Exclusive! Sonia Kashuk Shares Why You Should Wear Eyeliner on Your Lips

Before you go all swoony for the jewel-toned, India-inspired eyeshadows and nail polishes that are part of the limited edition fall beauty collection from Sonia Kashuk, you might want to hear what she had to say about trying out a luscious dark fall pout.

In a phone conversation with The Lookbook, Kashuk told us that “lips are going to make a super strongstatement this fall.” But here’s the surprising part: “Instead of red that we’ve been seeing for numerous seasons, we’re seeing a lot of dark purple and even black-red.” But don’t panic about the intensity of the hues just yet. “If you’re hesitant about really dark colors, there are ways to test the waters” without spending a fortune," Kashuk said.

Paint it Black

Kashuk also said she likes the idea of people testing a trend with what they have at home.“All of us have a black pencil at home. And we utilize it for everything. And it sounds a little crazy, but if you start out by using an eye pencil on your lips, you can try something a little deeper without splurging or using something you’re not confident with.”

Try it Two Ways

She advises one of two ways of trying the deep colored lip trend. One way is to: “Put some lip color on at home and use the black liner to get the depth you want, or go vice-versa: start with black, then add color.” In other words, start with a color family you already like, apply to lips and then intensify with the black pencil on top of the color you’ve already applied until you create the color or tone you prefer.

Conversely, Kashuk suggests what she calls "a very artistic" approach. “You can get to the intensity you want by using a brush.” Use a black liner or even a smudgy pencil all over your lips and then apply a brighter or lighter color on top of the black base. “Black-red or deep purple doesn’t have to be the extreme of what every trend says it should be. It’s also open for your interpretation of the trend.”

And if deepest tones or blackened hues don’t work for you, Kashuk says to start with what you already use and then start warming up those shades and deepening them just a little bit.” In fact, she says “I’m heading into that direction with lip color as well.”

Staying Power

If you want to prevent your lipstick from migrating south or getting stuck in the lines near your mouth, prep your pout before applying lipstick. Try: Guerlain KissKiss Liplift which smooths lips before application and keeps color firmly in place. Or, Bite Beauty Line & Define Lip Primer goes on like a balm and keeps color from budging.

The Lookbook is Bravo's home for inspiring content and experiences that feed fashionistas with a steady diet of share-worthy styles, personalities, and industry news. Like us on Facebook to stay connected to our daily updates.