Black is Best

Black lipstick was something I always dreamed of wearing. I desperately sought out a deep black that didn't wash me out, make me look scary or "witchy" and was easy to apply and wear. When the latest Lime Crime Velvetines were released, I purchased all the new colours as a gift for Maddie; I knew we'd both want to try them and we'd wear them often.

I first tried out Salem (the browny/red) and Wicked (the bold, deep red); I liked them both but I just couldn't pull of Black Velvet. In some lights it has a slightly greenish tinge and it emphasised the yellow tones in my teeth and I did not find it at all flattering. Other times when I tried it out it contrasted way too much with my pale skin and made me look sickly and unwell and downright scary. 

My friend Bec recently tagged me in a picture on Instagram of someone wearing the lipstick, and it really inspired me to give it another shot. I made sure I had all my makeup done before applying the lipstick, and ensured it was dark enough (I used a fair bit of bronzer) in order to make sure the black lips didn't wash me out. I wore really simple makeup, so the lips were the focal point of my face- a small amount of foundation, blush, highlighter, eyeliner and mascara. When I was first applying the lipstick, it did start to look a little greenish, so I just waited for a coat to dry and then kept applying over the top in order to get a deep, dark black. It was pretty successful, I ended up using 2 coats of the lipstick over my entire lips and a third coat over the centre of my lips for extra coverage. I used a cotton bud (Q-tip), to clean up the edges and corners of my mouth and was actually pretty happy with the results.

I honestly think having my hair straightened really helped; I'd tried it with curly hair before and it emphasised the "witchiness"of the look, which I was trying to avoid. Straightening it avoided frizziness and I think it really works with the dark look I was trying to achieve.

A lot of people were asking me on my Instagram (you can find that here.) where the top I was wearing was from so I thought I'd answer that here. The mesh turtleneck long sleeved crop top is from Australian brand House of Cards, a brand I simply adore and own quite a few pieces from. Underneath that I was wearing a bralette from Sass and Bide; I am 100% completely addicted to bralettes, especially my Sass and Bide ones... I am fortunate enough to own quite a number; as someone lacking in the chest department they are simply so comfortable and easy to wear underneath t-shirts and shirts like this one.

This entire outfit and my makeup made me feel incredibly confident and badass. I'd definitely wear this out dancing with friends or to a concert. It's got quite a gothic feel to it, and although I didn't intend on it being 'witchy' you could definitely argue that it is. Personally I was going for more of a chic black focused look and I think I am on the right track to achieve that. I think it would look a little more glamorous with a little black dress and simple shoes but I was going for something a bit more casual. Overall I really liked how this look and lipstick turned out and it's definitely something I'm going to be wearing more often. Hopefully some of you try it out; let me know how it goes!

Hope you're all well, love from Tayla. xx