How to rock two-toned lips (the modern way)

Mention two toned lips to anyone over 25 and they'll most likely shudder. And with good reason

After all, the last time it was truly in vogue was in the late 90s/early noughties. The trick back then was simple: lots of concealer, and then a hard, dark brown line around the natural lip line. The Spice Girls, Pamela Anderson and Gwen Stefani (to name but a few!) rocked it, and we did too. Needless to say, we all looked massive.

Thankfully, the latest incarnations have been more about subtly than the ol' concealer and brown liner of yore. Ombre lips have been popular for a while, (on Instagram anyway) but the new two-toned look is a more graphic rather than perfectly blended.

Two-toned doesn’t have to look “crazy” or “artsy” either, it could simply be a case of applying a deeper tone of say, pink first, and then adding a slightly lighter shade to the centre of lips for a fuller effect. Although if you did want to go a bit wilder, clashing shades of fuschia and pillar box red look great together.

Not sure about how to blend? Another way to create a two-tone lip is by applying your lipstick first and then adding a different shade of gloss on top. Dab it on the centre of lips and allow it to melt into the other colour to create the two tone effect. Above you can see one of the looks I did for a beauty shoot using a mix of Too Faced liquid lipstick and Clinique Pop Lacquer gloss.

And if you want to try the trend for less, Catrice has released a two-tone 'Ombré' lipsticks (€5.50) for their SS17 collection that basically do all the work for you.

Ultimately, techniques and trends such as two-toned lips are all about having a bit of fun with your make-up. Would you give it a go?