Lipstick Queen's Black Tie Optional
by Ceil

"Even though I have the type of coloring that is suited by warm tones and nude lippies...I am secretly attracted to unusual and vampy colored lipsticks and glosses. So, it is not really a surprise to me that when Lipstick Queen came out with Black tie optional, marketed as "sheer black stockings for your lips"....I was fascinated!


You know...I've tried other blackish lip glosses before and found that when I looked in the mirror...I pretty much looked like I was going to come down with an illness soon.But...I hadn't tried a "lipstick" that was black...so I caved and ordered it.
Black tie optional has turned out to be one of the most useful things in my cosmetic arsenal. Used alone...it gives your lips a soft greyish-purple hue that is-- what I might have to describe as rather unflattering...at least on me. But where this product really shines is how it reacts with other colors when used over and under other lipsticks and with glosses.

It's consistencyis slightly waxy, but not at all sticky. It feels almost powdery soft and smooth on, but has that "drag" that a little more waxiness in products like a lip conditioner would have.What this does so magically if worn underneath another color is that it act as almost as a primer and keeps other dark vampy lip colors in place. I personally have big-timeissues with dark colors bleeding and looking sloppy or swollen and this product eliminates this for me. And...it also slightly deepens medium to light colored lipsticks and turns them into very arresting shades. I also have very pale lips and when worn underneath it holds up better to losing all of my color from drinking my morning coffee.

Black tie optional also does something else very very fun when worn over another lipcolor. It can change a "too garish" or too dark color and turn it into somethingwearable and gorgeous. With my fair colored complexion...those vampy fun colors that I love often just don't look right on me. Those lipsticks can stand out like a flag sometimes.When worn on top, this Lipstick Queen black shade mattifies and tones down, but doesn't reduce any saturation of color. So I end up with a softer version of a vampy or striking shade.I end up with a fun look that I can wear...one that doesn't wear me."