How to Wear Bright Lipstick (Hint: It has nothing to do with the lipstick!)

When I attended the Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year pop-up shop last week, one of the makeup artists let me in on a genius little beauty tip. The key to wearing bright lipstick?

Blush.

She said if you just wear bright lipstick, your face gets kind of lost. The blush helps create definition, highlighting your bone structure and balancing out the bright. I know I’ve found this to be true. If I just swipe on a bright lip color, somehow my face doesn’t look right (too puffy; shapeless; wrong). I’ve now incorproated this trick and added a little blush, and voila, all is right with the world — and my face.

My favorite blushes for summer: Sephora + Pantone Apricot Brandy and NARS Orgasm.

Another tip, she said, is to put on that bright lipstick and walk around the house and look at yourself every time you pass a mirror. You just have to get used to seeing yourself in something different. I certainly know that to be true, whether it’s lipstick or fashion. You too?

Finally, if you have pale skin, like me, and you want to get in on the pretty bright orange lipstick that’s so popular right now  and one of the biggest beauty trends of spring and summer (Tangerine Tango is the Pantone color of the year; and don’t you love how all of the J.Crew models have those punchy lips?), she advises choosing a shade that has more pink in it. If your skin has more color, then you can pull off the straight orange flawlessly, but if you’re more of a Zooey Deschanel, stick to pinky oranges.

Have you indulged in the bright lip trend? Have any favorite hues?

Here are a few bright lipsticks I already have and love or want to try:

NARS: Barbarella; Roman Holiday; Schiap; Funny Face (best names ever)

Sephora + Pantone Universe: Color of the Year Lipgloss Set (I love a good set)

J.Crew: Poppy King (this is THE color!)

[Photos via Pinterest]