The Lipstick Bandits: Summer Brights | Colour-blocked coral & fuchsia lips

May 28, 2012

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I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t really wear bright lips, so I suppose “Summer Brights” are rather incongruous with my personality. Don’t get me wrong; I love a bright lipstick, but they’re not really something I associate with myself in reality, you know? They’re more of… something I find, love, and secret away like a small animal with shiny things.

That said: I’m trying to get better, but it’s slow going.

This round of Lipstick Bandits posts focuses on bold, bright Summer lip picks, but I couldn’t choose only one – Marcelle Paris Rose and Cleopatra have been sitting in my drawer all winter, just waiting to be picked up again, and they’re both such great shades.

[Interjection: Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick formula review here; swatches here and here.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.]

Anyhow, I figured: what’s a better time of year to try colour blocked lips than the Summer?

On the top lip, I’m wearing Paris Rose, a light, peachy-pink coral. As I’m sure you all know by now, I’m a huge fan of the shade – it’s such a great, soft shade compared to most other corals, and it manages to keep its brightness and intensity without straying into the Realm of Orangedom.

(Let it be known that I hate the Realm of Orangedom, and I think it looks weird on my face.)

On the bottom, I’m wearing Cleopatra, a bold, punchy fuchsia. It’s probably one of the most intense lip colours that I own, which is saying something – even though these are both cream-finish lipsticks from the drugstore, they can hold their own against Bite mattes and MAC lip pencils. Not to mention, they’re a heck of a lot more comfortable!

Duo-toned, colour-blocked lips are definitely not something I’m about to start wearing out of the house, but it’s a fun look if you can pull it off. (I can’t, but honestly, I don’t think my naked cacti much care what I look like.)

I’ve been thinking about a colour-blocked lip on and off since Callula Lillibelle Spring 2012, but I think I might like this version even more – the Rouge Xpressions are really comfortable, and it’s so much easier to prep with concealer & swipe from the bullet than it would be to layer on MUFE Flash Colours and Stila Long Wears.