Beginners Guide: Perfect Lipstick Application

I remember when I was a lot younger and I used to rifle through my mum's makeup collections and see a line of 6 M.A.C lipsticks and just be in awe of how pretty the packaging was and how lovely the colours were. I remember cautiously opening the little lipstick bullets and winding it up, i'd get super close to the mirror and slowly sweep it across my lips. I would try so hard to stay inside my lip line but never quite got it right! 

However, with a whole lot more practice and experience I'd like to think I have mastered the art of the perfect lipstick application; not only making it look flawless but also making it last

Preparation: no matter what form of lipstick you are using, it always looks better if your lips are hydrated and smooth. To achieve this I like to exfoliate my lips with an old dry tooth brush and rub it gently in circular motions over your lips. Not only will this get rid of the dead skin cells but also stimulate blood flow to make your lips look fuller and plumper whilst also generating new cell growth. 

Following this, I am religious with lip balm application, I put it on every morning before I start my makeup and before bed. A super hydrating lip balm (try By Terry Balm de Rose, Carmex Lip balm or Mecca Cosmetics lip moisturiser) will ensure your lips don't crack and stay hydrated through out the day and night. However, ensure you remove the lip balm before applying any other lip product as it will effect the application of the lipstick and will make it come off much faster.

Lip Liner: I always use a lip liner, I can't imagine creating a statement lip without it, it just doesn't look complete and it never lasts the day/night.

Not only does it make the lipstick look more pigmented and last a whole lot longer, but it also means the lipstick doesn't bleed into the lines around your lips by creating a barrier. 

For red lip looks i always use a matching lip liner to the lipstick but a lot of the time I won't have a lip liner that matches the lipstick exactly so I love using a clear lip liner, it still creates the barrier and makes the lipstick last but doesn't change the colour of the lipstick. Draw a thin light line around the lip line and then fill in the rest of the lips lightly. If you want to make your lips look a little bigger, draw slightly over your lip line to give the illusion of bigger, fuller lips. 

Tip: if you don't have a lip liner, a good makeshift replacement is using a stiff lip brush and taking a little of the lipstick and draw a thin line of the lipstick on the lip line before filling in the lips. It won't work AS well as lip liner but will definitely work with keeping the product in your lips.

Application: For darker lipsticks I prefer to use a lip brush, its far more precise and a lot easier to get right. I start with taking some of the product onto the brush and go around the outline of the lips. For lighter colours you can just draw it straight on from the tube but if i'm trying to make a statement look or i'm using a darker colour I like to be far more precise and controlled. Once you've drawn around the lip liner, begin to fill in the lips, putting more product on the brush when needed. Especially if you're just starting out, begin with small short strokes, i've also found that starting in the middle of the lip and working your way to the corner helps as well. Once you've filled in all of your lips you can either finish there for a sheer look, apply another coat using the brush or apply another coat straight from the tube which is what I did to make the lip darker and more vibrant, just be careful not to ruin the perfect line you created!

Additional: For darker lipstick colours, I've found that to make the line super sharp and neat put a little of your foundation or concealer on a small flat concealer brush and run it slowly under neath the lipstick line. Not only will this clean up any mistakes and make the colour look brighter, but will also stop the lipstick bleeding throughout the day.

Another tip to make the lipstick last longer and not transfer onto cups or fade is to dust it with some translucent powder. Take a tissue and pull the layers apart so you have a thin layer, hold it over your lipsticks and use a big fluffy brush, dip it in some translucent powder and sweep it over the tissue over your lips, then pull the tissue away and the lipstick should last a whole lot longer!

I hope you liked this post, let me know what else you'd like to see my write/post about in the comments section! 

Anya xx

Lipstick Used - Nars Cosmetics Lipstick in 'Afghan Red'