I’m not sure when it started. After all, I’ve spent my entire life buying up countless cosmetics to mimic the “natural look”. Over 30 different blushes, all a very neutral pinkish-brown, as well as tinted lipglosses and lipsticks that blended into the colour of my lips and neutral beige eyeshadow with just a hint of sparkle.
Anything more than that and I feared I might start to be known as the local drag queen. Convinced that I looked like a two dollar hooker in red lipstick, I was stuck in a vicious cycle of buying the same neutral coloured lipstick/blush/eyeshadows over and over again. But now I’m a convert. I can’t live without vibrant blushes and bright lipsticks. I just don’t feel comfortable if it can’t double as clown makeup. Multipurpose items are so fashionable these days
The blush revelation came first. I was loitering at the MAC Cosmetics counter looking for yet another neutral pink blush I could hoard. I’m unsure as to why I had this annoying and expensive habit of acquiring so many of the same colour in different variations. This one had a touch of peach don’t you know? In all those years not one of those neutral pink blushes ever hatched into a baby chick so it was all futile. My minimalist sister thought I was nuts.
I was sold as soon as the makeup artist brushed MAC Fleur Power blush onto my cheeks. A frightening coral colour in the pan, I was sure it wouldn’t work on me. But the bright coral made me look more awake and somehow fresher. Not like how a bag of spinach seems fresh but just somehow I just looked and felt brighter.. Of course the key to this is finding the right shade of bold blush for your complexion and colouring. Dabbing on half a bottle of BeneFit’s bright red liquid blush BeneTint just won’t do. A little experimentation at cosmetic counters like MAC, Giorgio Armani, Bobbi Brown, Stila , Shu Uemura and NARS will ensure that you leave with a new gorgeous shade of vibrant blush and not something that will make you look like a victim of early menopausal heat flashes. Believe me, there is a fine line.
Some other delightfully bright blushes include NARS Mata Hari (bright matte petal pink), Stila Convertible Cream blushes in Petunia (bright pink) and Gerbera (bright peach) and MAC Blushcreme in Posey (medium hot pink cream blush). It’s the easiest way to beat a lacklustre winter complexion or to liven up your natural summer glow. Just a pop of colour on the cheeks will do. A good tip is to match the colour to the natural flush you get after some vigorous exercise.
For me, the love of bright lipstick came a bit later. One of my former fashion editors used to wear the most amazing red lipstick every single day. She even applied it sans mirror in a cab. I was amazed! I’ve always loved the look of bright lipstick - it was a statement look, invoked a sense of glamour and just looked beautiful. After helping out backstage at a friend’s charity fashion show, I was sold after seeing the models decked out with big hair, black satin headbands and the brightest pink lipstick I’ve ever seen. After the makeup artist told us it was MAC Girl About Town, my friend and I both rushed out to purchase it. Mine sat pristinely in my cosmetic bag for a good six months before I got the nerve to wear it out in public. I was amazed again at how it brightened up my complexion and just made me a feel a bit perkier.
Shortly after I made a visit to the Giorgio Armani counter and bought my first red lipstick and I have yet to be solicited by strange men on the street. Try it and you’ll see - I command you to release the inner harlot! Once you get accustomed to seeing yourself wearing bright lipstick, I have a feeling you’ll find it hard to break the habit. Now I feel a bit naked without a bright pop of colour either on my cheeks or my lips. I still wear my trusty sheer pinks and neutrals but I’ve finally learned that wearing a pop of bold colour on my face doesn’t mean I’m off to audition for the circus.
Image via Vidrio's Flickr