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B for Beauty Sep 2, 2009 @ 4:11pm

Would You Wear These Lips?

by Abby Gardner

There’s been much buzz on the interwebs about Rihanna’s Italian Vogue couture shots by Steven Klein. The nudity! The bondage! The muzzle! While I generally think the pictures are all-around fabulous, I couldn’t help but focus on her practically opaque white lips in this particular shot.

I also just spotted a chalky pink version of this lip in the September issue of Russh. Instantly I had flashbacks to my middle school days of Revlon’s Silver City Pink, Zinc Pink, and Frosted Brownie. These three shades were must-wears for all of my friends, skin tone be damned.

Given that my skin is pale to the point of translucent at times, I don’t see how I could pull off either of these two examples. But what about you guys? Should we all start mixing a little white into our favorite matte shades this fall? Maybe I’ll give it a try with one of my darker hues and see how it goes.

What do you think? Can the editorial trend translate?

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posted by guest

Sep 02, 2009 4:18PM

Oh Abby, I had Silver City Pink, and then I graduated to Coffee Bean.

I think a light lip is OK as long as it's mattte.

posted by Abby Gardner

Sep 02, 2009 4:20PM

OMG, how could I forget Coffee Bean??!! It was totally the next step.

posted by Stephers Closet

Sep 02, 2009 4:29PM

I remember women in the 1980's wearing this style of lip. There was a white shade of lipstick that Revlon did.
I do like a pale lip, preferably in a satin finish...but just not white or so chalky looking.

posted by guest

Sep 02, 2009 4:30PM

to be fair, it was a much darker shade. And often finished with lip liner and gloss. I'm channeling TLC right this second.

posted by Fashion_1st

Sep 02, 2009 4:31PM

Love the way it looks here, but I can say i ahve a friend to does the frosty matte almost white thing, it just looks very tacky and jersey... But hey if u can rock it go for it! Fashion is all abou the risk!

posted by fashionursta

Sep 02, 2009 4:36PM

Anyone can totally do a light lip- you just need to find the correct shade/consistency. I have naturally purplish pink lips (weird, i know), and I always looked awful when I tried it. (Nars Chelsea Girl, Belle du Jour, MAC Hug). But I finally found a Bobbi Brown tinted lip gloss that gives me the lighter lip without looking like a corpse. The way it blends with my natural lip color gives me the light lip that I had been searching for. And it goes without saying that it needs to be balanced with a smokey darkly lined eye

posted by Stephers Closet

Sep 02, 2009 4:41PM

I agree with what fashionursta said above. Very true.

posted by Kay Bee

Sep 02, 2009 5:00PM

I think it only looks cool because this is a black and white photograph, but in real like it would just look plain dumb.

Speaking of middle school trends, I'm waiting to see someone walking around in white eyeliner...

posted by Fashion_1st

Sep 02, 2009 5:00PM

Sorry about all my above typos [sneaking in some fashionista while at work]
Fashionursta: Sounds very promising, maybe I'll take the plunge and try it... I do happen to to LOVE the almost nude look with smokey dark eye, but like i said pink makes my think jersey.... Ek!

posted by guest

Sep 02, 2009 5:04PM

Omg i remeber white eyeliner in hs and coffee bean lipstick. I remeber borrowing it in camp and feeling so cool because i wear wearing lipstick lol

posted by Maggid

Sep 02, 2009 5:09PM

My favorite was a wet'n'wild frosty lilac shade, and a white one - that still lives somewhere in the annals of my just-in-case stock. I think it's a potentially sexy look for summer, highlighting the just off the beach glowing bronzed skin. For winter, I'm not so sure.
For fair-skinned ladies, I'd try rimming lips with white eyeliner, then mixing A sheer tint with matte foundation or powder

posted by AmandasFashionSpot

Sep 02, 2009 5:33PM

Rhianna looks hotty, hot, hot in this shot! Very model-esqe.

posted by Kate

Sep 02, 2009 6:39PM

love love love these! the translation could be tough in terms of execution, but i would totally do a double take if i saw someone walking down the street with these lips done right

posted by Peter

Sep 02, 2009 8:33PM

I've been trying to find a color like this for my sister for a while.

This V Lady Gaga cover is a recent example... I think it looks cool. I'm sure you get V at fashionista... could you post whatever it says she has on her lips? (if it's listed in the credits)

http://www.frillr.com/?q=node/15464

posted by Amber

Sep 03, 2009 1:16AM

Abby I disagree. Since you are pale, the colors would work that much better with your skin tone.

And Rihanna is just fucking ridiculous. Everything she does turns to gold. That Vogue Italia shoot blew my mind AND her body! Oh my God. I would kill for it.

posted by JohannaSauvage

Sep 03, 2009 9:07AM

oh yes! that is the reason why a light face-tan is a blessing.
I do the matte-corpse lips quite often, since i found the best concealer-stick. Till then i couldn't find any lipstick giving this effect.

posted by nycshoegal

Sep 03, 2009 11:07AM

i am the palest person (darker hair included) and my favorite thing in the world is a pale, matte pink or beige lip. The trick is to have darker eye makeup in order to not look washed out. but pale matte lips rock!

posted by guest

Sep 03, 2009 11:48AM

considering I spent a lot of time on the water sailing and surfing this summer, I feel like my wearing of zinc oxide this summer in varying colors, mostly light orange/coral, yellow and white zinc oxide, actually fit this if it becomes a trend, especially since I applied mine with a q tip instead of my finger so it would be even...

posted by clawzzzy

Sep 03, 2009 12:07PM

Lady Gaga is wearing white lips too - http://blogue.us/2009/09/03/lady-gaga-tanned-on-v-magazine/

posted by guest

Sep 03, 2009 2:35PM

i guess everyone forgets that people in nj read this blog. or that all of us didnt star on the sopranos or take our fashion cues from carmella soprano

posted by Vivianista

Sep 03, 2009 3:42PM

You better have some white ass teeth..

posted by Vivianista

Sep 03, 2009 3:43PM

and im from nj too!

posted by guest

Sep 08, 2009 1:56PM

i think the look can be very fresh looking as long as you find the right shade for your lips and skintone.