• Step 1. Prepare your lips by using warm water, a wash cloth and a lip mask (or another safe, grainy cleanser). Apply the mask or cleanser directly to moist lips. Allow to set while you prepare the warm cloth. Rub the mask/cleanser off by using circular motions. This will help work most of the dead, dry skin off, revealing smoother, plumper lips. This step should be done once or twice per week.


Image: Drugstore.com

• Step 2. Line lips. Choose a liner two shades or so darker than your lipstick, and trace your natural lipline, paying special attention to your Cupid’s Bow (the “V” part of your top lip). Once lips are lined, color in the remainder of the lip with the liner as well. This gives a nice base color in case your lipstick later does the slide.
• Step 3. Add color. Now it’s time to slather on your lipstick. After your first coat, grab a lint-free tissue and blot by placing the tissue between your upper and lover lips, and pressing down. Next, swipe on another coat. If possible, separate a 2-ply tissue so it’s one-ply, then place the tissue gently over lips and dab with loose powder. The tissue acts as a filter, allowing just enough of the powder to get through to set the lipstick without changing the lip’s color or texture.
• Step 4. Choose a gloss to highlight and plump. With gloss, you want to dab, rather than slick. A small dab of a shimmery or light-grabbing gloss in the center of your bottom lip will plump up your pout in an instant. That one small move adds dimension and a shot of light to your lips, drawing attention right where you want it.
• Step 5. Blot. Place your index finger between your lips and pucker up. See the lipstick left on your skin? That could’ve been on your teeth. Do it again, just to be safe.

So, that’s it. Remember to change up colors to suit your moods, but to also have one “constant” color in your handbag, desk or car for emergencies. Investing in a lip mask is a great idea, but if you’re too cheap, just be sure to work that warm wash cloth around your lips.

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Congratulations! You’ve found the perfect lipstick shade. That’s Major Accomplishment #1. Now, to tackle Major Accomplishment #2 – keeping that glorious lipstick off of your teeth!

Not to worry, it’s actually quite easy to do. Here, a few tips to keep your new shade on your pout and not on your chompers:

• Use a lipstick primer before you slather on your color. This quick tip helps keep lipstick in place and eliminates bleeding and the color migration.
• Dust lipstick with a loose powder to set the color. Just grab a facial tissue and separate it into 1-ply. Place the tissue over your lips, then dust on the powder. Voila! A set look without the powder showing through.
• And finally, after applying lipstick (particularly when you’re on the go and don’t have time to utilize the first two tips), place your index finger between your lips and slide it out. Any extraneous color will go there instead of on your teeth.

These have been tried and true tips I’ve used for years. Do you have any to add? We’re all ears (eyes)…

Image: Drugstore.com

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If there is one thing that is my favorite from Benefit Cosmetics, it’s their lipsticks. Just as I swooned over their Silky Finish Lipstick, my knees are melting over their Full Finish Lipstick as well. I have mine in Lady’s Choice (pictured), which is a nude color and has that flesh-toned pigment to it.

Here’s what I think is so fabulous about it:

*Glides on smooth
*Makes your lips feel great
*Is a universal color for any skin tone
*Rich pigment for a great looking color

I’ve been wearing it often and getting compliments…and who doesn’t want to be told, “That color looks great on you!” right? You can pick one up yourself for $18 at www.benefitcosmetics.com

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Lipshine looks like a lipstick, but it’s meant to give the shine of a gloss. I know my friend Teri over at Aging Fabulous recently Twittered that she is all about lipstick lately–I bet she would love this just as much as I would (cause you know I am all about the glossy shine).

As always Prescriptives has the perfect color to match your skin tone, so there is something for everybody. $17.50 at Prescriptives and Holt Renfrew

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Here’s what I’ve tried:

Color Fever Gloss in Sunray (iridescent) and Seashell (fuchsia): Do not be afraid of Seashell. In the glass tube it appears hot pink, but once applied it is a nice berry color. For me as the time wore on, it had more of a flushed lip color to it. Sunray looks great alone or paired over lipstick.

