Pout and about? Let your lips do the talking

Last month we celebrated National Lipstick Day and what better way to be inspired by the world’s favourite makeup staple than to pucker up with a swipe of your favourite shade and uncover some fun lipstick facts..

Did you know that red lipstick is believed to be the most youthful shade because the stark contrast between red and all skin tones is associated with youth?

Some of the first ingredients used to create lipstick were animal fat, ox marrow, beeswax and crushed gemstones. 

The first bullet lipstick was produced in 1884, with the swivel-up tube variety making its debut in 1923. The first long-wear lipstick was developed by chemist Hazel Bishop after World War 2.

Now before you rush to dress your lips with the lipstick shade du jour, take note of these tips for perfecting your pout and maximising your lipstick power.

To avoid chapped lips start with a smooth base

Dry lips are almost unavoidable in winter and most of us struggle with flaking at least once during the season. By sitting on top of dry skin, lip colour can draw attention to the dryness and, if the dry cells flake off, your lips will be visibly patchy and lip colour will peel off. Make sure to gently exfoliate your lips (you can make your own scrub using sugar with a little bit of olive oil) and apply a hydrating lip balm before adding colour. Give your lip balm some time to absorb before applying colour to guarantee a perfect application and colour pay-off.

Prime lips for a punchy reward

This isn’t always necessary, but if you’re looking for maximum colour pay-off or want nude lipstick shades to pop, then priming lips before lipstick application can go a long way. Use a lip concealer to create a base for your lip colour and to cancel the natural pink hue of your lips that can sometimes interfere with the true colour reward of a nude lipstick. 

To increase the longevity of your lipstick, apply a translucent powder.

Create a defined shape

If you want your lipstick to look clean, refined and like a stamp of colour, it’s important to start with lip liner. Choose a shade that matches your lipstick or is one shade brighter and apply it over the entire lip to create a long-lasting base for your lipstick.

Apply a lip liner on top for better wear

If you like a super-defined edge and know you’re going to be eating or expect your lipstick to wear throughout the day, here’s a clever hack. Instead of lining the edge of your lips before applying lipstick, use your lip liner to trace along the lip edge to make your lip shape sharp and super-clean after you have applied your lipstick. Applying lip pencil on top of your lipstick instead of before allows the colour on your lips to fade seamlessly together instead of your lipstick fading and leaving the lip liner behind, which is not flattering.

Powder power

Increase the longevity of your lipstick by using a translucent powder.  Apply your lipstick, then use a single sheet of tissue paper to lightly blot the lips and remove excess colour. Lightly dust the powder onto your lips, then apply a second layer of lipstick for a budge-proof pout. 

Amplify lip fullness with gloss

Applying a layer of gloss over lipstick makes lips look fuller, hydrated and youthful. However, to avoid gloss looking heavy and sliding off, apply a thin layer of it over the lips using a lip brush for precise, buildable application. It’s also best to apply gloss over a matte or long-wearing lipstick to prevent colour slipping off.  If you have full lips and want to slightly accentuate them, apply gloss to the centre of the lips to give a subtle pout and highlight their fullness.