Get inspired this holiday season with a bright pink lip as seen on singing sensation Janelle Monae and The Vampire Diaries actress Katerina Graham at the Teen Choice Awards. Designers also sent bright pink pieces down the runway for Spring 2011, with Diane Von Furstenberg leading the pack.  Her goddess inspired collection featured models of all shades wearing the bright pink color. Badgely Mischka, Nanette Lepore and Peter Som also chose bright pink for the runway, which led the big wigs who put out the Pantone Fashion Color Report to knight Honeysuckle as the color of 2011.  
The bright pink hue or honeysuckle is a bold yet fun statement that we’re going to see on red carpets and magazines come Spring. With the holidays in full swing, it’s fun to jump ahead the color train with bright pink lips for holiday soirees instead of the predictable red lips that many women opt for around this time of year. Wearing a bright pink lip shouldn’t be scary or shockingly offensive. It’s a youthful color that flatters many skin tones. Here are a few tips on wearing Spring’s hottest hue:

  • Remember to exfoliate your lips with a very soft toothbrush or petroleum jelly and a warm washcloth to remove dead skin cells and allow even application of the lipstick.
  • Lipstick primer is a must for wearing bright pink hues since this heavily concentrated pigment fades quickly on the lips. 
  • Not all pink shades will work for your skin tone so head to the makeup counter at Sephora or your favorite department store to match the color to your undertones. It makes a big difference whether you look better in cooler colors or dazzle in warm colors. Orange-pinks will flatter warm skin tones while cool skin tones will radiate in blue-pinks. 
  • Choose a matte lipstick shade and try to avoid the plastic look of glossy lipsticks. 
  • Start with a lip pencil as a lipstick base, then apply the color using a lip brush. Precision is key when applying this bright hue.
  • Finally keep makeup minimal with a fresh face. A dab of mascara and a bronzer is all you need to keep from looking too overdone. 
  • Don’t forget to put your lipstick in your clutch or purse for reapplication when needed throughout the evening.