Unless you're Lupita Nyong'o or a Smurf, rocking blue lips with aplomb probably seems next to impossible—or at least really uncomfortable and appropriate only for Halloween. But vivid makeup needn't look clownish or scary as long as you play by the rules. (Sorry—no fear doesn't mean no rules.)
"People can get scared of [blue lipstick] because it can easily look cheap and garish," says makeup artist Nick Barose, who created the denim lip Nyong'o is wearing above. "So it's all about layering different pigments on top of your lipstick to give the final color some depth and richness." For Nyong'o's look, that meant dabbing metallic-blue eye shadow over a layer of navy-blue lip liner or lipstick and sealing it with a clear balm. "Adding some shine and iridescence to a bold lip makes it more forgiving and skinlike," he says. "The sheen keeps it from looking too flat and matte against the mouth, which would be a hard style for anyone to pull off." If—no, when—you're trying this look at home, choose a blue eye shadow with finely milled shimmer, like Make Up For Ever Electric Blue Metallic Artist Shadow or Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadow in Lapis, and dab it over the center of your lips to avoid looking tacky. (We like Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lipstick in Night Queen.)
Watch women try to put lipstick on with a selfie stick:
