Here's How To Wear Blue Lipstick
Now that the bivalent COVID-19 booster has become available, health officials are finding that vaccines beat masks when it comes to protecting yourself from getting infected and dealing with serious symptoms (per Healthline). This is good news for lipstick lovers, as it means you can pull out all your favorite bold lip colors that were previously collecting dust.
If you've been looking to add to your collection, now is the time to stock up on all the fun colors you've ever dreamed of wearing. According to Local Talk News, that's because bold lipstick colors are coming back with a vengeance.
Wearing bold-colored lipstick can help give you a boost of confidence and can be worn for various occasions. If you're attending a modern art exhibit, this look can help tie your makeup to that golden brocade dress. On the other hand, if you're meeting up with your best friend for some coffee, bold lipstick can easily perk up your skin tint and mascara for a casually cute style.
When people think of bold lipstick shades they may initially gravitate toward dark burgundy tones or deep plums. However, there's one color that everyone is sleeping on, and it can completely turn your look from lovely to legendary — blue lipstick. Per Maybelline, wearing blue will give everyone the impression that you're one bad girl that has no time for games. If that sounds like you, keep reading.
Blue lipstick can look good on anyone
For those who aren't completely sure about blue lips, look no further than Rihanna for inspiration (per Refinery 29). Known for rocking various blue colors to awards ceremonies and launch events, Rihanna's blue lip looks are living proof that any hue of blue can work with the right tips and tricks. And if you need further convincing to try blue lipstick, the blue tones can help neutralize sallow skin and counteract yellow teeth — giving you that highly-coveted white Colgate smile.
Referencing the color wheel when deciding which shade of blue you want to try is key to getting the perfect pop of color for your skin tone. For example, cool-tone blue-violet shades can complement skin tones with undertones of peach or yellow, while a warmer teal would contrast beautifully against a pink undertone. When in doubt, a grunge-toned navy works on every skin tone. To get that "blurple" (blue-violet) shade, Beyonce's makeup artist, Sir John, recommends using a cabernet-colored lip liner to line and lightly shade in the corners of your lips (via Cosmopolitan). Then he suggests going in with cobalt blue lipstick.
If you want to play up the glam of a bold blue, then Inglot Cosmetics makeup artist Kaye Tuckerman recommends topping the blue lipstick with an iridescent glaze. Tuckerman told Refinery 29, "Highlighting the blue with coral pink hues or holographic gloss really makes the blue pop for a fun party look."
Blue lipstick can complement lighter skin tones
L'Oreal Paris recommends a low-key look for lighter-skinned people, which allows your blue lips to do the talking. Start by applying a fine line of liquid eyeliner on the top eyelids' lash lines. Finish the look by applying plenty of bronzer to balance out the coolness of the lipstick color and put on a volumizing mascara.
Sir John, who is Beyonce's makeup artist, told Cosmopolitan a darker navy lipstick can look stunning on lighter skin if you counterbalance the cool-tone lips with a warm-tone bronzer and peachy-pink blush. "This will give your face a flushed look, and the healthier your skin appears, the better the blue lipstick will look—that goes for any complexion but especially fair," Sir John said.
But if you're still trying to dip your toes into this trend, Sir John suggested to Cosmopolitan, "If you have fair to light skin, opt for it in a gloss form with an opalescent, prismatic blue or lavender finish that will let you in on the trend and leave you with an ethereal look." For medium skin tones, L'Oreal suggests pairing a blue lip with a swipe of bronze shimmer eyeshadow to brighten up the face. Teal, royal blue, cyan, and blue-purple are all shades Cosmopolitan recommends for those with a medium skin tone. Sir John suggests wearing a lip balm with a rosy tint as a primer to counteract the blue lipstick — perking up the skin and avoiding an ashy look.
Blue lipsticks sparkle on darker skin tones
If you have melanated skin, then blue lipstick can look effortlessly beautiful. For those with an olive tone, L'Oreal recommends using lighter nude eyeshadow shades and a rosy blush to complement the blue lips. To add extra finesse to the look, use eyeliner to draw on a subtle wing.
