Last weekend, I dropped into my local Shoppers Drug Mart for their #LipsandScents event which was open to the general public. Shoppers beautyBoutique events are always so much fun. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Shoppers provided complimentary makeovers, fragrance profiles and even treated customers to beverages and macarons! Not only did I run into an old friend that I used to work with (she now manages the Sherway Gardens store!), I was also able to learn a great deal about an emerging trend that I’ve been meaning to try for over a year now: the ombré lip! Most of you know that I love a nude lip so, fearful that I would not be able to pull off a bright shade combination, I specifically asked the beauty team at the #SDMBeautyGala for neutral lip options so that I could test out the lip trend for myself. The result was subtle, but beautiful and the entire experience has given me more confidence to explore lip shades and techniques that I would have never considered before. 

The idea behind an ombré lip is to use a darker shade on the outside and work inwards with lighter colours. Whether you choose to use 2, 3 or 5 shades, the technique and overall concept remains the same. Want to give a nude ombré lip a try? 

Just follow these easy how-to steps below:

1. Before heading out to the event I prepped my lips by giving them a good exfoliation and some much-needed hydration. I used fresh Sugar Lip Polish to slough off any dead or chapped skin and then used my trusted Nivea Care Soothing Care Lip Balm to moisturize them.  Once at the event, Lysa (Beauty Advisor and Boutique Manager) used a concealer to matte out my lips and neutralize the natural plum colour that my lips tend to give off. 
2. She then carefully lined my lips using #02 Nude Beige Lipliner Pencil by Clarins. Note: she did not use the liner to fill in my lips….only to outline them.
3. Next up, she applied the darkest shade of lipstick, Dior’s Rouge Dior Baume #910 Park Avenue just below the lip liner and started to use a gradient effect to apply the others in this order: Dior Rouge Lipstick in #169 Grége & Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in #751 Tea Rose.
4. To finish the look, she used the lightest shade of lipstick, Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in #747 Rosy Nude in the centre of the lips and topped everything off with a touch of Benefit Dandelion Lip Gloss. Voila! 

If you want to see a darker, bolder ombré lip in action (using only 2 products!), head over to my friend Dee’s site. She is so incredibly gorgeous and managed to pull off the dark red ombré so well! For more information on finding your signature scent and/or to learn more about achieving the perfect lip, head over to your nearest Shoppers beautyBoutique for a free consultation or check out more details on their online beauty hub here.

This blog post was sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique but all opinions are my own.