Luscious Lips - How to Maintain Beautiful Lips Throughout the Year

by Livia Mercer

The onset of winter generally means dryer skin and this is noticed most on your lips. Not only do lips have the thinnest skin on them but they have almost no sebaceous (oil) glands and absolutely no sweat glands. Add to this the fact that lips lose 3-10 times more moisture than the other parts of the face, so no wonder we have dry lips. What do most of us instinctively do when we have dry lips? Yes, we lick them.

Making the problem worse, because the saliva actually eats away that precious thin skin layer we have on our lips, therefore making the lips drier, even to the point of cracking and bleeding. Avoid getting to this state at all costs.

Step 1) Always, always keep your lips hydrated! Even at night. Get into the habit of applying lip cream or lip balm as part of your skincare routine. Personally I choose not to use a lip balm with an SPF at night as you don't need it but I prefer ones with vitamin A or E in them to nourish the lips. You will find that smooth, moist lips will hold lip gloss or lipstick the best.

Step 2) Create the right foundation! To make sure your lips always look their best without any bleeding of the colour or simply disappeared lipstick, you need a little preparation. This works well both for lipsticks and lip glosses. A: Apply foundation all over your lips. B: With lip liner, colour in the whole lip area, not just the outline. C: It is always best to stick to your natural lip line initially. Once your natural shape is established you can, very carefully even out the lips or extend the outline. Be Cautious when doing this as there is nothing worse than seeing an unnatural lip line.

Step 3) Colour in the masterpiece! A: Apply your colour starting at the centre of your lips and thinning the colour out towards the corners of your mouth. B: So you don't end up wearing your lipstick on your teeth, place your index finger in your mouth, close your lips around it and pull it out. This is a fantastic way to remove any excess colour. Make sure you wipe your finger; otherwise you will end up with the colour on your clothes.

Step 4) Budge proof your lipstick! Personally I'm not a big fan of long last lipsticks as these generally are drier formulations and make my lips uncomfortably dry especially in winter. So to budge proof your lipstick, follow these steps. A: After applying your colour, blot with a tissue. B: Lightly powder your lips with a brush or a puff. C: Reapply colour. Following these steps will ensure you never again will experience dry, cracked, chapped lips. What's more your lips will look glamorous no matter what the occasion!

© 2006-2007 Livia Mercer - The Beauty Review Online Magazine

About the Author:
Livia Mercer is the creator of The Beauty Review. A FREE monthly online magazine for women who love beauty and cosmetics and want REAL product reviews by REAL women. For a free, subscription, visit: http://www.thebeautyreview.com.au

Keywords: lips,care,beauty,tips,skinare,cosmetics,how to

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