Alexa Chung's vampy lip is winter beauty's last hurrah before spring

When she's not influencing our fashion choices, style muse Alexa Chung is making a beeline for our makeup bag. 

The model, television presenter and fashion designer is known for her casual, eclectic style, mixing high end pieces with bargain finds and looking impossibly chic at Glastonbury but what you might not know, is she's also a beauty enthusiast. 

© Instagram / @alexachung

Stepping out to attend various shows at Paris Fashion Week recently, the 40-year-old fashion mogul also took to Instagram showcasing her beautiful deep, vampy lip colour just as the seasons are set to change. Done by celebrity makeup artist Iván Gómez, we see Alexa pairing the vampy hue with a natural wavy curl to her brunette hair. 

Traditionally earmarked for the winter season, a dark lip is a classic look. It oozes elegance and looks incredible on all skin tones. As the seasons change, we tend to opt for lighter shades, pinks and corals but there's still time to embrace those last moments of winter and pick a berry hue. 

The drawback of some deeper colours is that they can make the lips look thinner. A darker shade means light won't be absorbed onto the lips which helps to emphasise fullness so, lips can look smaller than they are. The trick to caveat this is using a lip pencil. Slightly overlining the lips, adding fullness to the vermillion border can help plump the lips.

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A shine-inducing product like a gloss or satin lipstick can also help plump the lips. Matte formulas tend to flatten the skin leaving lips look thinner still. 

It's also worth considering the other elements of your makeup look. With a dark lip, it's more flattering to go lighter on the eye. A layer of volumising mascara and keeping the eyeshadow minimal is key. When it comes to blush, look at a slightly warmer shade. This will counteract the deepness of your lip colour and bring warmth to the skin for a more harmonious look and fewer Morticia-vibes.