Would you wear blue, green or yellow lipstick?

HAS THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY GONE MAD?
via: http://www.lovethispic.com/

via: http://www.lovethispic.com/

I have been in the cosmetic industry for 32 years now.  As a makeup artist and a makeup designer with experience in just about every field where makeup is required such as film, theatre, and beauty pageants, I have never experienced a trend where the colours are so ridiculously UNFLATTERING! Blue, green and yellow are being promoted as the hot new colours in beauty for fall.

via: www.smh.com.au

via: www.smh.com.au

When I got the samples from the manufacturers for the fall and saw the colours I actually laughed.  I had to ask, “where the heck does that comes from?”

The music industry is the biggest influence and celebrities often follow suit.  I understand teens wanting to experiment for fun, but what does that teach them about “makeup” and what it’s really supposed to do – BRING OUT THEIR NATURAL BEAUTY. What bothered me the most and puzzled me is that it’s not just for teens  It’s also being promoted by the high end cosmetic lines, with clients from age 40 and up.

via: http://glambistro.com/

via: http://glambistro.com/

New style in fashion is fun and sometimes we think we could never wear it. But the more the media puts it out there, the more our eyes adjust.  We get used to it and suddenly feel we have to have it too.  BUT NOT THIS TIME! For heaven’s sake! Think about it. Can you see yourself wearing blue lipstick.  Don’t our lips turn blue when we’re  freezing or dead? And green – how can that complement our complexions or our teeth?  What about yellow? Do we want to look diseased?

PLEASE LADIES AND TEENS….Be your own Picasso and choose the colours that reflect who you are. Your face is your canvas and your mood is your reflection.  Be unique to yourself.  Choose colours that complement your skin tone, your eyes (let them speak of who you are, whether that’s dramatic or soft and sultry), and to your lifestyle.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PIECES OF ADVICE….’WEAR THE MAKEUP’, DON’T LET THE MAKEUP WEAR YOU!”

Looking great creates confidence, and confidence creates MAGIC!

So let’s use our magic wands and make those colours disappear!

6 Comments
  • Kit
    Posted at 15:48h, 04 October Reply

    I like that – “wear the make up, dont let the makeup wear you”…. I like makeup that is flattering that highlights my assets and downplays the defaults. These colours do neither!!

  • Gina Roitman
    Posted at 14:19h, 05 October Reply

    This is a clear marketing bid to lure women away from the palette they already have in their make-up bag to buy something that will become unfashionable in not time. But I can’t say I’m surprised. After seeing black nails and lips, where else could the often misogynous fashion industry go but to the extreme?

    Let’s help young women find the strength to hold their own council, trust in themselves and blow-off such ridiculous ploys to empty our wallets in the name of fashion.

    • Wise Women Montreal
      Posted at 10:02h, 06 October Reply

      Well said, Gina!

  • Melissa Tomecz
    Posted at 15:04h, 25 October Reply

    I think the only time these three colours are acceptable to wear on your lips is when you have a costume (like when you want to dress up as a character from a fantasy or Sci-Fi realm), or if you are Lady Gaga. I agree, wearing these colours on a daily basis would just look ridiculous and probably not even permitted at work.

  • Anne
    Posted at 15:35h, 17 November Reply

    You say not to pick unusual colours, then you tell us to pick the colours that reflect who we are, that our faces are canvas, our mood is the inspiration and to allude to our lifestyle. Contradictory, no?

    What if the above traits happen to include a unusual lip colour, such as a sheer-covering forest green, a gold-tinted yellow or an electrified blue? Of course the right shade helps, but even with unusual colours there is a shade for everyone outside of the standard (and sometimes quite frankly dull) reds, pinks, and nudes. It is the same principle as putting on a colour-popping eyeshadow, just a little lower on our faces: Pick the wrong shade, you’ll look like a clown.

    It may be a fad for the pop generation but it most certainly is not in alternative fashion. It is an expression of our personalities. WE ARE wearing the makeup by choosing a colour that reflects our personality and mood that day, and throwing the middle finger up to whoever or whatever tells us to be anyone but ourselves.

    It may not be a classic look, but it’s certainly more adventurous than using pillarbox red. AGAIN.

  • Wise Women Montreal
    Posted at 20:32h, 17 November Reply

    Hi Anne-
    We love to get comments that make us think outside the box, so thanks so much for sharing this. The intention of Sharon’s post was to make us aware of how we are often swayed by the media in making make-up choices, regardless of whether those choices are best suited to us.

    We believe, like you, that make-up can be a beautiful expression of who we are, and we fully endorse choosing colours, regardless of whether or not they are “conventional”, that best suit your mood and personality.

    We admire your sense of adventure, and your confidence in giving the middle finger to anyone who doesn’t appreciate who you are!

    Thanks for reading!

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