What Aquarelle Is — and What It Is Not
Aquarelle is the most misunderstood archetype in lip blushing. It is not a lighter version of Lip Blush. It is a fundamentally different application philosophy: no defined outline, maximum diffusion, 10-20% saturation. The result should look like the client's lips after biting them lightly — a flush of colour with no visible edges.
This makes Aquarelle the hardest archetype to execute well. There is nowhere to hide mistakes when you are working at low saturation with no boundary line. Every pass must be intentional. Every needle entry must serve the overall diffusion pattern.
Diagnostic Indicators
Aquarelle is diagnostically indicated when the client presents with well-defined natural borders (the technique relies on the natural edge rather than creating one), adequate natural lip colour that simply needs warming, minimal asymmetry (low saturation makes correction difficult), and a preference for enhancement so subtle that colleagues will not notice it.
It is contraindicated when the client has poorly defined borders (they need definition, not diffusion), pale or uneven natural pigmentation (they need more saturation than Aquarelle provides), significant asymmetry (the low saturation cannot mask it), or expectations of a visible lipstick effect.
The most common diagnostic error with Aquarelle is selecting it because the client says they want something "subtle." Subtle is a relative term. For some clients, Lip Blush at moderate saturation is subtle. For others, even Aquarelle feels too much. The practitioner's job is to assess the presentation and translate the client's vocabulary into the correct archetype — not echo it uncritically.
Application Technique
Work in circular motions, not linear strokes. The goal is even diffusion across the entire lip body without concentration points. Use a round shader configuration (5RS or 7RS) rather than a tight liner grouping. Machine speed should be moderate — too fast creates trauma without adequate pigment deposit; too slow creates over-saturation in focal areas.
The border approach is what distinguishes Aquarelle from every other archetype. Do not trace the vermilion border. Instead, work from the centre of the lip body outward, allowing pigment density to naturally decrease as you approach the edges. The border should fade out rather than stop. If you can see a line where pigment ends and natural lip begins, you have not achieved Aquarelle — you have achieved an under-saturated Lip Blush.
Needle depth for Aquarelle is fractionally shallower than for other archetypes. The goal is to deposit pigment in the upper dermis where it will produce a translucent wash effect rather than an opaque layer. This requires a lighter hand — both less pressure and fewer passes than you might instinctively want to apply.
Healing Expectations
Aquarelle heals lighter than it appears during the procedure — often 40-50% lighter. This must be communicated clearly to the client. The first session establishes the base tone. A second session at 6-8 weeks refines the colour and addresses any areas that healed unevenly. Clients should understand that single-session results with Aquarelle are intentionally subtle; the technique is designed to be built up gradually.
The ghost phase is more pronounced with Aquarelle than any other archetype because the initial saturation is so low. During weeks 2-3, the client may believe all colour has disappeared. Proactive communication during this period — a simple check-in message — prevents unnecessary anxiety and premature touch-up requests.
Common Errors
Uneven diffusion is the most frequent Aquarelle error. It manifests as patchy colour — some areas holding pigment while others appear untouched. The cause is almost always inconsistent needle depth or speed variation across the lip surface. Maintain constant hand pressure throughout the procedure. If you notice concentration points forming, do not try to fix them by adding more pigment to thin areas. Stop, reassess your technique, and adjust your approach for the second pass.
The second common error is exceeding the saturation ceiling. Once you pass 20% saturation, you are no longer performing Aquarelle. You are performing a light Lip Blush without a border — which is a different result with different aesthetic properties. If the client needs 30% saturation, reclassify the treatment as Lip Blush and apply the appropriate technique.
Case Study: The Subtle Request That Needs Redirection
A 34-year-old client requests Aquarelle. She says she wants "barely there, just a hint of colour." Assessment reveals: Fitzpatrick II, naturally pale lips with minimal natural pigmentation, well-defined borders, no asymmetry. The four-point skin assessment is positive across all criteria.
The diagnostic issue: on very pale lips with minimal natural pigmentation, Aquarelle at 10-20% saturation may be virtually invisible after healing. The client's "barely there" expectation is relative to her Instagram reference photos — which show results on clients with more natural lip colour providing a visible base. On her pale canvas, the same technique will produce almost no visible change.
The recommendation: Lip Blush at the lower end of its saturation range (25-30%) rather than Aquarelle. This gives the "barely there" result she is imagining because on pale lips, low-saturation Lip Blush reads as subtle enhancement — not as a lipstick effect. Show her the expected healed result at both saturation levels using your reference library. When she sees that Aquarelle at 15% would heal to essentially invisible on her skin, and Lip Blush at 28% would heal to the "hint of colour" she is actually describing, the technique selection becomes a collaborative, evidence-based decision.