Billie Piper's clever 'blurred' lipstick trick makes any shade feel so wearable (even red)
And we know the exact 'velvet' lipstick behind her chic, diffused look.
While there's always a time and place for a statement red lip, lately blurred, tinted, and soft-matte finishes have been increasingly popular, and Billie Piper's clever trick will help you adjust all your signature shades to match.
Though many of the best long-lasting lipsticks offer impressive pigment, that doesn't mean you always have to wear them at their full intensity. There are ways to achieve several looks from one formula, from applying a gloss over the top, for instance, to layering it over a lip liner - for boosted longevity. You can also diffuse the tint by gently dabbing on your lippie rather than swiping, and blending it out with your finger or perhaps better yet, a lip brush. The latter is one tool we often overlook because lipstick is designed to apply directly. But as Billie Piper's soft-focus lip at this year's Toronto International Film Festival proves, it can create such a chic and wearable look.
The actress walked the red carpet in a structured black suit, offset by her strawberry-blonde hair, styled into a voluminous, side-parted bob, a pop of fresh, dewy blush and the loveliest 'blurry' rose lip.
The exact shade behind Billie Piper's blurred lip, 'Velvet Jazz' is described as a 'muted, earthy brick red,' though as we've seen on the actress, it can be diffused to a subtler shade too. Lisa Eldridge's True Velvet lipsticks are very pigmented and boast a comfortable velvet-matte finish with a soft, 'three-dimensional' sheen.
If you're keen to try out this blurring lip trick, this affordable brush from Boots is a great place to start. It features a precise, angled tip that will help achieve precision and definition, as well as a diffused finish, depending on how you use it and the effect you're going for.
For another soft matte lipstick option, these Signature Lip Blushes are among our team's favourite Merit Beauty buys. They deliver a soft-focus veil of colour to your lips and can be built up or sheered out easily. The formula also feels incredibly lightweight and comfortable.
Detailing the look and all the products used to create it in an Instagram post, celebrity makeup artist James Molloy wrote: "Keeping the complexion sheer and glowy with a boyish blush and blurry lip felt right against the structured suit and soft hair." We couldn't agree more; there's something so effortless about the pairing, but specifically the lip, which Molloy shared was actually applied with a lip brush (the Mykitco 503 My Blurred Lip Brush).
Interestingly, the lipstick Piper wore, Lisa Eldridge's True Velvet Lip Colour in the shade 'Velvet Jazz,' is a brick-red tone, but you wouldn't know it when looking at the star's soft, blushy lip. To us, it feels very in line with French makeup and the trend of tinted and 'bitten' lips. It's subtle but elevated, the sort of look that works for every day, not just for an event.
This trick of using a brush to apply and diffuse the lipstick gives you a lot of control over the finish and colour payoff. You can build it up as desired or buff it out, making this statement shade feel more approachable and versatile. And of course, you can use it in tandem with all your favourite signature lipstick shades.
This flat-style brush also works for applying and blending out your lip liners, and even buffing two lipstick shades together, making it quite the multi-tasker to have in your kit too.
