After years of sheer, barely-there glosses, lipstick is making a big comeback. The new makeup trend is rich, vibrant, creamy color. But application can get tricky: too much lipstick can smear all over, and the wrong color can make you look very old or comical. Here are some tips.
Exfoliate
Keep lips smooth by regularly exfoliating with a homemade sugar-and-oil scrub. Apply balms to hydrate lips, the same way you’d religiously moisturize.
Stay away from super-sparkly lipstick
Sparkle may work on the runways (or your five-year-old niece) but it can make you look cheap and rather silly. Stick to lipsticks that are creamy, so any reflective properties come from the moisture in the product rather than metallic pigments.
Want a bright lipstick? Start with your lip color
Experts say that when you’re choosing a bright lipstick, you need to study your natural lip color rather than your ski ton. If you have very pale lips, pick a very cherry red or a softer coral. Reddish lips are a perfect match for hot pink, orange or cranberry lips. Dark lips are the right canvas for brick red and burgundy shades.
Want a nude lipstick? Start with your skin tone
A nude lipstick should be just one shade deeper or brighter than your skin tone, or you’ll look like a corpse. Those with pale skin should get something slightly pinkish, while those with yellowish or olive skin tones should stick to a beige palette (think sand shades). Pair with smoky eyeshadow for an elegant evening look.
Don’t get black and blue
Unless you’re a goth, avoid lipsticks that have very strong black or blue undertones. You’re going to look older, even a little bit creepy. The only exception of course is is you’re going to a Halloween party as a vampire—but if you’ve seen the Twilight series, you know that even Bella wouldn’t wear those colors.
Buy a natural looking liner
While most lipsticks stay put, you may want to put liner to give it something to ‘stick’ to—sort of like a primer—or to enhance the shape of your lips. In that case, pick a liner that matches your lip color and then use it for both the outline and to gently fill in the entire lip before putting on lipstick.
Apply from the center
Apply lipstick at the middle of the lips and then blend towards the corners. You can use a brush for more precision (especially if you’re using a bold color like red) or your fingers.
photo from thegloss.com