Dark lips are having a bit of a moment we are seeing them on the red carpet, in editorial shoots & at the shows. They are a smoking hot trend & like them or loathe them they are here & will be around till A/W12 fo shizzle. Yes I did just write fo shizzle, it is strangely satisfying. Here is a Vogue shoot that I did with Hans Feurer, styled by Sebastian Kaufmann, hair by Angelo Seminara & the model is Elise Crombez as you can see she has a perfect dark pout & not much else but she is a Belgian Supermodel & can get away with it. For anyone keen to try this out I suggest a light base. Skin should look as perfect & as productless as possible to keep it modern & fresh. Try to slightly define features with groomed brows, curled lashes, a touch of mascara & maybe a tiny bit of bronzer or blush so we don’t go too Goth with it. So as this is a lipstick trend post here are products (new & old) that I always have in my kit, use on models, celebs & real people! I like all textures from matte to sheer & glossy. For matte and with a 90’s feel I love MAC lipstick in Sin & Cyber & MAC lippencil in nightmoth, currant or even burgandy Tom Ford lipstick in Black Orchid, for a more affordable lip treat try Barry M lip paint in Chestnut Red which has a decent touch of red so isn’t too overwhelming & suits all skin tones. I also wanted to tell you about my obsession with sheer lipcolours which are so minimal, light, make you feel 16 & a are a nice way to introduce a hint of colour. I adore Laura Mercier Gel Lipcolour in Sweet Cherry. I took a Clinique Chubby Stick in Richer Raisin with me to a music festival recently. The lipstick is great as it is a sheer lipstick in pencil form that winds up, the colour is sheer, glossy and makes me feel like my teen idol Angela Chase in My So Called Life. Anyone that may question the fact that chubby is in the title of a lipstick, seeing most women really don’t like that word no matter how ironically used, should read Naomi Wolf’s classic & very much relevant The Beauty Myth Later we can discuss fat eyelashes and plumping mascara. See? I want beauty products for men in marketing that use the words: bald & paunch, in an ironic way naturally. See what a dark lip discussion does to me?! I think a dark lip takes me to the dark side & I hope to see you there.