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A Face of the Day With a Dramatic Plummy Black Lip, and an Old Lip Trick From My College Days

September 27th, 2013 by Karen 27 Comments

MAC Strong Willed
Yeah, I’d walk my cat lookin’ like this…

True story: It was 1994. I was in my second year of college at Davis, and I’d become full-on obsessed with the idea of wearing a dark, almost black, matte red lipstick, but I couldn’t find the color at any of the drugstores in town.

It didn’t help that Davis was a small town out in the middle of nowhere. No, seriously, it’s pretty built up now (they have a Gap!), but back then it was just farms and cows as far as the eye could see.

Cutting-edge makeup (for the time) was not easy to track down.

Eventually, I realized that I probably wasn’t going to find what I wanted on a shelf. I was about to give up when, one day, inspiration struck!

With a black eyeliner, I lined and filled in my lips, and then layered my darkest red lipstick on top.

Eureka!!

I ended up rockin’ that look so hard to chem class, you don’t even know.

Today that same trick with eyeliner on my lips came in handy again while I was getting ready.

MAC Strong Willed Pro Longwear Eyeliner

So, I’ve been wanting to try something like that Goth-ish look from Lorde’s Tennis Court video. In the video she wears a striking look with eyeshadow in a cat eye shape, with white liner on her lower water line and a dark, dramatically delicious purplish black lip.

Since there isn’t a lot of color on her eyes and cheeks, it puts the focus firmly on her lips.

Gah! I love it.

MAC Bamboo, Soba and Cork

The eyes? Super easy. I used a few MAC neutral eyeshadow staples (Bamboo, Soba and Cork) to create the lifted, cat eye shape.

Wouldn’t you know it, though? The ONE TIME I needed the white eyeliner that I hardly ever use, I couldn’t find it, so I used a pale beige eyeliner on my water lines instead (Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude).

I didn’t do much with my cheeks. Just some light contouring (using MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer) and highlighting (Becca Opal).

Last, but not least — the lips!

I really wanted them to look dark, almost black, so I ended up using — yup, you guessed it — an eyeliner, MAC’s Pro Longwear Eyeliner in Strong Willed ($19.50), a matte plummy black.

MAC Strong Willed Pr Longwear Eyeliner
Yep, I’m wearing eyeliner on my lips… MAC Pro Longwear Eyeliner in Strong Willed

First, I prepped my lips with a lip balm to help the liner apply smoothly. Then, I lined and filled in my lips.

To get a crisp edge all the way around (really makes bold lips pop), I took MAC’s Chromagraphic Pencil in NW25/NC30 ($16), a flesh-colored multi-purpose liner, and outlined just outside my natural lip line. Then I carefully blended the edge with a pencil brush.

MAC Strong Willed Pro Longwear Eyeliner
Let’s go down to the tennis court…and talk it up like yeah, yeah!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Face of the Day With a Dramatic Plummy Black Lip, and an Old Lip Trick From My College Days / Originally published September 27th, 2013

There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), MAC Makeup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Noon says

    September 27th, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    Ugh you make goth look so classic and wearable, I love it.
    Noon recently posted … this is your lash chance, come out with your lids up!!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks, Noon! Happy Friday. 🙂

      Reply
  2. ReneeP says

    September 27th, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    I used a blue eyeliner with a pink to make my perfect purple lip color in ’96. I was in 11th grade. I made it like the ‘ombre’ thing they are doing now, where it was more purple on the outer bit. Loooved i

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 4:22 pm

      Ya know, I never thought to try blue liner! I will give that a go. 🙂

      Did you ever wear dark purple lip liner with frosty beige lipstick? That was my jam in ’96.

      Reply
  3. Vanessa says

    September 27th, 2013 at 4:14 pm

    Oh my gosh, I love this! You look absolutely amazing!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 4:21 pm

      Thanks Vanessa! Do you ever wear dark lips like this?

      Happy Friday!

      Reply
      • Vanessa says

        September 27th, 2013 at 8:30 pm

        I really want to try dark lips, but I’m worried about buying a lipstick that I won’t use very often (as you can see, I’m a little on the frugal side haha). I guess I could try the eye liner + lipstick combo.

        I love your eye make-up in this look too, by the way. It goes so well with the lip!! 🙂 Squeeeee *excited*

        Reply
  4. hanna says

    September 27th, 2013 at 4:39 pm

    This look is much more wearable than I thought!
    hanna recently posted … Fall Oasap Order and Giveaway

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 5:10 pm

      Yup!

