Lip Makeup

The correct lip makeup can make you look great for any occasion. Learn about your options here.

The lips are one feature that are often forgotten when applying makeup and this is a makeup faux pas. Forgetting to give your lips a little color can give you a look that is incomplete. Use the tips below to look your best.

Your lips are a focal point as you speak, eat and laugh so you want them to look their luscious best. Take good care of your lips with lip balm applied regularly. If your lips get a little rough you can use a lip exfoliator to make them smoother. When it is time for a little color, you have several options:

Tinted Lip Balm

Tinted lip balms provide the moisture of a balm but offer a sheer infusion of color. Lip Balm is great for day wear makeup or the no make up makeup look.

Lip Stick

Lip stick is a more opaque color. It usually comes in a tube, but it also come in a tub and is applied with a brush. To make your favorite lip stick stay put, apply a light coat of foundation and dust with powder. Apply your lipstick, blot well and dust with powder. Apply a second light coat of lip color and blot again. Using your finger, apply a dab of gloss to the center of your lower lip for a pouty look.

With the new long lasting lip colors that are now on the market, this technique is often no longer needed. However, if you have a favorite shade of lipstick and you can't find a similar shade in the long lasting lip color, this technique works like a charm.

Lip Gloss

There are a wide variety of lip glosses on the market that offer a wide range of looks. A light gloss will give a subtle glossy look while a heavier gloss is super shiny. There are lip vinyls, glitter gloss, flavored gloss, tinted gloss and tub gloss. You can use lip gloss as the only lip enhancement that you use for your look or you can use it to accent lip color that you apply beforehand. You may want to apply lip gloss to the entire lip area, but if you are using the gloss to enhance your lip color, use your finger to dab it on in strategic areas.

Lip Stain

A lip stain is between a natural look and a made up look. You smudge the color on your lips, staining them so that they have a bruised look as if you have been kissing all night. You can enhance the look with a little gloss, but keep it light. You don't want to detract from the stained look.

Lip stain comes in a tub and you apply it with your finger. Some brands can be a little drying, but if you use a lip balm prior to application, let it sit for a while before using the stain so that the balm can penetrate the lips and the stain won't slide off.

Long Lasting Lip Color

Long lasting lip color, or extended wear lip color, gives your lips color and won't rub off. You can eat, kiss, even sleep and the color will stay put. The downside of this type of lip color is that it can be a little drying and it has a matte finish that tends to look dry in certain shades.

Plus, if you make a mistake, you can't simply rub it off without a Q-tip soaked in cleansing cream or you can remove it with lip makeup remover. For additional information on lip makeup remover please see the lip makeup remover page. Some brands come with a gloss, though, so that does help with the dryness and dull finish. If you go with this type of lip stick, choose carefully.

Return from Lip Makeup to the Makeup Styles.