DRESSING ON THE SIDE: Orange You Glad It’s Spring?

Spring ’14 has an orange crush. Orange–in every tone from sweet dreamsicle to blazing sunset – is the shade for lips. Who woulda thunk?

By Maureen Mancini Amaturo

Spring ’14 has an orange crush. Orange–in every tone from sweet dreamsicle to blazing sunset – is the shade for lips.

Who woulda thunk? Of all the colors on the wheel, orange may be the least celebrated and most controversial, being a hate-it or love-it shade. It’s also the color of safety cones and high-alert warning, so if you’re the type who wants to avoid attention, keep conversations short, and stay low-key, stick with mauve. The color psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting, passionate, enthusiastic, creative, determined, and stimulating. It’s extroverted and uninhibited. And right now, it’s the makeup shade of the season.

Whether you choose a bold red-orange or a peachy-nude tone, high patent-leather gloss, or a matte stain, try a little Vitamin C, that’s C for color. “Orange is the happiest color,” said Frank Sinatra. And hey, whatever Frank says…you know?

Orange Aid

How do you pick your orange? These guidelines can help.

• Orange doesn’t rhyme with anything, but it does pair nicely with some things. Try orange lips when wearing red or yellow for a fiery combination. In tamer tones, these three together are fresh and fruity. Paired with green, orange is tropical. Orange is the complimentary color to blue and really pops with a medium blue. Try orange with deep purple. Use caution mixing orange and pink unless you want to recreate a vibrating, 60s psychedelic look.

• Wear a bright or matte orange lipstick with minimal makeup and crazy long lashes. For this look, try Kevyn Aucoin Expert Lip Color in Micavel. This powerhouse matte orange is the one to wear with exaggerated lashes and all other makeup low key.

• Melon is the most versatile and will work on almost every skin tone. Check out Revlon Moon Drops Frost Lipstick in 24K Orange 706

• Apricot will really make olive skin glow.

• A strong orange lip always works when wearing stripes or a graphic print.

• Ginger-haired girls should pick a bright orange that has pink undertones.

• Tangerine shades look great with deep, brown eyes.

• For darker skin tones, a reddish orange, sheer or full-color, looks great. M.A.C Lipstick in Lady Danger is an orange with the perfect deep, red tone. Classic.

• The easiest way to wear bright lip color is with a glide-on pencil. Look at Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Audacious. So easy to apply. When you wear bold lip colors with saturated pigment, like orange or red, coloring outside the lip line is 100X more noticeable. Precise application, along your true lip line, is key. To reduce color bleeding with deep lip shades, especially if your lips are dry, use a lip liner. Lip liner should be the same tone as your lip color or nude.

• Shy girls try Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Orange. It’s a pumpkin orange, but like all Bobbi Brown shades, it’s a bit subdued and very wearable.

Juicy Choices

Several designers and mass brands have great options (with very fun names.) Whatever your preferred price point, finish, or brand, department store or drug store, you’ll find your orange. Here are some fresh oranges that are top picks for spring:

• Chanel Rouge Allure Intense Lip Color in Incandescente

• Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick in Madame Tulipe

• NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Timanfaya or Heatwave

• Maybelline New York Color Sensational Vivids in Electric Orange

• Avon Ultra Color Lipstick in Tangerine Tango Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick in Tangerine

• Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Fireball

• Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

• NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick

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