Reader Question : Nude Lipstick Application For Pigmented / Uneven Toned Lips

Another most asked question that I wanted to address on the blog is on nude lipsticks for pigmented / uneven toned lips. The latest one is from Anitha.

"I was looking into your nude lipstick recommendation for medium skin tone. Well I think I fall into medium skin tone however my lips(especially upper lip) is so pigmented that I was not sure what kind of nude lipstick will suit me.

Can you please advise good ways to get rid of the pigmentation(which of course takes time), a quick and easy way in which I could wear nude lipsticks, and well what kind of nude colour will suit my pigmented lips."

I have a similar problem - my upper lip is darker than my lower and the outline of my lips are a bit darker too. So, boy do I have a few tricks up my sleeve or what !

Few things to help-

1. Don't Care

I try not to care much about the excess pigment - a doctor told me its a characteristic of Indian skin along with darkened joints like knees and elbows. So I just roll with it.

2. Not Sheer But Color

Find products that are not very sheer so they give enough even color to overcome the difference in pigmentation. If you are looking for lip gloss try the long staying ones - they tend to have more color. Below are some lipstick shades that have worked well for me in the past. A few are bit darker and a few a bit lighter than my idea of nude.

Julie Hewett - Biba
Smashbox - Flawless, Captivating
Revlon Matte - Cocoa Craving
Smashbox Lip pencil - Amaretto
Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick - Natural
Smashbox Lip Techs - Nude, Peony, Maple
LORAC Nude Scene
Becca - Vendella
Urban Decay - Jail bait, Naked
Loreal Color Riche - Silk

3. Lip Liners Are The Best Nudes

Some of the best nude products come as lip liners. They are creamy , very dense pigmentation and mostly cheaper than other products. You can top them off with a clear lip gloss and they are good to go ! Some nude / natural lip liners I like are

Julie Hewett - Nude Noir lip liner
MAC - Spice
Estee Lauder - Spice
Milani - Most natural
Urban Decay - Paranoid, Wallflower
Pur Minerals - Cerite
Jouer Lip Definer - Bois De Rose, Naturel

4. Mask It

If you want to wear really light nude shades its a good idea to mask the pigmentation. Use a foundation matching your skin tone or one closer to the color of your lips. Using a very light one only makes it look ashy. Or use a corrector like Bobbi brown corrector in peach / dark peach (Thanks JC !) all over your lips and blend a bit into the area around your lips. Now pat with some translucent powder. Give it a minute then apply the lipstick of your choice.

5. Its All About SPF

Use SPF on our lips to keep them from getting darker. Several brand make lip balms with SPF - chapstick, Jouer, Fresh. Use them regularly.
Or just avoid the sun - period. Like I do .
I have avoided sun as much as possible and I have seen a marked decrease in my lip pigment level.

6. Old Ain't Gold - Or So I'm Told

Don't use lipsticks that are very old - they are suppose to make lips darker. I am not sure how scientific this is but this is mom's advice and we all know mom is always right.

7. Best Follow Instruction

Some face masks / serums come with instruction to not use them around lip area - best to look for those instructions and follow them.

8. My Lips But Better

Unless you are comfortable with a high contrast in color between your skin and lips, try not to go for very light nude shades. For beginners or folks looking for it to look natural stick with shades that are closest to your lip color or the color inside you mouth (gum).

One blanket statement that may or may not apply is - the darker your natural lip color, the darker your nude lipstick will be.

9. Shimmer Makes Everything Better

Another easy to wear nude color is to go for shades with a hint of shimmer in them. The shimmer helps
-tone down the contrast between the nude lip color and skin
-the way shimmer reflects light will take attention away from uneven pigmentation & the fact that the creamy lip is hiding something underneath.
- tone down the density of the lipstick.
Julie Hewett Nude Noir is a good choice. As an alternative you can also add a shimmery clear gloss on top.

10. Hi Doc

If the darkness bothers you a lot or it feels unnatural or has appeared suddenly - pay a visit to the doc / dermatologist. They might have some new info, like your skin not liking a particular ingredient or have new medical products to help overcome the darkness. Some might even give it a name like peri - oral dermatitis and have just the right treatment for it !

Unnecessary Information

I know y'all know and understand this but sometimes I get this urge to state a few obvious facts like...

My idea of nude can be totally different from yours ( at least as far as lip color goes). Just like skin tones, lips have weird undertones of mauve, pink, red, brown - you name it. So again what suits me as a nude will suit a few others and will be so far away from the target for many others. But the tips still can easily apply to everybody. Its the product recommendations that can / will vary.

Hence ( I love using hence ) it will be of great help if y'all help the rest of us out and mention a few nude lipsticks you love. Somebody will love you for it...

