My experience wearing Lime Crime lipstick in Styletto.
“Hi, I’m a pile of black lipstick. If you look from far away, I look like Darth Vader!”
Talking to Christine of Temptalia earlier, we were both very excited about the return of black lipstick in fashion. “I haven’t seen anyone do a bold lip in a while,” she said, “but black can be intimidating.” Intimidating – that’s it. When I think black, I think couture, the Roaring 20s, avant-garde. Dark lipstick is a powerful statement that shows that its wearer is comfortable with cosmetics, herself and the surroundings. She is probably no stranger to attention and turning heads, but that’s not why she does it.
Gwen Stefani wears hers matte.
There are a few tricks to pulling off black and making it work for you:
- 1. Eyeliner
Black is the queen of all lipsticks who will not stand for competition. Keep the rest of your makeup – like eyeshadow & blush – understated. The only exception to this rule is eyeliner – it creates a balance between the eyes and the mouth. Stick with liquid or gel eyeliner for maximum darkness and apply thickly in a cat-eye fashion – the more dramatic, the better!
- 2. Subtler brow
Keep things modern by opting for softer eyebrows – light or medium browns work best. If you have naturally dark eyebrows, simply style them with clear gel without filling in. If you’re feeling really daring, have them bleached professionally a shade or two lighter.
- 3. Lipliner
When wearing black lipstick, lip liner is a must. Draw a thin line along the edge of your lips and fill in lightly. For full-on, luscious color, apply black lipstick directly from the tube, avoiding going over the liner. Blot and re-apply.
Gloss or matte? Black looks amazing in both matte and glossy finishes, so it’s up to you. I glossed mine up for further boldness. If you do decide to go the shiny route, be sure to pat – not smear – gloss on top of your lips with a finger. Over-blending will diminish its staying power.
- 4. Maintenance
Yes, the Queen of all lipsticks is one demanding lady! Check up periodically to make sure your lips are in top-notch shape. Personally, I find touch-ups very glamorous and carry a pocket mirror in my purse just in case I need to reapply my lippy. :)
My personal experience with black lipstick was transformational, and one I wouldn’t mind to repeat. I debuted Styletto at a Goth wedding – possibly the toughest audience as these folks are connoisseurs of all things dark. I was sort of expecting to see many black-lipped beauties in attendance so it came as a complete surprise that I was the only one! All of a sudden, I felt very daring – like I was the most confident woman in the room – and couldn’t stop smiling. I got many complements throughout the night, from men and women – Voltaire said the lipstick “looked so good he wanted to eat it” (Can you picture a gothic man biting into a lipstick? The best visual, ever! :D).
So there you have it – black can be very do-able for special occasions, all it takes is some confidence and a little bit of nerve. What you get in return is a stand-out shade and at the very least a conversation-starter. Plus, it made my teeth look whiter – always a reason to smile!
Deerlings: Do you have questions about wearing black lipstick? Want to share your experience? Now that we have a new comment system, we can have a real discussion!
thanks for the tip about dabbing the gloss on, doe! <3
one question though: any ideas as to how us asian girlies can rock this? whenever i darken my lips [which isnt often at all!] it throws my entire face off balance and i can't find a way to make my eyes appear again, haha!
any alternatives to the cat eye/winged liner? it doesnt make much of a difference to my face.
xox
Miche Lee Reply:
January 16, 2010 at 1:52 am
My roommate is Korean, and she says the same thing.
She suggests bright colors (if your eyes are brown, purple or lime green go really well.) Or if you want something chic a shimmery black along the outside corner of your crease.
Fake eyelashes are awesome too!
Miss Kitty Reply:
January 17, 2010 at 11:53 am
ah, tell her thanks! :D will have to try the nright eye, dark lip out soon. :]
Miss Kitty Reply:
January 17, 2010 at 11:54 am
i mean bright, lol! nright isn’t a word :/
Black lipstick looks amazingly beautiful on you. I still don’t think black or really dark lip colors suit everyone’s coloring and bone structure, but that was really good advice.
