Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Styling Your Lips – Lipsticks, Balms, and More

When you wear a strong new lip color to an event, your lips usually make quite a statement; however, most of the time, we overlook our lips. This area of your body requires special attention and pampering. Not just because it’s the first thing you notice after your eyes, but it also reflects your hygiene, not to mention that it gives you your award-winning million-dollar smile.

You can easily take care of your lips with only a few products and a little effort. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a demanding or time-consuming task. Lip care is simple to include in your routine.

This is the complete guide on lip care and styling, covering how to use balms, lipsticks, and other products. Similarly, we also have a guide to wearing sandals you might also enjoy.

Get to Know Your Lips

 

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Are you aware that the skin on our faces has 16 layers, and the skin on our lips has only five? Because the skin of the lips is the thinnest, it necessitates special attention. Lips require special attention since they lack hair follicles or oil glands to moisturize and protect them from the sun, pollution, and changing weather.

Lips have the thinnest skin of any body part; thus, they require special attention. They are the most underappreciated body region, as you tend to overlook them during your everyday skincare routine. Lips don’t require much maintenance; all it takes is two minutes each day to have plump, supple lips.

This makes it evident that we must look after this crucial part daily.

Common Lip Problems

a crop photo of a person’s dry lips

The most common lip issues are chapped lips, dry lips, dark lips, and sunburned lips, and strangely, one can cause the other three.

Chapped Lips

Chapped lips are ugly and painful, and they frequently contain ragged patches of dry skin that you must remove before moisturizing and healing can occur.

Dry Lips

Dry lips are unpleasant, and if they aren’t cared for, they can crack and even bleed. Lips get dry due to the surroundings and weather.

If you live in a dry climate, you’ve probably experienced dry lips at least once. Fortunately, lips heal as rapidly as they dry out, so a little care will go a long way.

Dark Lips

Dark lips are usually associated with a dark complexion, and if you aren’t born with lighter skin, you will have darker lips, which is completely natural and caused by genetics. However, there may be other reasons, such as:

  • Caffeine addiction
  • Dehydration or sunburn
  • Using low-cost cosmetics
  • Too much smoking
  • Sleeping with lipstick on and not adequately washing your lips
  • Infections or allergies (occasionally)

The causes mentioned above are typically temporary; if you cease the habit that causes it, your lip color will return sooner or later!

Sunburned Lips

Because the two most typical indicators of sunburned lips are chapped and dry lips, you may not even notice that your lips are sunburned. Was it, however, the sun that caused your chapping and dryness? That’s very likely if it’s summer.

Sunburned lips can sting and be painful, depending on how bad they are.

Commonly Used Lip Care Products

a woman holding two lip balms against her eyes

You can help avoid dark, chapped, and dry lips by protecting your lips from the sun. Depending on your condition, you may wish to try several of these products that can help heal your lips.

Lip Balm

Lip balm is a waxy material that comes in a small pot or roll-up tube and typically comprises carnauba wax and beeswax but may also contain paraffin, lanolin, or petrolatum. There are moisturizing lip balms, ordinary lip balms, and tinted lip balms, which are sometimes referred to by the general term “chapstick” (a brand name that refers to items created by the Chapstick company).

Lip Scrub

Consider a gentle scrub to get rid of dry, chapped lips. Any product you use on your lips will function better and look better if you exfoliate with a scrub. Lip scrubs are available from various brands, but they are also simple to prepare yourself.

Mix a little sugar with coconut oil or aloe vera gel to make your lip scrub and gently massage it onto your lips. If you decide to use aloe, be sure the gel you use is alcohol-free; otherwise, you can end up implementing more harm than good.

You can also exfoliate lips with tools. The gentle silicone scrubbing brush gently and effectively eliminates dead skin, but it works even better if you use it with a small quantity of coconut oil to add hydration at the same time.

Lip Mask

People have been applying heavy balm to their lips at night to nourish them for years, but some companies have now created masks expressly for overnight use. Butters and oils are used to keep the skin supple, while occlusive substances like petrolatum are used to keep moisture from draining from the lips as you sleep.

A lip-shaped mask comprised of hydrogel and saturated in serum is a newcomer to the lip care market. These are applied to the lips (perhaps at the same time as a face mask or other beauty treatment) and left on for 15-20 minutes to absorb before being removed.

