How to Apply Lipstick - Applying Lipstick

LIPSTICK is one of the easiest and quickest ways to transform your appearance. You don't need to co-ordinate your lip colour with your nail polish or wardrobe, but you may want to take into consideration what you are wearing. It is essential to ensure that your lip colour blends with the rest of your make-up look and also complements your skin tone.

Those with olive complexions should opt for colours with warm undertones to brighten the skin, such as light brown, raisin or brown reds, like blackberry and wine. Those with fair complexions need lip colours with warm peach or pink undertones, while those with pale complexions can wear almost any colour, using dramatic shades to make a strong beauty statement.

Dark complexions look best with deep reds with dark blue or purple undertones or deep browns with purple, blue or wine undertones. Lipstick usually comes in a tube and can be applied directly to the lips. You should prefer, however, to use a lipstick brush which touches the lipstick and can then be applied to your lips (it gives you more control). You can also use a lip liner pencil to outline my lips before applying the lipstick.

FINDING THE FORMULATION FOR APPLYING LIPSTICK

To test-run a new shade, don't try it on the back of your hand. Instead, dab it on to your fingertip, where the colour of the skin is closest to that of your lips. This can also be held near your mouth, to see if the colour suits you. Once you have found the correct shade, you need to consider the effect you are after.

Glossy finishes give sheer coverage but need to be reapplied frequently. Matt finishes give great coverage but have a tendency to be drying on the lips and can look very flat; to overcome this, look for demi-matt finishes, which dry to a more flattering finish. Creamy finishes create opaque coverage with a hint of shine and come enriched with conditioners, making them a suitable choice if your lips are prone to dryness. Sheer lipsticks give the lips a subtle wash of colour, similar to lip gloss, but are longer-lasting.

They are ideal as lightweight options to wear during the summer. Up gloss has a tendency to glide on and slide off within hours of application.

To help it stay put, prime the lips with a lip pencil in the shade closest to the natural colour of the lips. Then apply gloss to the centre of the top and bottom lip and purse the lips together. This creates the illusion of all-over shine without the problem of disappearing gloss.

SHAPING UP YOUR LIPSTICK

If you apply lipstick without a brush, after a while it will acquire a shape. Experts have linked these shapes with personality types. If your lipstick has flat, this is an indication that you're a relaxed, sporty person who loves the outdoor life.

If the tip is rounded, this shows that you're gentle and romantic. If it's worn to a strong, slanted edge, this means that you are articulate and well balanced. And if it's shaped like the top of a whistle (curved in at the sides, going up to a central tip), this means you're outgoing, with a dominating personality.

How to Apply Lipstick

If you want to wear a dark lipstick but doubt your application skills, use your fingertip and dab it on so the pigment stains the skin, then coat with lip gloss .To avoid leaving lipstick marks on glasses and cups, discreetly lick the rim before drinking. If lipstick always ends up on your teeth, place your middle finger in your mouth, pout and withdraw the finger.

If you are pushed for time, avoid wearing dark or bright lipsticks as they need precision application and use gloss or a neutral-toned lipstick instead. If your lipstick has a tendency to bleed or feather into fine lines around the mouth, use a lip liner to shade the entire lip area before applying lipstick; also, wearing a lipstick that dries to a matt finish should help. Avoid wearing lipsticks with a frosted finish as you get older, since these will only highlight any lines around the mouth.

Do not use just to outline the lips - this looks very dated and you could be left with a unsightly line when your lipstick wears off - but to define and shade the entire lip area. This acts as a fixative for lipstick and ensures that your lip colour will fade evenly.

For a natural look, apply in a series of small feathered strokes around the outer edges of the lips, then blend with the fingertips and shade over the lips with the liner.

If your lips are dry, making the liner hard to manoeuvre, coat them with lip balm first and blot with a tissue before applying lip liner. You do not need to buy different-coloured lip liners to match different lipstick shades. Rather, choose one similar to your natural lip colour and use this to shade and define the lips.