I would also add that really nice-looking skin is necessary when wearing any bold lip color, otherwise flaws you never knew existed are accentuated. It’s really the time to bother with careful foundation (or primer, powder etc.) application.
What color lipliner did you use?
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 9:02 am
I agree – foundation & concealer cannot be skipped here! I didn’t have a black lip liner so I used regular eyeliner. :) Should I make lip liners to match all my shades?!
i. Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 9:11 am
You know what would be really cool? If you made eye/lip liners i.e. dual-use pencils that could be worn safely on both the eyes and lips (because some pigments are not eye safe and vice versa). It would be a real challenge to get the ingredients and texture compatible for both eyes and lips, but it would be perfect for the Limecrime mantra. You encourage wearing “eye” colors like blue on the lips and “lip” colors like red and hot pink on the eyes.
Oh, and maybe I’m getting too far ahead here, but since it’s not hygienic to use the same pencil tip on both eyes and lips, perhaps the pencil could be sharpened both ways:)
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 9:19 am
A two-way pencil sounds like a pretty good idea actually.
Victoria Suzanne Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I wondering this myself – how to use the lipsticks without a matching liner. I’d love to be able to buy the perfect lipstick and compliment it with the matching liner to create Clara Bows, Fafi lips, the works!
wow! i love that! makes me want to try black lipstick!! Me and my friend usually have a “goth” week! i think ill try it out then!
The black lipstick makes your features look so delicate! I am so happy that you created these lippies. I am no stranger to red lips but I have yet to try black and have always been curious about it; seeing how sophisticated it can look makes me confident.
My mum has always told me dark lipstick suits me and I’ve always had a bit of a thing or black lipstick. This post has convinced me to give black lippy a go! I’m glad there’s finally a decent one out there – I’ve only ever seen the cheap, nasty stuff they sell for dress up’s or in goth shops. Now to see i I can justify it this week ;)
Petite Brunette Reply:
October 20, 2009 at 9:50 am
I sooo agree with Cara. I’ve always loved black lipstick, I think it can work great if you wear it with caution! :)
But the problem’s been always to actually find a quality lipstick so you don’t look like a little girl in her witch costume.
Now I need Styletto so bad!!
I adore all things punk and gothic, but I’m of mixed race so my skin has deep olive and gold undertones.
I’m wondering if that amazing black would look good on me?
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 10:28 am
One of the advantages of black is that it looks good on any skin tone. It’s a dramatic color!
Shayne Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I don’t think this 100% true all the time. I don’t think it looks as great on certian olive complexions. Every color doesn’t look good on everybody. I know for me orange based reds look horrid on my skin (same goes with orange based red hair dye) but blue based ones look great. Just like every color of clothing doesn’t work on every skin tone either. If I try to wear a mustard yellow color I look sickly. It’s not flattering at all. The best thing is just try and see but don’t be dissapointed if it doesn’t look great because there are so many other that do work.
Seth Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Well. Considering that it’s black and not yellow, I’m going to go ahead and take Doe’s advice.
I did some thinking and since my undertones aren’t red or yellow like most Caucasians have to deal with, I’m pretty sure that the black will just look nice and bold; a contrast, not a complement, to my tanned olive.
it looks so cool on you, but on my lips black looks horrible:p haha! Im sticking with bright red;)
That make-up looks great! The shiny black colour is amazing.
Though, even on my gothiest of day, I doubt I’d dare to wear black lipstick! I’m surprised there weren’t any other black-lipped beauties at the wedding though.
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 10:29 am
I know! It’s like the goths have abandoned black in favor of ox-blood red and didn’t bother to tell me, haha!
Suzanne C. Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Oh I want blood red lips soo bad! Where do they get it? Its probably online. =/ I don’t like buying make-up from random sites. Limecrime is pretty much all I do that with, I like to see and hold thing before a purchase.
