Ombre Lip Makeup DIY
Only 3 Products and 4 Steps Are Needed to DIY This Summery Ombré Lip
Product Credit: Aritzia top
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There's nothing chicer than telling your girlfriends that you will be "summering in Europe." But lugging a huge makeup and cosmetics bag through trains, planes, and security checkpoints is anything but glamorous. Make your load much lighter by choosing products that have multiuses. And in this case, we're challenging you to just pack three lip choices: a pink pencil, a pink lipstick, and an orange lipstick. You can rock each one solo or combine them to create a stunning, sunset-inspired ombré lip.
To help show just how easy this lip art is to create, we tapped Dolce & Gabbana celebrity makeup artist Christian McCulloch. And when we say "easy," we mean it. The DIY for this technique only requires four steps.
"Those colors are very summery," McCulloch enthused of his "Summer in Italy" inspiration. It is a nod to Dolce & Gabbana's warm-weather 2016 collection as well as the brand's Capri-themed Light Blue fragrances. "They're just pretty, flattering colors and the contrast is just right, between the cool and the warm. It's clashing successfully — it's a happy clash."
Keep reading to learn exactly how to try this lip look at home. Plus, discover McCulloch's savvy tip for making your lipstick last no matter how steamy it is outside. (PS, we even shot this tutorial in Capri, Italy, to make it as authentic as possible.)
Prep Step
Before you take on the lip look, do the rest of your makeup. Try wearing a fine black eyeliner, shimmery nude eye shadow, black mascara, and brow powder that matches your arches. "That's the most modern — it's still finished and flattering," McCulloch said. "You still have definition on the eyes, but it's not a full face of makeup. You've got a freshness to your face that allows the lip to be the singular sensation."
He also suggests priming your pout with balm. "You want it to be hydrated, but at the same time you don't want a ton of product on there because it moves you around too much," he added.
Step 1: Line the Lips
According to McCulloch, the ideal Cupid's bow shape looks like the top of a heart. So draw this when you begin your pink lip line and then fill in the sides. For the bottom lip, slide the pencil from corner to corner. Feather it slightly inward to make it last longer and look more natural.
But be careful not to make this mistake. "I would never do a pointy lip unless it was a very severe editorial," he warned. "I just find it severe and not that flattering."
He also is not a fan of the overdrawn lip liner look, favored by celebrities like Kyle Jenner. "We tend to do overdrawn for pictures, because it makes your lips look bigger in a photo, but sometimes in real life it looks too overdrawn," he explained. "My thing is just a curved full lip. Really round, full, and luscious — like the picturesque little emoji with the kiss."
Step 2: Fill It In Using a Brush and Lipstick
The first color to reach for is the pink shade — this is your base and should match the liner. Apply it with a brush, such as the Dolce & Gabbana Retractable Lip Brush ($33). McCulloch promises this tool gives you more control, deeper pigment, and longer wear (since the formula is not sliding around).
"Just go across the bottom lip with the brush and then rub the lips together," he said. "The excess color transfers from the bottom lip to the top, and you just leave your edges to stay a bit matte and dry."
The technique makes the look more long-lasting, because you are relying on the dry pencil to hold the shape, whereas creamy lipsticks smear off. "The moisture in the center — kind of like a Lindt chocolate truffle ball," he joked. "It's moist in the center and crisp on the outside."
Step 3: Blot It Off
The next step is a classic technique that has been used for decades. Simply blot off your lip masterpiece with a tissue. This helps to absorb the extra moisture and leave the imprint of color on your pout. "If you just apply a really dry matte lipstick to your lips, it's not going to feel very nice," McCulloch noted. "It's going to pull and drag — it feels like a dry eye pencil. So you need a lipstick that has glide or slip." And by blotting it off, you get the best of both worlds: a stain and a conditioned pucker.
Step 3: Add Your Second Tone With Your Finger
Using your finger, press the orange lipstick color into the center of your top and bottom lips. It should be about three finger taps wide in both sections. Don't rub your lips together — you want the placement to be exact.
"Pat McGrath is known for doing lips with her fingers," McCulloch revealed. "She can do an entire beautiful perfect mouth with her pinky because it's round and you can press color into the mouth at an angle. This technique makes lipstick look less chunky and have less creases."
Step 4: Go Over Your Work With a Lip Pencil
Add another feathered line of pink pencil. "Do not make a harsh line, just softly go over what you've already done," McCulloch said. "This is done to hold the lip shades in place longer. And use the pencil to blend between your two tones."
