Winter Makeup: Tips for Smooth Lips
November 22, 2009 by Kori Ellis
Filed under Makeup
With cold, dry weather, your skin often looks and feels flaky and dull. That goes for your lips too. To get beautifully smooth, soft lips, follow these simple steps.
Moisturize
To get the perfect pout, you need to start with smooth, soft lips. If you have chapped lips, keep them moisturized by using a lip balm on a daily basis. Try to find a lip balm with an SPF of 15 or more, particularly if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
Image: L'Oreal
Exfoliate
Get into the habit of exfoliating your lips, like you do the rest of your face and body. However, you shouldn’t use scrubs or exfoliating creams on you lips — the skin is too sensitive. Instead, use a washcloth when you are in the shower each morning to gently scrub your lips and get rid of any excess dry skin.
Prime
Lipstick primer is a must if you have dry lips. Like a painter needs a smooth canvas, so do you when applying lipstick. Using a very thin coat of primer will create the smooth foundation you are looking for. My favorite primer is Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion. It’s very affordable at only $20. It contains moisturizing antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, plus SPF 15. It glides on smooth, leaving your lips silky. You will notice your lipstick lasts longer and the color stays true.
Color
After applying primer, line your lips with a neutral lipstick that is as close to your natural lip color as possible. Fill in your lips with a moisturizing lipstick. Look for lipsticks that say “hydrating” and “moisturizing” on the package. Avoid extended wear lipstick, which tends to be very drying. L’Oreal Colour Riche Nurturing and Protective Lipcolour is a tried and true formula that is also affordable. This lipstick offers rich color and nourishing ingredients such as Omega-3, vitamin E and argon oil. Your lips will stay super hydrated and always soft. Colour Riche Lipcolour comes in over 50 shades. It’s priced around $9.00 at drugstore.com and select drugstores, super stores and grocery stores. My favorite shade is “Raspberries,” pictured here.