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Shhhh… There may or may not be a darker red in the expansion…
Cacau Reply:
October 9, 2009 at 6:35 am
Oh no! If it’s true, I’ll have to save up again XDDD
crueeeel! Always making stuff I want! ^^’
Euphoria Reply:
October 10, 2009 at 8:55 pm
As a gothie myself, I spend equal times wearing black, dark bronze, ox blood, metallic dark grey, and eggplant. I always think it’s nice when they’re in fashion but don’t really mind if they aren’t.
I have dark brown hair and brown eyes so the dark bronze really compliments my features that can sometimes be lost under layers of teal eyeshadow and black liner.
again, its too bad I cant wear lipstick without risking a bad reaction .. 8( I dont know if I would have dare, because Im so used to my lips being naked, but I would have love to start with one of your lighter shade.. ah well ^.^
I thought of you when I saw these Unicorns pillow case http://www.tokidoki.it/shop/home/unicorno-pillow-case-set.html ^.^
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 10:30 am
omg, these are adorable!
lucy Reply:
January 18, 2010 at 11:04 pm
haha i have those pillow cases.
I love that black lipstick on you! I will definitely have to try black one day, I’m getting back into darker lipsticks..recently I wore a very dark burgundy and I loved it!
Oh, yum. I love this look on you, and I can’t wait to try out something similar. :D
On using eyeliners as lipliners, are there any ingredients in eyeliners we should watch out for that might be unsafe for lipwear? I tried using my glittery-black eyeliner pencil as a lipliner once and was worried by the absolutely nasty taste. (It looked amazing under a gold-tinted gloss, though!)
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 11:50 am
Eyeliner is generally safe for lips (just be sure to use pencil sharpener to remove any bacteria before use) but NOT vice versa. Fewer ingredients, such as colorants and preservatives, are approved for eye use compared to lip stuff.
Suzanne C. Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I also dab it in a cotton ball soaked in peroxide (alcohol would work too I’m sure) before sharpening so as to keep the sharpener clean.
I cant wait to get your black lipstick. I did put a black liner with dark purple lipstick and I got alot of compliments with that. But cant wait to try on your black lipstick.
I am definitely investing in a tube of Styletto as soon as I can! Do you have any recommendations on good lip liners to wear under it?
For a costume I’m wearing, I want to use Styletto with your Banshee Glitter. My idea though is to have the Banshee Glitter on my eyes (just the lids) and have the Styletto on my lips with a bit of Enchant dusted on top. I’m wondering if I should wing out my liquid eye liner for a cat eye effect, or not do the glitter at all.
Other than that, I’m on pins and needles for my Styletto and Beautiful Rocket! ^_^
in high school, my friends and I would put on black lippy and kiss each other’s cheeks :)
beautiful ! I don’t understand the make-up tutoral :’(
I can’t wait to try this look. I need a creamier black eyeliner though. And Doe I’d definatley be interested in 2 sided lip/eyeliners that match the lipsticks. Oh and I was hoping you’d say what eyeshadow you wore?
And the lipgloss the dabbing thing is so right. I used to have trouble finding the colours i wanted in lipstick so I’d put eyeshadow over carmex or pale pink lipstic and then roll on clear lipgloss. Now my roll on gloss is full of the eyeshadow and no longer clear at all. Good thing it’s pretty.
I love the eye in this! I struggle sometimes to get a good balance with the sheer face/muted blush and dark lip. What do you recommend for the rest of the eye, beyond the eyeliner??
I’d love to see some Lime Crime blush!
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I just used a little bit of beige eyeshadow with Nymph Magic Dust on top.
Lime Crime Blushes? I’d love to see those as well one day!
Wow I never thought black lips could look so good! I am really excited to try this look. What did you use as lip liner?
