Makeup 101: Lips

Lipstick was probably the first thing you grabbed out of your mother's makeup stash as a small child because it is just so fun to smear on a bright color.

Lip color is one of the most apparent changes you can make to your face. It is often the first thing people notice about you depending on how bold the color is. It is also the easiest type of makeup to apply and therefore is often peoples first makeup experience.

Types of Lip Color

Lipstick - lip pigment that comes in different styles and textures including matte, cream, frost, metallic, velvet, etc.; pigmented from sheer to opaque

Lip Gloss - give lips a glossy drenched with moisture look; often pigmented from sheer to opaque

Lip Balm - a moisturizer for lips; can be pigmented

Lip Stain - stain lips with pigment for long lasting color; pigmented

Hybrids of each type exist as well such as glossy stains, balm stains, glossy lipstick, etc.

Lip colors can come with benefits including anti-aging ingredients, moisturizers, exfoliaters, sun protection and more.  With lip products that multi-task as skin enhancers there isn't an excuse not to have at least one in your lip arsenal.  My favorite drugstore lip product with benefits is Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched with SPF 20.

Getting the lips ready for color

Just as you would prime the face or the eyes, you should prime the lips before adding a bold color.  The object is to exfoliate and moisturize so that you do not end up with flaky looking lips.  I use a lip scrub first then a clear lip balm before applying my makeup.  I like to use EOS Organic Smooth Sphere Lip Balm, plus the egg shape is just so fun to use and it doesn't get lost as easily in your purse.  Wait until you have applied the rest of your makeup and then use a lip liner as a base for your color to prevent it from bleeding and feathering our onto your lips.  Apply lip color last.

To Apply Lip Liner

Draw a line along the outer edge of your lips and then fill them in with the liner.

For everyday use a nude or neutral colored lip product.  My favorite neutral drugstore lip product is Revlon Colorstay Kissable Balm Stain in Honey because it lasts all day and you don't need to prep the lips much before applying it.  This color is interesting because it seems to morph depending on who is wearing it.  On my friend it is a nude brown and on me it is a pink mauve.  It works for most skin tones.

For a fun bright lip color look you want to use a lip liner as a base.  Here I have used the Sally Hansen Invisible Lip Liner under Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipcolor in Vivid Rose.  The clear lip liner keeps the bold lip color from bleeding and feathering outside of the lips without effecting the bright color.  I personally like the sort of see through effect here, but if you like your lip color to look even more bold you can use a lip liner that matches your natural lip color.

Nothing is quite as sexy red lips. Just ask Marilyn Monroe, it was her signature look.  Matte lips are in style again this fall and my favorite drugstore matte red lipstick is Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick from the Kate Moss Collection.  For this look you will need to exfoliate and moisturize your lips then line them with a red lip liner.  The red lipstick I used is a cool toned red while the lip liner is a warm toned red.  The lip liner I used here is Rimmel London Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner in Red Diva.  The two colors balance each other out to create a nice true red color.

To make lips stand out more and look fuller, use liquid concealer around the outside of the lips.  Then use a highlighter above the bow and under the center of the lips.  This is obviously not what I did here, but it will make lips look flawless and even more gorgeous.

Since matte lips can be somewhat drying you might want to slick on some balm over time to keep lips from looking withered. My lips are starting to show their age and these Macro shots definitely don't help because you can see every flaw. I personally prefer a glossy lip to a matte lip because it makes my lips look more full. My favorite drugstore clear lip gloss is Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss in Through the Looking Glass.

There is such a thing as lip contouring but I personally have never found it to look any different than simply applying the lip products on their own.

Do you contour your lips?