Lipstick is coming back, and in a big way. No longer is lipstick just for fancy occasions. There are shades that will fit any of your fancies, any of your moods. Whether you’re going out on a date and want to feel flirty, or if you’re ready to go into battle and want to feel fierce, lipstick can instantly pull your look together. Here are the tips you need to know when putting on your war paint.
1. It all starts with the right products
Good lip products are hard to find these days, and unfortunately they can have you shelling out big bucks for quality. When looking for a lipstick, you want something pigmented, long lasting, smear-proof, and moisturizing. Here are some lipstick brands that are doing it right! The first few are affordable products, and the rest are high-end products, if you want to go all out.
Affordable:
Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick – Rimmel: Great, long-lasting lipstick in matte and satin finishes.
Colour Pop: Stictly online company making super cheap, super pigmented lipstick. They make fun colors and matching lip liners!
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick: Super shiny, luxurious lipstick, with a ridiculous amount of shades to choose from.
High-end:
MAC Lipsticks: MAC is known for their quality, and you won’t be disappointed. And there are nine finishes to choose from.
Charlotte Tillbury: You’ll definitely feel glamourous applying this lipstick. Just look at the insane packaging. Expensivem but definitely worth its price tag.
YSL – YSL’s names can be comfusing, so I’ve broken it down for you according to finish: Rouge Pur Couture (satin), Volputé Shine (shiny), Rouge Pur Couture The Mats (matte), Volputé Sheer Candy (sheer), Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre (shimmer). Their lipstick is the best of the best.
2. Finding the right shade
Honestly, I’m a big fan of rocking the color you want, no matter what your skin tone is. The only one who should be a fan of your lip color is you!
Use a dark color if you want to go for a bolder look, a nude color if you want to be more professional, or a light pinky shade for a fresh look.
The right shade isn’t everything though. Once you’ve figured that out you need to find out what kind of finish you want out of your lipstick.
There are three major finishes: matte, satin, and sheer.
Satin is very pigmented, but is shiny on your lips. Kind of like, well, satin.
Matte is just as pigmented, but not shiny. Matte shades tend to be a little drying on your lips, so keep this in mind.
And sheer is not very pigmented, allowing the natural color of your lips to shine through just a bit.
3. Application
You’re going to want to start off with moderately moisturized, smooth lips. Don’t add too much chap stick, or else your lipstick won’t stick to your lips and will be easily smudged or transferred onto your favorite coffee tumbler.
If your lips tend to be more chapped, you can exfoliate them to smooth perfection with an easy-to-make, all-natural sugar lip scrub.
If you’re going for a darker shade, you’re going to want to apply lip liner first, to keep everything polished. Also if there’s a little smudge, it won’t be too noticeable. It’s okay if your lip liner doesn’t exactly match the lipstick, because you’ll be going over it anyways. But it should be close.
Lightly swipe the lipstick on. Remember, you can always build your color, but taking away color will be more difficult. You’re going to want to stretch out your lips as you apply the lipstick, so the color fills all the little crevices in your lips.
4. Blotting
Once you’re satisfied with the amount of color on your lips, blot your lips by using either a napkin or finger, just so the lipstick that gets on the inside of your mouth doesn’t rub off on your teeth.
To blot, just put the napkin in your mouth and simply close it and open it, without rolling your lips.
If you’re using your finger, do the same, except make an ‘O’ shape around your finger.
5. Rocking it
Go out there and flaunt those lips, with confidence. Stand up straight, strut, and be proud of what you got.