Oh never mind I see that this question was already answered earlier!
i’ve been on-and off wearing black lipstick for years. i love the look, but hated the waxy texture, feathering, and terrible taste of most of the brands i found. in lieu black lipstick, i often use black eyeshadow atop a coat of lip balm. it lasts all day, and is surprisingly colorfast.
im so happy black lips are back! i just got the mac matten one, but its real drying! but the color pay off is great! i was goth for many many years, so im a big fan of the black lips! and i dont think there should be so many rules for wearing it! i dont wear foundation, powder or anything like that and i think it looks fine to me! so put on that black lipstick and smile big! or not! hehehehe!
Yeah, too bad it looks bad on a Latina’s medium-toned complexion. It makes us look old.
Great tips!
As a former goth I used to wear VERY dramatic make up but I was never a fan of black lipstick. It never looked good on me. Made me look sickly because I am natually really really pale. I always went the Chanel Vamp blackberry lip look instead. Still very dark but not quite black. I wore vamp religioulsy for many years. It was my staple. I still love that lipstick but I don’t wear it as often anymore since I have gotten a bit lazy with make up the last few years. Partly because I am allergic to a lot of it.
This is EXACTLY how i wear black lipstick. Id been after a good black lipstick for ages and as much as id love to buy from your collection, i have found a British company that im proud to say is all about the avant garde – Illamasqua. They have the most amazing black intense lipgloss, that makes your lips looks like you are wearing polished latex!!! the lipstick is excellent pigment and staying power.
I feel black lip does only look good with pale skin…its the dramatic opposites.
PS. I also think the double liner for lips and eyes is a great idea. I plan on buying a few of your lipsticks and I would love it if you made eye liners as well since I can’t wear any of your eye shadows because of the mica (i’m very sensitive to it…it makes my eyes dry and itch). Eyeliners are usually safe for me to wear but not a lot of companies make fun bright colors of eye liner. All the ones I do have are from Urban Decay.
Even if I’m a goth I did never wear black lipstick ’cause I like my make-up to be colorful! I think it plays the theater-like contrast better…
Also, I mostly focus on my eyes so I could not wear such a demanding lipstick ahahahaah! XD
I’d probably make a rainbow eye, put the black lipstick on and such…
I might someday give it a try… but for now, I’m trying more colors…
(I usually wear red lips only… but I bought 2 of your lipstick line trying to change this fact! XD)
By the way… can I share glee?
I just bought looooots of candy to give my friends tomorrow ’cause soon is Kid’s Day here at Brazil, but we won’t have classes at my college, so I’m gonna give them sooner!
I can’t wait to see their surprised faces!
Kisses
Cacau
I remember Christine from eyeshadowsluts.
I’m jealous she got to talk to you =p
as for the lipstick I’d LOVE to wear black in public as an every day look, I just have to break out of my shell a bit before I do so. I’ve especially been into darker, matte lipsticks lately and hopefully I’ll try Styletto when I’m not afraid!
Doe Deere Reply:
October 8, 2009 at 5:58 pm
You’re kidding! I felt totally privileged to be talking to her – I mean, she is Temptalia!
So I found this shop on Etsy and I immediately thought of you… how can you not love a littleoddforest with deer AND unicorns?
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=923
Oohh, I love how sophisticated black lipstick can look, it really can be the definition of couture. I don’t feel quite so ballsy as to wear that out just by itself…besides up here in Minnesota that would just be another dark addition to an already dark and iminent winter. Chances of snow this weekend they say, brr.
I’m much more feeling the warm and bright hues, I think its wishful thinking on my part that winter would just stay away for a little bit longer and let me enjoy the fall.
That’s SO weird – I just got back from MAC, where I bought one of the lipsticks from their Style Black collection. Black lipstick is something I’ve wanted to try since I was in middle school but have never felt daring enough to go for. Now I’m going to give it a shot!
When I was younger and more goth I used to wear either White or red lip liner with black inside, or black liner with red inside. I have full lips so I could get away with the obvious different shades, id love to see you try that
I love this look. I really want to re-create Lady Gaga’s black lips from the “Paparazzi” video for Halloween, since I plan on going as her. Any tips on how I would do that?
