If you are confronted with problems while putting on a lipstick, no matter what colour, you realise how important it is to take daily care of your lips. Daily care, in terms of cleansing and removal of makeup and the use of lip balms or creams, help maintain the softness and beauty of the lips. Remove makeup every night with a cleansing gel and apply pure almond oil or an almond cream or lip balm and leave it on all night. Organic argan oil is also said to be good. Remember the skin on the lips does not contain oil glands so it can become dry and start peeling very easily. Exfoliating the lips with a gentle scrub helps prevent chapping and peeling. Chapped and dry lips make it impossible to apply lipstick smoothly.
Never compromise on quality when buying lipsticks. Also, remember all cosmetics have a shelf life. If you ever find that a lipstick has become too greasy, it can mean that the oils have separated. This can happen when lipsticks are old. It is best to stop using them. For dry lips, avoid using matte lipsticks as it would increase dryness.
Dramatic red for lips is still very much the trend. Even for the day, you can wear red shades on the lips but go easy on eye makeup. The question arises whether to use matte lipstick or gloss. I would say, avoid highly glossy lipstick and also a dry, matte one. A creamy effect would be better than both.
Actress Audrey Hepburn had once said about
red lipstick, “There is a shade of red for every woman.”
To wear a red lipstick, first line your lips with a pencil that matches your red lipstick. After outlining the lips, fill in with the pencil. Over this, apply the bold red colour with a creamy finish. Use a lip brush to fill in with colour. If you want to define the lips further, use concealer or foundation to dot the lips at the centre of the upper lip. The bottom lip can be traced with the concealer. Then, dab a little clear gloss. If you wish to tone down the red effect, wear a delicate shade of red lipstick or a red with pink tones. Many makeup artists recommend a primer rather than a lip liner to cover the lips. A lip-liner or primer helps the lipstick last longer.
Go easy on blush-on with red lipstick. It should not be too obvious. It should be like a gentle flush on the face. A pink blush would be better with red lipstick. Also, consider your outfit. It should not have too many colours. Red lipstick would be good with a black outfit. Even if you don’t want to wear bright red lipstick, you can go for shades of red, like coral, russet, or even brick-red.
Red lipstick isn’t only for the young. Older women can also wear red lipstick. In fact, some older women feel more confident with it while others feel red lipstick shows up and uneven lip line. Older women should redefine their lips with a lip liner. The shape of the lips should also be taken into account. If you have thin lips, wear lighter shades of red and keep to glossy lips. Fuller lips would look good with red and a matte lipstick.
