Whether you choose hot coral, rich red, or showstopping magenta, a made-up and smudge-free pout requires just a few steps that can easily be incorporated into your makeup regimen.
If your goal is to create a lip color that pops and stays on all day, then you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve. And, as a professional makeup artist, I'm here to deliver an accessible DIY-at-home technique with some bonus tips for those women who are extra concerned about making their color long-lasting.
Lip Scrub
First, you want to make sure that your lips are as smooth as possible for seamless color application. If you incorporate a sugar lip scrub into your daily shower routine, you will have one less step to consider when you get down to doing your makeup. My favorite sugar scrub is the Bite Beauty Lip Scrub, but you can actually just make a natural exfoliant with ingredients you probably have in your pantry by mixing coconut oil (olive oil is a good choice, too) and raw brown sugar. Use your ring finger to scrub the mixture all over your lips and then gently remove it with a wet washcloth to reveal a smoother pout. Lip Primer
Once your mouth has been tenderly scrubbed and patted dry, apply a lip moisturizer (Eos is an excellent budget option) — you want this to soak in fully before you turn to the color. Before applying your color, blot your lips lightly with a tissue to ensure there isn't excess balm on your pout. Your next step is adding a lip primer, such as Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge La Base. Apply a thin layer of the product on the entire lip. The primer will act like Velcro and keep the lipstick from spreading throughout the day.
First, you want to make sure that your lips are as smooth as possible for seamless color application. If you incorporate a sugar lip scrub into your daily shower routine, you will have one less step to consider when you get down to doing your makeup. My favorite sugar scrub is the Bite Beauty Lip Scrub, but you can actually just make a natural exfoliant with ingredients you probably have in your pantry by mixing coconut oil (olive oil is a good choice, too) and raw brown sugar. Use your ring finger to scrub the mixture all over your lips and then gently remove it with a wet washcloth to reveal a smoother pout. Lip Primer
Once your mouth has been tenderly scrubbed and patted dry, apply a lip moisturizer (Eos is an excellent budget option) — you want this to soak in fully before you turn to the color. Before applying your color, blot your lips lightly with a tissue to ensure there isn't excess balm on your pout. Your next step is adding a lip primer, such as Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge La Base. Apply a thin layer of the product on the entire lip. The primer will act like Velcro and keep the lipstick from spreading throughout the day.
Liner & Lipstick
Now, on to the part that matters most — after all, the rest was just preparation for this. You want to choose a lip pencil shade that complements your lip stain or lipstick. For a bold, red pout, I love NARS Jungle Red Lip Pencil worn with Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. Apply the lip liner first, and follow with the lipstick. When applying the lipstick or stain, guide the color almost to the edges of the lips without taking the color all the way to the edge. The pencil will ensure the color stays on longer and appears more defined. More than that, though, the lip pencil will help prevent the lipstick from seeping out beyond your lip line. It helps lock the shade in place and ensures a long-lasting, crisp, and clean look. Powder Finish
You could stop with the above, or you could take the application process one step further. If you want to really make sure your carefully constructed color stays put, consider using a very light dusting of a translucent powder. To do this, place a tissue gently over the completed lip, then dust a product like Laura Mercier’s Translucent Powder over a tissue with a powder brush. This allows the perfect amount of powder to filter through the tissue and lock in the color, but since you're not directly applying the product to your lips, you don't risk walking away with a powdery pout.
Now that you've painted a perfect, long-lasting lip, there are things you can do and others you can avoid to ensure your lip color and shape stay intact all day and night.
-Drink through a straw. This one's self-explanatory.
-Skip the soup. When eating soup, you have to put your lip down on the spoon as opposed to eating with a fork, where you can just pull the food off with your teeth.
-Check your teeth. After eating a meal or a snack or even sipping from the aforementioned straw, take a look at your smile and see to it that no color has transferred to your teeth.
-Don't lick your lips. Enough said.
-Keep your makeup handy for touch-ups. While the tricks and techniques listed above are pretty foolproof for a kissable, long-wearing lipstick look, it may still be necessary to blot on a little more color here or there.
Now, on to the part that matters most — after all, the rest was just preparation for this. You want to choose a lip pencil shade that complements your lip stain or lipstick. For a bold, red pout, I love NARS Jungle Red Lip Pencil worn with Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. Apply the lip liner first, and follow with the lipstick. When applying the lipstick or stain, guide the color almost to the edges of the lips without taking the color all the way to the edge. The pencil will ensure the color stays on longer and appears more defined. More than that, though, the lip pencil will help prevent the lipstick from seeping out beyond your lip line. It helps lock the shade in place and ensures a long-lasting, crisp, and clean look. Powder Finish
You could stop with the above, or you could take the application process one step further. If you want to really make sure your carefully constructed color stays put, consider using a very light dusting of a translucent powder. To do this, place a tissue gently over the completed lip, then dust a product like Laura Mercier’s Translucent Powder over a tissue with a powder brush. This allows the perfect amount of powder to filter through the tissue and lock in the color, but since you're not directly applying the product to your lips, you don't risk walking away with a powdery pout.
Now that you've painted a perfect, long-lasting lip, there are things you can do and others you can avoid to ensure your lip color and shape stay intact all day and night.
-Drink through a straw. This one's self-explanatory.
-Skip the soup. When eating soup, you have to put your lip down on the spoon as opposed to eating with a fork, where you can just pull the food off with your teeth.
-Check your teeth. After eating a meal or a snack or even sipping from the aforementioned straw, take a look at your smile and see to it that no color has transferred to your teeth.
-Don't lick your lips. Enough said.
-Keep your makeup handy for touch-ups. While the tricks and techniques listed above are pretty foolproof for a kissable, long-wearing lipstick look, it may still be necessary to blot on a little more color here or there.