The right shade of lipstick can make or break your entire outfit, and unless you're a makeup artist or beauty influencer, you're unlikely to have instant access to every lipstick color you could think of.
So, when you're heading out the door and can't fight the perfect red tone to wear, what can you do? The answer, which may surprise you, lies in the form of a bright and bold blue eye shadow that could be straight out of the 80s.
Makeup artist Elena Rachitskaya, 27, shared the surprising way you can utilize an ultramarine shade to deepen a bright red.
Rachitskaya, from Belgrade, Serbia, first shared the tip to her Instagram account, where she regularly posts beauty hacks, on February 17. It has since gained over 5.6 million views and 161,000 likes from viewers impressed by her color theory knowledge.
In the video, Rachitskaya is first seen applying a bright, orange-toned lipstick to the center of her lower lip. Stating in the caption that "I prefer a darker tone," she then used a bright blue eye shadow pan to create a custom lipstick shade directly on her lips.
After rubbing some of the product onto her finger she taps it into the lipstick, which begins to darken instantly. As she continues, the blue pigments start to neutralize the bright orange shade, leaving a muted and dark brick-red tone on her lips.
The key is to "blend it well," she says, and, after rubbing her lips together, Rachitskaya then uses a lip brush to neatly take the product to the border of her lips, defining their shape.
If you don't have a blue eye shadow to hand, Rachitskaya suggests using a pencil eyeliner or something similar for the same effect.
What Do the Comments Say?
The surprising results had viewers eager to test this hack, as one said: "Never tried like that (with eyeshades) but it looks worth of trying!"
"I actually like that second color better and would never think to try this!! Love it!" said another.
A third added: "Eager to try this! I know lip & shadow trick is traditional backstage thing. I think this could be useful to change both shades & textures of my lipsticks! thx 4 sharing."
One makeup artist, or MUA, confirmed the hack stands up to the test, sharing that: "As a mua I do this all the time cos I can't be bothered to bring 100 shades of lippies."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lollie is Newsweek's Beauty and Self Care Reporter based in London, U.K. In her role, she covers a range of ... Read more
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