How To Do A Sexy Dark Lip + Fragrance Tips {Beauty Notes} {Visual & Scent Styling}

Victoria Stiles from The Daily Makeover tells us how to get that Sexy Dark Lip look just done right and about some of her favorite lip products while The Scented Salamander offers fragrance tips to go with the 2010 fall looks.

The dark lip was the hottest accessory

on the runway for Fall 2010 at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. It's a gorgeous look, but how do you take this trend from catwalk to sidewalk? Just follow my quick, easy tips to your perfect deep lip!

• Exfoliate your lips. It is important to remove any excess dead skin from your lips for a smooth surface. Try Smashbox Cosmetics Emulsion Lip Exfoliant...

• Prime lips. This step is very important, so please do not skip! You need to add a small amount of moisture to your lips before applying a dark lip color so the color does not look dry or cracked. The key is keeping the matte look without the greasy residue of some lip balms. A multi-purpose primer, like Natural Born Cosmetics Lip Fix Matte Neutralizer, does the trick! This product, primes, adds a bit of moisture, fills in little lines, and neutralizes lip color for a perfect canvas to apply a deep color.

• Choose a dark lip color. My favorites come from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics--one drop of their Lip Tar goes a long, long way! For blue-red shades, try NSFW or Stalker. If you prefer warmer reds, try Harlot. For the perfect deep-burgundy shade, try Strumpet or Vintage. Another favorite of mine is Yves St. Laurent Rouge Volupté Perle in Mesmerizing Purple.

• Apply lip color with a lip brush. My lip brush of choice comes is Make Up For Ever's Lip Brush 3S. To apply lip gloss with a brush, squeeze a drop of product onto the brush and apply color starting from the outer corners of the lip inwards towards the bow of your lips and fill in. You can go slightly outside of your natural lip line but be careful not to go too high. A similar technique is used for applying lipstick from the tube. Instead of applying directly to lips, swipe your lip brush with the product and apply using the same technique.

Your lips are now ready for brisk fall days and hot winter nights!

(fragrance tip to go with the look below)

Picture: © Luca Cannonieri

- More beauty reads at The Daily Makeover this week and fragrance tips to go with them from TSS:

• Article: Sexy Fall Trend: Celestial Eyes

Perfume Tip: This fall note that you will also find the Midnight Celestial trend reflected in fragrances, with Lolita Lempicka Minuit Noir for Women, Boss Bottled Night for Men and Van Cleef and Arpels Midnight in Paris for Men. 

And remember, if you like the scent of a men's fragrance, don't hesitate to wear it! It just means it smells good on you.

• Article: Get Long, Lush Lashes!

Perfume Tip: To go with a sultry, dramatic long-lash look think a Caron fragrance to amplify it: Narcisse Noir extrait for the night or Parfum Sacré Intense for the day. To tone it down, go for a more innocent and light yet sexy perfume such as Dior J'Adore Eau de Cologne Florale.

• Perfume Tip: For the Dark-Lip look seen on the picture which is counterbalanced by youthful pink hues, I would wear Rose de Nuit by Serge Lutens to dramatize it further and Bond No. 9 Bryant Park to call more attention to my rosy champagne colored eyelids and cheekbones.

Stay fragrant and beautiful!

-- Marie-Helene