic, romantic even and quite sophisticated not just difficult and strange to wear.

Lip products used for this look:

Catrice longlasting lip pencil in 140 Sweet Auberginia
Sleek matte me ultra smooth matte lip cream in Vino Tinto
Pixi + Chloe Morello lip icing in Cake