Color Fever Shine Lipstick in Desert Rose (mauve) and Luminous (iridescent). Wow does Luminous pack some serious sparkle. Not only do you get the shine from the iridescent color, but then you have the mica twinkling on your lips.

These products won’t last long–they are only available through January 2008. You can see all the colors in the collection at www.lancome-usa.com and at a Lancome boutique near you.

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Just like Royal Assets, Viva Glamorous comes in a gorgeous antique looking embellished crown case. The cool lips appear to be pink tones in the picture, but the far left color is a matte beige, middle is a coral/red color with a lot of shimmer and on the right you have more of a satin coral/red. Honestly, what I have in front of me as I write this looks nothing like the colors I see in the picture and actually–the colors are much prettier than what you see on their website.

Viva Glamorous is sold out on MAC’s website, however you may still be able to find it at a MAC location near you. Just click on “Find Stores” to obtain the info. of the MAC stores nearest you with contact details.

All profits from Viva Glamorous benefits the MAC Aids Fund.

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Lori G. had the winning entry with “Compass Rose.” Lori’s entry said:

I chose “Compass Rose” since it incorporates both the lustrous pink color along with the idea of the classic ornamented navigation symbol. It speaks to adventure and romance, charting new courses, and vintage glamour that transcends time.

Lori I am so impressed with how much thought you put into naming the lipstick!

UA mentions a few runners up on their website as well, go check it out! Lori enjoy your $100 shopping spree! You are going to LOVE Urban Apothecary’s makeup and skin care!

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MAC is giving their brushes the royal treatment with their Heirlooms Collection. Each Heirlooms brush bag includes the antique signature of M·A·C Holiday with a full set of professional brushes. Available in three distinct collections: Face, Eye and Basic.

MAC Cosmetics Finery Collection boasts a petite purse of woven cream fabric with metallic thread and an ivory crown motif on the handle. Each purse contains 3 lip colors of one color scheme. There’s 3 Plump Lips, 3 Coral Lips, 3 Tan Lips and 3 Pink Lips.

I may just be keeping the purses not only for makeup, but as a chic bag when I have a lunch date or holiday party to attend. I also love the tubes the lip colors come in–so gorgeous. These sets are almost like fine china–you don’t want to use them because they’re so pretty to look at!

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I recently discovered MESS New York, a mineral makeup boutique in NY. They use pure Mica in all of their products and I was intrigued by their Lip Varnish, which is supposed to be like a liquid lipstick. I have Murray Hill, which MESS describes as a “Pink Lemonade Glaze with a Fairy Dust Finish.” We all know how I love pink.

The Lip Varnish applicator is like that of a nail polish brush. Even though the Lip Varnish appears to be thicker than a gloss, it doesn’t go on clumpy. The consistency on your lips is not tacky and does provide the coverage that a frost lipstick would give you. MESS’ Lip Varnish also seems to last a bit longer than a typical gloss would last.

MESS New York is also available online and is currently having a sale of up to 60% off. www.messnewyork.com

Have you tried this product? Let me know your opinion on it.

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Of the Royal Assets eye shadow palettes, 6 Warm Eyes is my favorite and the picture of this palette doesn’t do the colors justice. The color palette includes: Sunday Best, an ivory with frost (frost); Star Violet, a eath-touched pinky-brown plum fusion (veluxe pearl); Retrospeck, a beached blonde (lustre); Club, a muted reddish brown duochrome with freen opalescent shimmer (satin); Showstopper, a neutral dark brown and Nobility, a light pink taupe (satin). I cannot tell you how gorgeous these colors will look on you–because they sure looked gorgeous on me!

The lip palettes are amazing, although the 3 Red Lips didn’t really look good on my super pale skin. I often wish I could pull off red lipstick like Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera.

This collection is only available now through December, so if you see a palette you fall in love with, I’d advise scooping it up before it’s too late. www.maccosmetics.com

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