I absolutely love vampy lip shades. Some people only whip out their plums and purples around the holidays, but I actually wear mine year ’round. Nothing sets off flawless foundation or perfectly precise cat eyes like a bold lip color. Deep, romantic shades not only look amazing in photos but they can also instantly give your teeth a whiter look. Who doesn’t want that" As much as I love bold lip colors, they aren’t as easy to apply as my favorite nude shades. Here are a few tips and tricks to applying bold lip colors to keep them looking perfectly in place. I’m using all YSL products for this mini-tutorial and you can find them all at Lord & Taylor.

First I’m going to line my lips with Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Des Levres Lip Liner in #11 Plum. The liner is a crucial step in any bold lip look, it defines the shape of your lips and keeps the lipstick from spreading. I always sharpen before I apply so I can get the thinnest, most precise line I can.
Next I apply Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Pure Color Lipstick in #54 Prune Avenue. I start on my bottom lip the press my lips together to spread the color. This lipstick is so pigmented and creamy that you don’t have to apply much to get a lot of color payoff. I like to use the pointed end in my cupid’s bow to get color right up to the edge without going outside of the liner. My trick for removing lipstick in the inner part of my mouth is another crucial part ...