3 Lip Colors Beyoncé's Makeup Artist Would Remove From Your Vanity This Summer
In the makeup world, there's no one cooler than L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Makeup Artist Sir John. He's behind the majority of the makeup-minded screenshots sitting in our camera roll at the moment and he regularly works with all of our favorite celebs like Beyoncé, Joan Smalls, Ashely Benson, and Karlie Kloss to name a few. Since he's used to prepping his A-list clientele for everything from sweat-inducing concerts to weather-contingent red carpets, we couldn't think of anyone better to ask about summer lip colors trends for 2020. More specifically, we asked which colors we should ditch and which we should swap in.
"For summer lip colors, I love corals, sheer peaches, baby pinks, or even a statement red," Sir John tells us right off the bat. "These colors, depending on the occasion and mood, make skin look healthy and vibrant. Conversely, try to steer away from deep merlots, wines, and a deep berry. These shades are very polished and are better for the fall and winter."
Of course, we believe in 100% beauty democracy here at Who What Wear, so if wearing a borderline black or blue lipstick is what really floats your boat this summer, we salute you. Obsessed with purple? Go for it! If not, however, we're dishing in more detail on the best (and worst) summer lip color trends according to Sir John with his pro lipstick tips and product picks sprinkled throughout. Keep scrolling.
Remove: Deep Burgundy
Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a gorgeous swipe of deep burgundy, but we love it best during the more intense and cozy months of winter. We recommend stashing this tube away for safekeeping until summer (sadly) leaves us.
Add: Coral
Sir John's Tip: "If you’re already wearing a lot of pinks, corals, or berries, a great hack is matching your lip color to your blush color. In the summer, cream blushes are great as they will not clog your pores, and I sometimes double it as the lipstick as well."
Remove: Moody Purples
Is Pat McGrath's Vampira-esque shade of deep, blackened purple stunning? Quite. Compatible with the long, hot, sunny days of summer? Um, not really. This kind of color requires a perfect application (it's not melt-safe!) and is extremely polished. Therefore, Sir John deems it more suitable for the rich days of winter.
Add: Sheer Stone Fruits Like Peach & Nectarine
Sir John's Tip: "As far as what type of lipstick formula is best for summer, it depends on what you have going on. I love the Colour Riche Plump and Shine formula for summer—the color is sheer and gives your lips extra hydration, which is great during these hot summer days. If you need your lip color to last a while, I love something that is more matte but very opaque so it doesn’t feel heavy on your lips."
Remove: Deep Berry
As someone who personally loves a bold burst of berry on my lips, this is a hard pill to swallow. But, according to Sir John, colors like peach, coral, and baby pink will be better than deeper shades of berry when it comes to making our summer skin look healthy and vibrant. And that's the ultimate summer lip color goal, right?
Add: Baby Pink
Sir John's Tip: "In the summer, I always try to cut back on at least one step to make the process shorter and easier. For lips, leave your lip liner at home and instead, use a lipstick with a precise applicator."
Plus, One More Add: A Statement-Making Red
Sir John's Tip: "Always take the rest of your look into account. When choosing a lipstick shade, think about the rest of your outfit and how the hues will play against each other. If you’re not wearing a full face of makeup, a bright, bold statement lip will immediately amp up your look."
Next up: Yes, the Perfect Nude Lipstick Exists for Every Skintone—We Found 20.
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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