Nasty Gal Blog

Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Lessons From The Pros: Two-Toned Lip

We popped down into the studio to see what our makeup maven Stacey Nishimoto was into right now, and she presented her latest genius: the two-toned lip! We asked her pretty please for a tutorial on this show-stopping effect, and she said the first step is choosing two colors that compliment each other in hue and texture. Pairing a shiny bottom lip, for instance, with a matte top lip is dramatic and super flattering; a soft bottom lip and a high shine top lip is another perfect balance.

Apply both lip colors with a flat lip brush and skip the liner, as a glossy and a matte lipstick on one set of lips is enough on its own. Plus, the brush still ensures you get a perfect line. I always do one last sweep of gloss on the bottom lip to make it really pop.

I used NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage, a shocking hot pink with a flat velvet texture on the bottom lip. For the top lip, I used a shiny stain so that the top color won’t interrupt or rub on the bottom lip color. Yves Saint Laurent’s glossy stain is the best on the market. The pigment is pure and rich and the shine is silky, not sticky. And the shine is actually the best part of this product, it’s like a little flashlight that highlights the true colors.

The most fun part of a duo lip is picking out complementing colors that go hand in hand but are complete polar opposites – like you and your sweetheart! It’s all about finding the unexpected perfect match. Muah!