Erika Phoenix Reply:
October 9, 2009 at 9:36 pm
You should definitely try using eyeliner to line your lips (or the shape you want rather), I’d recommend a liquid one because it will give you a much longer outline to your lips and it won’t smudge like a pencil would. Lady Gaga’s lips are really matte in the video so I would avoid a gloss. Hope that helped!
I love black lipstick, but hate how it makes my teeth look very yellow, anyone have any luck with over the counter bleaching treatments?
Okay, I lied. I didn’t wear black lipstick today, and I said I was going to. But now that you’ve told me how, definitely Monday if not tomorrow (and probably won’t have time to deal with high-maintenance makeup tomorrow with 3 APs!). SO EXCITED!!!!!!
I like the double-ended eye/lip pencil idea. You’d have to have the caps on either end marked “eye” and “lip” to make the hygienic thing work, but that could be tres cool.
Rickey Reply:
October 9, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I wore it today! WITH my glittery rainbow tutu! YAY!!!!! And with my new white stripper shoe mary jane platforms. But maybe even more excitingly- I gutted up and dropped calculus. It’s such a relief, you have NO idea.
I remember a few years ago when i was very into gothic fashion and thought myself as pretty hardcore *cringe*. Haha, my mum had this black lipstick and i was so excited when i found it because i always wanted to try it. Thankfully it was so old that the texture was like that of a crayon and there was no way of smearing it onto my lips. Then i got into Motley Crue and i used it to transform my friend and I into Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee =D.
I would definitely love it to try it for a dramatic high end gothic look though.
Well, in gothic-surroundings like the surrounding i’m in, black lipstick is almost boring. everyone tried it once, it’s a must-have, but almost only worn by “romantic goths”, all the other substyles in gothic fashion are no more into that stuff. very often, a dark red or purple or very light colors like ice blue or even a concealed lip is much more common than the classic black. black lipstick is just nothing special any more, you gotta have one in your makeup-collection, you wear it from time to time, but it’s not exciting any more, nothing really special. i already even heard goths saying, that only “the old ones” (meaning those who are stuck in the 80s goth movement-fashion and the cliche-goth-outfits) still wear it. Maybe this understanding of black lipstick comes also from a certain movement in goth style, people are trying to get away from that odd clichee look with white skin and black lipstick. Goth is very much about individuality and we dont like to be predictable. that’s why a look that everyone knows and expects from us, is not really interesting for us any more.
Me personally I think, black lipstick can not really be worn by Everyone. You gotta be a black-lipstick-type. And you HAVE to know what you are doing, when applying it. It happens easily, that it just looks like a total mess and zombie-like, not pretty and elegant.
For me, black lipstick just conjures memories of a few of my friends (and myself, but only in the privacy of my own home..) being all GOFFICK when we were about 13 and didn’t know any better. I’m not saying AT ALL that it can’t look good, but it was invariably terribly applied; smearing, flaking, fading etc. It can just look like a bad halloween costume unless it’s perfectly applied, teamed with the right sort of outfit and worn with the kind of confidence that the wearer could pull off absolutely anything.
I love a bold lip colour but think I’ll be avoiding black for a few more years just don’t want to let myself fall back into my awful, terribly un-stylish goth years!
I do love the looks you posted though, Doe, you’ve applied it flawlessly and styled it well: apparently you can do no wrong. I also think that picture of Kitty Gwen Stefani is absolutely stunning!
I can’t decide whether I want styletto or my beautiful rocket, it’s so difficult! xD
Also, black isn’t really the gothiest lip colour, especially for “grown up” goths. Typically dark red or bright red is gothier. I think dark red/burgundy or pale lips is the most goth. Like what Anges said.
Black can be, but it is really hard to do well, mainly because of how hard it is to get nice black lipstick. But you made it~ Macs’ got some black lipsticks too, but I’d rather buy your’s. ;p Cheap black lipsticks are for the newbie gothlings trying to rebel or stand out at school, or that’s what it used to be anyway.
