Never underestimate the truly transformative powers of a great lipstick; a slick of pillar box red can take low-key jeans and t-shirt into super-chic territory, a punchy bright coral lends an end-of-day complexion a fresh wake-up call and a failsafe pink-toned nude can bring a whole look together. We sat down with face painter extraordinaire and the make-up artist for the Dolce&Gabbana Dolce Matte Lipstick campaign, Tom Pecheux, (a man who's worked on more cover shoots and fashion shows than we’ve had hot dinners) to talk about one of our very favourite subjects… all things lipstick.**
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Tom’s top lipstick tips and tricks:
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Pair Matte & Glossy
‘A matte lipstick is really sophisticated; I love it because it has a chic, seductive appeal. For a really cool look, try pairing your statement lip with glossy skin.’
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My Personal Favourite
‘We all have a different definition of the perfect red, so Dolce & Gabbana created thirteen different reds as part of their Dolce Matte for this very reason. A pure red is my favourite, so their "Flirt" shade – which was inspired by the floral print in Stefano and Domenico’s collection - is my go-to. It’s my vision of what red should be.’
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Texture Play**
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‘You should play around with all different textures and move away from routine. I can understand why women get bored of doing the same make up every day. I would get bored, too!’**
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Find Your Perfect Hue
‘To choose a lipstick to match your skin tone start by eliminating the colour you don’t feel you will ever wear. Bright red, the dark brown red, the dark purple red – most people can eliminate about seven or eight colours straight away by doing this. Then you can try the shades left. That’s the only way to do it properly and find what’s right for you.’
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**Be a Mixologist
‘As I travel a lot I refuse to carry 25 bags of make-up, so I don’t carry all of my lipsticks at once. I pack five or six of the lipsticks from the Dolce Matte collection, the ones I consider the most classic shades, and the most extreme ones, and I mix them together.’
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**Foolproof Application
‘If I’m mixing lipsticks I use the back of my hand as a my palette and then apply it to the lips with a brush. This gives a very full coverage and you can create your own bespoke shade.’
Holiday Face **
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**‘The key to keeping your make-up fresh in the summer is to apply very little. When it’s warm, dry or too humid, you don’t want to wear tons of products on your skin. Start with a good sun block, moisturising cream, a touch of concealer and pair with a pop of colour on the lips.’
You can seee the whole range of Dolce Matte lipsticks here.