People with warm undertones luckily don't have to worry too much about blue lipstick taking the life out of their skin. Since you naturally have the warmth in your skin that will balance the frostbitten look a blue lipstick can give, all you need is a volumizing mascara to get out the door. In fact, you may even be able to pull off a lighter blue shade. Beauty influencer Glamzilla, who has a medium, warm skin tone, even managed to rock a bold periwinkle liquid lipstick on a first impression YouTube short video.
Blue lipstick especially pops against dark-to-deep skin tones, and according to Cosmopolitan, any shade of blue will easily flatter your natural beauty. Michael Anthony, who is Katy Perry's makeup artist, especially recommends darker colors like denim, navy blue, and dark blue-green.
Monochromatic blue looks will shine for a night out
If you're bold and beautiful, then you might just be able to pull off a stunning monochromatic blue look. A sapphire blue lipstick with matching shimmer eyeshadow is a style that is flattering across all skin tones. Josie K., a beauty influencer with light-medium skin, tried a smoky sapphire eye with matching liquid lipstick and finished off the look with thin, black-winged eyeliner.
The secret to making the blue pigment pop is to use an eyeshadow and lip primer. Josie also added black eyeshadow to the outer edge, which brought out dimension to the look. It was then completed with a silver-toned highlighter.
For an ultra-glamorous style that's perfect for the club, you can try going sparkly like Domonique Robinson and quickly become the star of any room. Robinson, who has a golden-tan skin tone, wore a cobalt blue eyeshadow with a mauve crease and dark brown in the outer corners. To finish the look, she applied a dramatic black wing, silver glitter layered on the blue eyeshadow, false lashes, and royal blue liquid lipstick.
If you desire an on-trend look that is straight off the "Euphoria" set, then Nikki Tutorials has just the thing. She managed to paint her brows navy blue, apply royal blue graphic liner, and put on dark blue liquid lipstick. To complete the look, she added blue gems near the eyes, put on blue fake lashes, and used a blue-toned highlighter.
Keep eye makeup simple so blue lips stand out
On the other hand, if you're new to bolder lip colors, it may be a good idea to dip your toes in rather than dive head first into a blue lip look. L'Oreal Paris recommends a minimal "no-makeup" makeup look that features base makeup, barely-there eyeliner, and mascara. Allure suggests taking a page out of Lupita Nyong'o's iconic look from 2016 which consisted of layering on a molten blue eyeshadow over matte ink-blue lips, and topping the lip look with a clear gloss. Nyong'o's makeup artist, Nick Barose told Allure, "Adding some shine and iridescence to a bold lip makes it more forgiving and skinlike."
Makeup artist Delina Medhin also had an eye makeup hack that not only complements every shade of blue lipstick but also works with just about every other color out there — from "Malibu Pink" to "Medusa Green."
Medhin wore a matte nude eye look that featured a lighter shade on her lid, and a darker brown in the crease and outer corners. She completed the look with a black winged eyeliner. With this look, she was able to wear 12 different lip colors, including two shades of blue. Buzzfeed readers voted on their favorite shade out of the various lipsticks and midnight blue came in fourth place, right behind the nude shade. This goes to show that you can easily rock that blue lipstick, like the rockstar that you are.
Avoid a fashion faux pas when wearing blue lipstick
When wearing an unconventional lipstick color, it's ultimately important to own it and wear it confidently and shamelessly. However, it's easier to be unabashed about the color if you make it wearable by avoiding common mistakes. After all, you're probably not going for the infamous "Ichiban Lipstick for men" look that Joey promoted on "Friends."
For starters, Cosmopolitan highly recommends wearing foundation to create a flawless canvas, as blue lipstick can otherwise highlight discoloration or redness. L'Oreal Paris also recommends using a lip scrub to get rid of dead skin. Dry, cracked lips will especially be noticeable with blue lipstick. To create a smooth base for an even application, it also helps to use a lip primer.
Most importantly, don't shy away from a saturated, pigmented shade when opting for blue lipstick (per Refinery 29). Going sheer or gray-toned can veer into Ichiban Lipstick territory, which can make you look sickly. To avoid this, using a lip liner is an absolute must. That's because when blue lipsticks wear down as you go about your day, this can look very obvious against your natural lip color (via WikiHow). The lipstick should look like an editorial statement, rather than a stain from a blue raspberry popsicle. Try using a clear lip liner or up the saturation with a matching blue lip liner, and touch-up throughout the day as necessary. Just remember to have fun and paint the town blue!