Love,
Indian Girl

Aki Hoshino

Aki Hoshino is a Japanese sexy bikini idol. She was born on 14 March 1977. She has appeared in various men's magazines such as Sabra and television shows. She has been featured in posters, trading cards, on t-shirts and DVDs.

Whirl - A - Style : Hair Gadget For Perfect Hair Buns !

Good Morning Ladies !

How was your weekend ? Mine was fabulous !
Ugh - every time I say that word Teresa from Real Housewives of New Jersey pops into my head and goes faaaaaaabulous.

Last Friday I got all dressed up for a dinner date with a friend who had just returned from a long road trip - I had to get updated on all the stories ! My outfit of choice - a cute blue shimmery top , some jeans, deep purple eye makeup and my long hair rolled into a bun.

The only time I have my hair in a bun is at home. I'd love to do a proper updo more often but given my hair's density and texture - I'd probably have to use half a gallon of hair spray , and a few hundred bobby pins and those other U shaped ones. But then I came across this nifty little gadget called Whirl - A- Style that promised a easy bun and I just had to try it. This was the result.

Whirl - A - Style Jumbo Large & Jumbo Medium

I am very happy with this. The Whirl - A - Style product comes in many sizes and colors to suit different hair shades, lengths, textures and density. Here I have on their biggest one - Jumbo Large. It was a bit small for my hair. I could fit most of my hair into it but not all.

This is what I did -
Lay my hair flat on my back.
Pull three fourth of it into Whirl A Style
Drag it down along the length of my hair
Roll it up and snap it.
Roll the rest of my hair around the bun - secure with a couple of bobby pins.


This one below - I used the Jumbo Medium. Its good for a half up do.


All my hair in the bun stayed put throughout dinner - I was thoroughly pleased that I didn't have to pull it out or add more pins. Speaking of pulling it out - taking the bun out was really easy too. I unsecured the ends and it fell out pretty easily without me losing even a single strand of hair - mega points for that !

This works best on hair that doesn't have a lot of layers. If you have man layers along the length of your hair, then the ends may start peeking out the bun. I have some layers at the end but not all along so it wasn't hard.

Overall its a super hair gadget for all of $10 - available here. You can read more on all the other hairstyles one can create with these on their site . Next on my list is to try and do a French knot with it.

Video on how to create a classic bun with Whirl- A - Style.



Love,
Indian Girl

This article contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR. For more details on the disclosure policy please refer to it at the bottom of the page.

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The biggest sporting event on this planet is about to start in a couple of days and all eyes are set on South Africa. Teams have started coming to host country and so does the spectators. Everyone is thriving to see there favorite players on the field fighting for FIFA world cup trophy. Some of the players of a certain sporting event are always highlighted as favorites. From the massive players who compete in a tournament, there are always best players who prevail. Let’s talk about the best players participating in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. So here is a list of 10 best footballers to look forward in the FIFA World Cup 2010.

10 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, a 22 years old forward, from Argentina with a club team named Barcelona. He is the youngest among the top 10 and a left-footer who uses low center of gravity in striking the ball to goal. More about Footballers after the break...


09 Kaka

Kaka, a 27 years old midfielder, from Brazil with a club team named Real Madrid. Coming from the upper-middle-class clan, he has been one of the best players in the football world making the Brazil team one of the best.

08 Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney, a 24 years old forward, from England with a club team named Manchester United. He is known as the baby-face-assassin who can strike from anywhere which allows him to score any type of goal and been proving his finishing skills.

07 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, a 25 years old midfielder, from Portugal with a club named Real Madrid. He has a special skill in long-range free kicks which enables him to score from anywhere.

06 Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba, 31 years old, from Ivory Coast with a club team named Chelsea and holds the position of forward. This athletic player has become one of the world’s leading strikers. His participation in world cup is not shower right now due to his recent injury.

05 Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard, a 29 years old midfielder, from England with a club team named Liverpool. He has been an outstanding midfielder who also acts as a second striker or as a winger. Along with Frank Lampard, they formed the best duo attacking midfielders in the world. He is a nine-year veteran of the English team.

04 Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres, a 25 years old forward, from Spain with a club team named Liverpool. He has been playing in the football world since the age of 7 and never stops scoring goals which made him one of the best strikers in the world.

03 Xavi

Xavi, 30 years old, from Spain with the club team FC Barcelona and acts as a midfielder. He has his artistic ways of accurate passes and vision with a great ability of keeping the ball.

02 Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and at international level for the England national team. He plays most often as a box-to-box midfielder and has also enjoyed spells in a more advanced attacking midfield. He is considered to be one of the best footballers in the world.

01 Robinho

Robinho is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Brazilian National team. Robinho was personally picked by Brazil legend Pele as his heir apparent at only 15 years of age.