Applying Lipstick to Enhance your Lip Shape

Applying lipstick with moisturizers and sun protection is one effective way to protect the lips from weather changes. Moisturizing lipsticks have the smallest amount of pigment, because pigment dries your lips.

Today, most lipsticks contain some kind of moisturizer like Vitamin E, collagen, or amino acids, and some even contain sun block.

Lipstick adds the finishing touch to makeup by bringing the other colors you have applied to your face into harmony.

Applying lipstick after drawing a crisp lip outline is an important key in the finishing touch since it helps to keep the color from bleeding.

First; Apply Lipliner (Lip Pencil)...

Before applying lipstick, use a freshly sharpened lip pencil (lip liner) either in the same color as the lipstick or slightly darker color. Avoid colors that are more than one shade darker (or lighter).

Here is the correct sequence to follow when lining your lips and applying lipstick:

1. To make applying lipstick easier, rub a small amount of moisturizer on your lips (some women apply lipstick at the dinner table and even while driving).

2. Outline the center edge of your upper lip with lip liner.

3. Move to the center of your bottom lip and draw a short, horizontal line.

4. Now carefully line the corners of your mouth. If your lips are asymmetric, refer to correcting irregularly shaped lips section below.

5. Connect the lines drawn at the top and bottom center of your lips with the lines drawn at the corners of your mouth.

Then... Apply Lipstick...

6. Use a small, firm lip brush and begin applying lipstick; this gives you more control over direction and achieves a perfect edge. Relax your jaw so that your mouth is open slightly and brush on color starting in the middle of the upper lip.

7. Blot your lips gently on a tissue, being careful not to smudge or remove too much color. Then brush on a second coat of lip color to create a deeper effect.

8. For a shiny finish, use a clear or tinted lip gloss after applying lipstick. For a matte effect, lightly dust your lips with translucent powder using a powder brush.

Applying Lipstick to Correct Irregularly Shaped Lips...

If you want to correct lips that are irregular or asymmetric in shape and create the illusion of almost perfectly balanced lips, it would be easier to do before you apply color to the lips.

To balance the appearance of your lips while lining (before applying lipstick), first, divide the mouth into sections, and work on one section at a time until all the dotted lines are connected. And be aware that matte colors make lips look thinner while shimmery, glossy colors make your lips look fuller.

Make Thin Lips Look Bigger

Use a lip liner to outline your lips just outside their natural edge, making the outline slightly wider on the top and bottom. Then brush on a layer of lip color inside the outline. Spread on a layer of lip gloss on top of your lip color.

Make Full Lips Look Smaller

Apply foundation or concealer to the edges of your lips to blur the edge. Use a lip liner to outline your lips just inside the lip line, then brush on a layer of matte lip color.

Make Uneven Lips Look Balanced

Enlarge a thin top lip by outlining the upper lip just outside the edge using a lip liner, then outline the lower lip drawing the line on the on the natural edge. Brush on lip color inside the line, applying more color to the thinner half of the lip.

Make Shapeless Lips More Defined

Outline upper lip with a lip liner to emphasize the "v" in the middle before applying lipstick. Draw the line just outside the lip edge of the bottom lip to make it look fuller. Brush on dark, matte lip colors for even more definition.

Make Uneven Toned Lips Look Even Colored

Cover upper and lower lips with a little foundation. Outline lips with lip liner. Choose the lipstick color, then begin applying lipstick by brushing a darker shade onto the lighter lip and a lighter shade onto the darker lip.

Applying Lip Gloss...

Lip gloss is used to add extra shine after applying lipstick. It can be tinted or colorless and you can use it alone or over lipstick for kissing. Apply only to the center of your lips since it tends to 'bleed' beyond the lip edges. Lip gloss is not recommended for use on mature skins.