Lipstick Tips For Luscious Lips All Day!
Lipstick can be used to create many different looks. Whether it’s bold, sexy reds, deep purples or playful pinks, the lippy you choose can help complete your look. Just as often, a simple mistake can completely ruin a look, an outfit or your mood! From wobbly outlines and wrong shades through to pink teeth, lipstick can be tricky to apply correctly.
No matter what the occasion and the colour you have chosen, there are a few easy steps you can follow to create luscious lips that last the distance. Follow these simple lipstick tips to make sure you have irresistible ‘smackers’ every time.
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Exfoliate Your Lips
Taking off any dry, dead skin cells will make your lips smoother, giving you a better finish. Use a soft toothbrush or a paste made up from sugar and water, moving in gentle circles over your lips for approximately 20 seconds.
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Apply Lip Balm First
Applying lip balm before you apply anything else will moisturise your lips and reduce the appearance of crevices in your lips. Apply a small amount and work it into your lips gently with your fingertips. Blot off any excess before you apply any other colour.
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Use Lip Liner
Lip liner can be used just to outline the lips, but consider using the lip liner to colour in the entire lip. Choose a colour that matches your lips, rather than your lippy. This will provide a strong base for your lippy, and won’t look silly if your lipstick gets smudged or comes off during the course of the day/evening. Start with the centre of your upper lip, defining the lines of your Cupid’s bow, working your way out the edges.
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Apply Your Lippy
As with the lip liner, place the tip of the lippy at the centre of your upper lip and work outwards. Lipstick tips are angles to help you stay within the lines you have created with the lip liner. If you go past these lines, the edge of your lips will look uneven.
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Blot
Place a lint free tissue or cloth between your lips and gently close over the cloth several times to remove any excess lippy.
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Re-apply
One of the simplest but often missed lip -smacking tips – for extra bold colour and superb staying power, apply another coat.
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Blot Again.
Gently blot your lips again. Removing any excess product reduced the chances of the colour lifting away at a later stage.
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Set Your Colour
Using a loose powder to set the lippy may help improve the endurance of your lipstick even more. Use a translucent setting powder to maintain the true colour. If you want to add a two-tone effect to your lips, you may like to use an eye shadow or a bronzer to create either a ‘shimmer’ or a ‘matt’ effect on your lips.
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Gloss Only If You Want
Gloss is an optional extra that is great if you are aiming for shiny, luscious lips. Remember you don’t need to apply gloss to your entire lip area. You might like to enhance the natural shape of your lips by dabbing a small amount of gloss in the centre of the lips. In addition to helping your lips retain moisture, the glossy outline provided by lip gloss can also help to hide any slightly wobbly lines that were created with the lip liner and lipstick. It’s also much easier to re-apply if you don’t have access to a mirror.
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Prevent Teeth Tinting Tragedies
Lippy on the teeth is never a good look and there is nothing more embarrassing than being the last to notice your teeth are smothered in red lippy. This faux pas is easily avoided by popping a finger into your mouth, closing you lips gently around it and slowly pulling your finger out. This finger will collect any potential run-away lipstick that may have otherwise ended up on your teeth.
Be Prepared For Touch Ups
No matter what colour or what formulation you choose, your lippy will inevitably require ‘touching up’ at some point. Greeting people with kisses and enjoying the food and beverages that accompany most occasions can result in some unavoidable shifting of colour. Carry your lippy, lip liner and lip gloss with you in a little purse. Depending on the facilities you may also wish to pack a small compact mirror and a tissue. While luscious lips do require a little ground work and a little maintenance, the look you achieve will be worth it!