We all love this time of year for the warm sweaters, crunchy leaves on our walk to campus, and the warm autumnal beverages taking over every cafe. Personally, fall is when I thrive and so does my style, but the one damper to this season is the cold air hitting my face and inevitably drying and cracking my lips to ruin my look and bring me complete discomfort for the next few days. That is until I made the impulsive decision to start hoarding ChapSticks and my lip care obsession spiraled from there.
Now, I’m a busy girl, and so are most of my full-time student friends, so skip the research and let me tell you everything you’ll need to avoid dry, crusty, and uncomfortable lips.
Start with a staple: ChapStick
You can find these anywhere and everywhere at all times of the year. On your next trip to the drug store, I recommend you pick up a few and bring them with you everywhere. The car? ChapStick. Your jacket pocket? ChapStick. Your backpack for school? ChapStick. Your desk? ChapStick. Okay – maybe you don’t need to go as crazy as I do, but some places will sell a set of two or three in one pack and that’s a great place to start. I personally recommend:
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Blistex Nurture & Nourish
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Carmex Cherry Lip Balm
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Nivea Strawberry Lip Balm
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Aquaphor Lip Repair
Twice a week: Lip Scrub
I know people sometimes like to do this more often, but personally, I find it a little useless if you do it too often. A lip scrub is designed to rub away any dead skin on your lips and make them perfect once again. You can buy these in-store in a multitude of delicious flavours or if you’re a bit of DIY-er, you can even make some at home. I love to use the Wet N Wild Perfect Pout Lip Scrub, the Bite Beauty Agave Weekly Lip Scrub or the Lush Lip Scrub.
The lifesaver: Lip Masks
So, the Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask has been blowing up the internet. I could write an entire article on how this product has done wonders, but I challenge you to try it yourself and see how much your life will change. The concept is that this thick cream is to be applied to your lips for a long period of time to help deep condition them into being soft and silky. I’ve been putting this on my chapped and damaged lips before bed only to wake up and have them all fixed the next day. Other brands to consider are the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask or the Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips.
If the sun is out: SPF
I’m not gonna lie, I’m suuuper bad for ignoring this step more than I should, but it really does make a difference and every time I don’t do this, it shows. Your lips are prone to sunburns just like the rest of your skin and they need a little bit of attention in the sun too. Try something like Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15 or my personal favourite: Nivea Sun Lip Balm. Apply before leaving the house and under your regular lip products.
Night out: Try a gloss
Matte lipsticks look good but try to switch it up with a lip gloss sometimes. Matte lipsticks will dry out your lips as the night goes on and as you re-apply them. Aim for a glossy look next time, your lips will be more comfortable, and you’ll even avoid the awkward lipstick residue on your cup. And best of all, glossy lips are really in right now.
Use sparingly: Lip Plumpers
For a few years now, full plump lips have been all the rage thanks to Kylie Jenner. While lip plumpers look good, some can be super damaging to your lips. If you still want to try the plump lip trend, try using cinnamon oil. Cinnamon can help stimulate blood circulation which in turn will plump your lips. However, the effect won’t last very long. Make sure that you apply your lip plumpers sparingly and that you don’t make this an everyday habit to avoid severely damaging your lips. The best long-term option with the least amount of damage is caving and spending the money on lip injections.
Lip care is for everyone and is a simple way to take care of yourself. Hopefully, these tips will save you from the effects of the cold and have your lips feeling fantastic.