5 tips for more beautiful lips
We take good care of the skin on our face or body but sometimes neglect our lips. But just by giving them some TLC, we can improve their appearance immensely. So here are some basic tips for luscious lips.
1. Night care
We all know the basic principles of day cream and night cream for skin: well why not the same for your lips?
If you apply a hydrating lip balm religiously every night before going to bed, it’ll make an ENORMOUS difference to the appearance of your lips. They’ll be engorged with moisture and will look plumper and less wrinkled. And don’t be cheap with the lip balm. Apply a generous coat and go outside the lip line. It doesn’t matter if this looks odd, it’s dark and no-one will see you anyway.
2. Day care
During the day, use a lip balm with sunscreen. The sun can damage your lips like it can damage your skin. There are also balms and glosses with SPF, the higher the better. 15 would be the minimum for northern countries, 30 if you’re heading south. When I went to Cuba last year, one day I used a balm with 15 SPF but when I got back to my hotel room later, I had sunburned lips! So use the right protection.If you’re wearing coloured opaque lipstick, it’s not necessary to use extra protection but re-apply often so your lips are not exposed to the sun.
3. Exfoliant
Not everybody exfoliates their lips but once they do, they can’t do without it. You could wear the most beautiful gloss or the most fantastic lipstick but if you have flaky skin on the surface of your lips, the effect will be lost. Smooth lips look younger and plumper so your lipstick is going to look a lot better on smooth lips. Exfoliating twice a week will help a lot.
Forget your old grandmother’s trick of using a toothbrush. This can irritate your lips and doesn’t remove dead skin. You can buy special lip exfoliants or use a gentle facial exfoliant containing a lot of granules (it’s a small zone so if there aren’t enough granules, it won’t work.) You can also make your own using sugar and olive oil. Rub gently with your finger for about a minute and you’re done!
4. Get rid of bad habits
Never ever lick your lips. This has a drying effect and it’s worse during cold weather. If you do it, you’ll inevitably end up with dry, cracked lips and flaky skin. I’ve noticed that if you wear lipstick and gloss, you’ll be less tempted to lick your lips. Even I bite and lick my lips more often when I’m not wearing any makeup. I know it’s easier to say then to do, but avoid smoking. Smokers often have wrinkles around the mouth after years of cigarette-smoking. So cut down your consumption if you can’t give it up entirely. By pinching your lips less you can make a big difference.
5. Use moisturising or plumping lipstick with a glossy or pearly finish
Many lipsticks and glosses have a drying effect. Moisturising products are a better choice and if they have plumping properties you’ll help your lips to look their best. The active ingredients in plumping lipsticks are micro spheres of hyaluronic acid (one of the most effective products), marine collagen or micro spheres of marine collagen and peptides..
Wet-look or pearly gloss makes your lips look fuller. Use it alone or over your lipstick, apply a spot in the center of your lips for a volumizing effect. Some lipsticks are pearlier than others. By reflecting the light, they give the impression of more voluptuous lips. Here’s my personal tip: use a pearly or metallic eye shadow in a light colour like pink or peach and apply a spot with your little finger in the center of your lips, then apply transparent gloss, Wow, what a glamorous look!
If you have tips for lips you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to send them in!