This French-style 'bitten lip' makes bold shades more wearable and less daunting

Viola Davis is pictured with a diffused red lipstick look at the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California, alongside a picture of Léa Seydoux with a soft rosy-pink diffused lip look at the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 02, 2023 in Paris, France and finally, Sienna Miller, with a blurred berry lipstick look at the "Horizon: An American Saga" Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2024 in Cannes, France/ in a beige and grey sunset-style template.

While red lipstick is synonymous with French beauty, there's another infinitely more wearable look that rivals the signature shade - and it seeks to replicate the appearance of just-kissed lips...

If you have always been tempted by a classic red or sultry berry whilst perusing the list of best long-lasting lipsticks, but find them too bold or daunting, you may want to consider a soft-focus lip. Dubbed 'Bitten Lips' (or blurred/blotted lipstick), this trend plays on the idea of how your lips might look, post-kiss and is a classic French makeup trick for achieving an effortless finish. It's a subtle and low-maintenance route into red and pink shades because it's supposed to appear blurred and a tad messy (you've just been kissed after all) - and makes nudes and corals appear even more natural.