Lipstick can change the look of your outfit or alter your entire persona in just one swipe. Whether you want to go classic with a bright red, or jump on the coral bandwagon, keeping that lipstick on all day is always a problem. Thankfully, there are a few super easy precautions to make sure that color stays on your lips and away from your teeth!
Lela Rose Spring 2011 show
Step 1: Exfoliate. Using a bristled brush (I prefer my toothbrush, but you can use an eyebrow brush if you please), gently exfoliate your lips to make sure they’re as soft as can be. This will help the color apply evenly.
Step 2: Prime. I put a little liquid foundation on my fingers and smear it on like lip balm. When you’re wearing a nude color, this keeps your natural lip color from showing through, and it will keep the base neutral for bold colors. I also put a little heavier concealer around the corners of my mouth to guarantee it stays in place!
Step 3: Lipstick! It’s time to swipe that color on, girl.
Step 4: Perfect. Using a lip brush, trace the outline of your lips to give a clean and crisp edge and perfect the color.
Step 5: Set. Brush translucent powder over the color to keep it in place all day, and you’re ready for anything the day brings you! If the powder dulls the color a bit, you can just dab some more lipstick on top and, voila! Lip color guaranteed to stick for hours.
Hot pink lips at the Jill Stuart Spring 2011 shows
Now the other troublesome bit of lipstick application can be the confusion that lip brushes can create! There are so many, how’s a girl to decide?! I use the Royal & Langnickel
S.I.L.K Lip Brush (BC600) if I want coverage over my entire lip, and the synthetic filament
Pointed Lip Brush (BC656) as my liner brush.
You want your lip liner to be firmer and somewhat pointed so that you get the most precise line possible! Also, a synthetic brush will be way easier to clean when you need to switch between colors.
My only parting advice for you is to keep the rest of your face simple. Mascara, great skin and maybe a bit of liner are all you need. Let your lips speak for themselves, and bring on the color!
