So you want to wear makeup…Lips (finally!!)

Hey guys!!!

Here’s my final installment of ‘So you want to wear makeup…‘, your basic, beginner’s guide to makeup.  Lip products are probably the first makeup items that young girls begin wearing.  Easy to use, inexpensive and you feel like you are wearing something, even if it’s a colourless product.

Lip Balm

There are a few items that are useful to have when you are starting your lip arsenal.  One vital lip product to have is lip balm.  The lips do not produce its own sebum (which helps trap moisture onto the skin), so we need to use products to prevent them from drying out.  This is were lip balm comes in.   I tend to stay away from balms with petroleum-based products, and two of my favourite balms are Oyin Honey Sticks and eos Spherical Lip Balms.  And, you should absolutely use balm when you are going to wear bright, intense or matte colours, especially reds.

Exfoliants

So what if you have dried, cracked lips?  Prior to applying balm, use a lip scrub to exfoliate your lips.  You could buy a fancy product, but I like using a few drops of olive oil and brown sugar.  Mix into a paste, rub onto lips and voila!! Smoothness!  You want to exfoliate a couple times a week or as needed!

Lipsticks, glosses etc.

I actually just use lip balm on a daily basis, especially if I am wearing a simple, neutral eye.  If you are interested in colour, then you have other options.  The most popular coloured lip products are lip gloss and lip sticks.  There are also lip tints (stains).  All of these come in a myriad of colours, textures and effects.  You can go from the high shine of glosses or the non-reflective qualities of matte lipstick.  There is something out there to satisfy you.  This year, I decided that I was going to branch out and start using lipsticks again.  In colour!! I just got MAC’s Rebel lipstick, which is a gorgeous dark fuschia.  We’ll see how my experiment goes!!  Some well-known specialty store brands are M.A.C. (of course!), MUFE (they have amazing new lipsticks!) Christian Dior, Chanel, NARS and Stila.  Revlon, L’Oreal, NYX and Maybelline make some popular, more affordable drugstore lip products.

When starting out with lip colour, I would recommend something neutral, that is close to your lip colour, with a hint of brown or pink tones to it.  A lip gloss is probably easier to work with as you could find a really sheer formula, but both lipsticks and lip glosses would be appropriate for work or a basic look.

For basic makeup, you could also use lip pencils.  They provide a border and a base for your lip colour and can add depth to your overall lip look, but they are not essential, unless of course you are wearing a bold lip colour, then they are a must.

As for lip brushes – necessary with you need to create a precise lip, or applying products from a pot.  It helps keep your lip products sanitary!

I hope you guys enjoyed this series and learned a little something!!

Please check out the other entries —->

• The Basics
• The Basics II
• Eyes
• Cheeks

Enjoy!!!