Two good

(From left) You can switch up the colour placement for your ombre lip; a two-toned lip look

As face masks began to become the mainstay of our wardrobes last year, beauty lovers responded by shifting their attention upwards, to the eyes. However, elaborate eye-only looks seem to have finally run their course with the spotlight moving back to the lips. And, while a killer red lip will remain a timeless classic, the question now is why stop at one colour? Enter two-tone lips, the trend that has been taking social media by storm. "From ombré lips to using two contrasting shades or even experimenting with texture, two-tone lips are a fun way to experiment and think innovatively," says marketing professional and makeup maven Gayatri Thampi.

Gayatri Thampi demonstrates a graphic lipstick shape

Ombre illusion

This look is built with two shades of lipstick in the same colour family and a lip liner. After prepping your lips, line them and apply the lighter shade in the centre of your lips, as a highlight. Shade the outer corners with the darker colour and blend the two colours lightly with a brush for a seamless finish. Reverse the order (darker in the centre and lighter in the outer corners) to create a popsicle effect. In this case, make sure to blur the edges of your lips with concealer and coat your lips with gloss.

Graphic shapes

To create this look, contrast a nude with a deeper shade. Draw a diagonal line across your mouth and fill in the colours. Do not blend. For a crisper look, you could clean up the sides of your lips with a little concealer. Add glitter to amplify the effect.

Classic dual tone

Use any two colours to create this look. You can aim for a tonal theme, which involves colours from a similar family, or create a contrast with two vibrant colours or different textures. Line your lips with a lip liner for clean, sharp edges.