      Reply
  5. Lena says

    September 27th, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    oh my god karen, i caught my breath when i saw the first picture! what beautiful makeup and beautiful photography, awesome!
    to be honest, i’ve never seen the appeal of goth. you changed me with this post!
    Lena recently posted … Zoya Zara nail polish and EACH bracelet (or: How a princess inspires fashion choices)

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 7:38 pm

      Hi Lena,

      Thank you! Try the dark lip sometime (just wear it around the house for fun). You never know if you’ll love it!

      Reply
  6. meredith says

    September 27th, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Fierce, I love it.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 27th, 2013 at 7:39 pm

      Thanks, Meredith!

      Reply
  7. Rachel P says

    September 27th, 2013 at 6:35 pm

    This look. is so. ROCKIN!!! I love how you experiment and bring us back in time to your old go-to looks, it’s all just so exciting, seriously- I am a very be-as-you-are person but sometimes I just think people who don’t wear makeup are missin out on fun stuff like this!!

    Reply
  8. Karen says

    September 27th, 2013 at 7:40 pm

    Hi Rachel P,

    Thanks lady! If you try this lip you have to send me a pic. I would love to see it!

    Reply
    • Rachel P says

      September 28th, 2013 at 8:57 am

      I have to try it for sure! When I do, I’ll definitely send along a pic. This particular eye is something I do fairly frequently, but the lip is different and I gotta attack the look just right!

      Reply
  9. Rae // theNotice says

    September 27th, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    KAREN. I love this! I can’t for the life of me wear black lips (I always end up looking like an awkward goth), but on you — WOW.

    Absolute, complete love! 😀 😀
    Rae // theNotice recently posted … On finding your niche, and making the most of it | Elie Saab: an overview

    Reply
  10. Katie says

    September 27th, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    This look is a big fat “YES.” Karen, you look so ~*cool*~ in this minimal goth look. I cannot wait to break out the vampy lip come fall. (Why is still sunny in the Bay Area??)

    Reply
  11. Maggie says

    September 28th, 2013 at 12:56 am

    Whoaaa…Davis alumna here too! Yay! What a coincidence! =D

    Haven’t worn lips that black out in a while–last time I tried something similar it was more of an ombre look–with plum in the center gradually darkening to black.

    Reply
  12. Isabelle says

    September 28th, 2013 at 1:45 am

    You look absolutely gorgeous here! A lot of others wouldn’t be able to pull this off with still looking classy.. But you do! I also love your hair here, it’s a great combination 🙂

    Reply
  13. buckycatt says

    September 28th, 2013 at 8:59 am

    U may b an evil genius! I will ponder while looking at your dark lips for awhile.

    Reply
  14. Danielle says

    September 28th, 2013 at 10:03 am

    I absolutely love this look on you! I am a huge fan of dark lips!
    Danielle recently posted … Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil

    Reply
  15. Frances says

    September 28th, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    I LOVE THIS!!! Do you have any recc’s for a drugstore purply-blue plum black like this one? I have Nightmoth and RiRi Heart’s MAC Talk That Talk but they are more red-wine blacks… you know what I mean? I’ve been obsessed with dark lips and did a dark emerald lip with Maybelline Eye Studio Master Smoky Shadow Pencil in Emerald Fury topped with a little fix plus prayed brush pat of L’Oreal
    Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Emerald. It was awesome!!!

    Reply
  16. Marina(Makeup4all) says

    September 28th, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    I actually love this look on you and all the kitty rings 🙂
    Marina(Makeup4all) recently posted … Color Wow Color Security Shampoo and Conditioner Review

    Reply
  17. MinxyMoo says

    September 29th, 2013 at 12:59 am

    I usually just lurk, I mean look, around here. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE this look on you and just had to comment! You really work it, girl!!!! So awesome and “out there,” but still accessible. Totally cool. And I have to ask about your top. Love that too! Do tell where it’s from. Pretty please!!

    Reply
  18. Kim says

    September 30th, 2013 at 6:54 am

    This looks great on you. I thought Lorde’s look was a bit stark but it’s much more wearable on you. And I think your hair is cute like that. 🙂

    Reply
  19. Elisa says

    October 1st, 2013 at 6:04 am

    Wow! I LOVE this look! Girl, you’re like a chameleon 🙂 and everything seems to suit you! Niiiiice…

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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