I have really full lips and I was wondering if wearing black lipstick will just make me look like I have a giant black hole where my mouth is. :( I feel like sometimes I can’t pull off certain colors because they make my already full lips look even larger, to where it is garish! I love your Styletto lipstick, but I don’t know if it will suit me…
Agnes Reply:
October 10, 2009 at 10:20 am
I know that problem too, have very voluminous lower lip. But you can help yourself by totally concealing your lip in your skintone and then go inwards from the outer lipline a bit with the lipliner or try to keep it as much inside of your natural lipline as you can. and dont pull the lipstick too far into the outer corners of your mouth. You can see that technique in videos about the Flappers look on youtube. Try it out!
Agnes Reply:
October 10, 2009 at 10:21 am
oh! and if you dont know if black suits you, you can do a “demo-version” by applying black kajal eyeliner. works just as well.
Cacau Reply:
October 11, 2009 at 5:54 pm
just be careful. Some of them are not lip-safe and have some ingredients that can be very toxic ^^
[...] Doe Deere Blogazine: Paint it Black – How I Wore Black Lipstick [...]
Black lipstick is my favourite trend this fall. I just think it looks so classic, if that even makes sense; I’m not a huge colour person, and black on my lips and eyes, and paired with a black and gray outfit? Sweet.
Having said that, I’ve yet to wear black lipstick outside the house. It’s the same reason I don’t wear Grace Kelly head scarves, feather boas, or capes in public; I love the look, but I don’t want to be regarded as THAT crazy.
Rickey Reply:
October 9, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Who cares if they think you’re crazy? They’re not having as much fun as you are!
You know where I can see this working?
It’s kind of like the trend I saw of the dark/black nail polish I saw with people who wore boho type outfits. I can see this easily translating into an outfit like:
The idea is to overcome the idea that “black lipstick” is “goth” and just DO IT. :D Of course I believe that a goth wedding IS the perfect place to debut it! Personally, I can’t WAIT to get mine in the mail and wear it. The best part will be when I pull it out of my makeup bag and people double take at the cute casing and the color it contains!
Erika Phoenix Reply:
October 9, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Oops, sorry, I forgot to ad a closing link quote. My apologies. Haha!
thanks for this Doe, i’ve always wanted to wear black lipstick
Well that is positively gorgeous!
I am now considering rocking black lipstick at my school’s prom… would that be workable??
Agnes Reply:
October 10, 2009 at 12:11 pm
depends on you dress…
Julianna Reply:
October 10, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Don’t have one as of yet… more likely than not, I’d end up finding one that worked with the lipstick!
Cacau Reply:
October 11, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I think I’d be nice to have a dress that’s not too dark, like a cream/pale peach one, so you lips ‘could get all the atention… o.o
but I don’t understand much, so I don’t know! ^^’
I’m not a fan of black lipstick at all but gosh you look fantastic! Thats crazy pretty!
I was very excited to see this post regarding the “wearability” of black lipstick. It has always been my favorite to wear, whether society excepted it or not…..it was MY glee of the day/night and thats all that matters!:)
Doe….you rock!
I always did love black lipstick, what with my fondness for romantic Gothic looks. Unfortunately, it does rather the opposite of making my teeth look whiter, but I’ve found that layering a bit of blue over it solved that problem. My only problem AFTER the teeth? Finding a good quality black lipstick!
All of a sudden it seems like they’re everywhere…I can’t wait to try Styletto.
i really love black lipstick… i´m usually use it. i have found some pics
2006 chrismast http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnm/329346243/in/set-72157601875591338?edited=1
2009 visit london http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnm/3285633409/in/set-72157612805067804/
any night in Madrid: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnm/3003403031/in/set-72157603598784890/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnm/3051530402/in/set-72157603598784890/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnm/2993040877/in/photostream/
If you like the idea of a man eating lipstick, you’d love the book “Breathers” about a Zombie love affair. ;)