Collagen and hyaluronic acid are common elements in masks, and they can help plump and hydrate the lips.

Lip Sunscreen

Everyone knows they should wear sunscreen daily to protect their skin from UV radiation, but were you aware you should also apply SPF to your lips?

Indeed, because the skin on the lips is so much thinner than the rest of the face, damage can occur significantly faster, making lip sunscreen essential. Lip SPF has developed from the white zinc oxide ointment that lifeguards have used for years to something that is more glam!

Lip Oil

Lip oils, a newer category of lip products, comprise a variety of oils that soothe lips while also keeping them shiny and hydrated, similar to a lip gloss with added advantages. Many lip oils and glosses have the drawback of making your lips more susceptible to sunburn (like tanning oils did when everybody wanted to be deeply bronzed).

Consider These Factors When Choosing a Lip Sunscreen

a woman touching her lower lip

Level of Protection

Because mineral sunscreen actives are white, many clean-green creams only have an SPF of 15 or 20, or they run the risk of appearing like Zinc Oxide cream. Dermatologists suggest at least an SPF 30 for regular use, so your typical SPF lip balm may not be providing adequate protection.

Ingredients

Examine the active components if the product is colored, such as a tinted balm or lipstick. Many people attempt to avoid chemical sunscreen actives because they may damage reefs and marine life. Still, the FDA has mandated additional research before being judged safe and effective.

Because the lips can absorb a little quantity of lip products through use, it’s important to opt for a mineral-based product (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). Chemical actives are used in many colorful products since they are harder to suspend in a colored base.

How Simple Is It to Reapply

Did you know that you must reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially if you’re out in the sun? Lip sunscreen is the same way. Reapplication is particularly crucial because drinking, chatting, or even kissing can eliminate the product from the lips.

Consider a product that you can quickly reapply, possibly without a mirror and certainly without a lip brush.

Lip Care Routine

a woman holding a glass of water

Establishing a lip care routine is the greatest method to maintain your lips in wonderful shape all year. This can be as straightforward as adding a few simple stages to your daily and evening skincare procedures, with the more sophisticated processes added once or twice a week.

Exfoliate

Brushing your teeth in the morning is an excellent opportunity to exfoliate your lips. Invest in a tool, a scrub, or bring sugar and coconut oil into your bathroom in little quantities. After 20-30 seconds of scrubbing the lips, you’re done!

Plus, if you use a tool after you’ve exfoliated, switch the tool over to the part with the larger bumps and massage for another few seconds to get a little extra plumping!

Moisturize

After exfoliating, apply more coconut oil or a thick balm to add moisture to your lips. Finish your regimen and, if you’re wearing makeup, apply it, then wipe away any remaining oil or balm.

Apply SPF

Now is the moment to apply your lip sunscreen, whether you use lipstick or not. Aim for an SPF of 30 or higher, or you can look for a protective lip oil with an SPF of 32, which will protect you with just one stroke of the wand!

Frequently Reapply

Reapply when your lips feel a bit dry, or every two hours if you’re out in the sun.

Hydrate

Lip hydration begins on the inside; make sure you’re drinking lots of water, especially if the weather is dry. If you reside in a dry area, a humidifier will benefit your lips and the rest of your body.

Apply a Lip Mask Occasionally

If you’re using a thick balm, use this step before bedtime or whenever you want your lips to look particularly plump and nice.

Men’s Lip Care

Lips are, well, lips. Men can benefit from adopting the same regimen as women; it’s just a matter of knowing how to do it and having the right tools. After all, nobody wants to look at, let alone kiss, dry, dead skin flakes on their lips!

Lips: How to Style Them

 

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Coloring the lips is essential for any makeup look, just as you’ll see in these popular makeup trends of the 2010s. Lipsticks have been a makeup must-have for a long time. The most popular hues and formulas change with the seasons, but a flawless lipstick application is essential to nailing any look.

Even though the lipstick is a widely used beauty product, some individuals do not know how to apply it properly, and one of the most frequently asked makeup questions is “How to apply lipstick?”

If you’re ever at your wits’ end as to how to apply lipstick flawlessly without feathering or putting it on your teeth, go no further! Read on for a step-by-step tutorial on how to apply lipstick.

Method 1: Regular Step-by-Step Lipstick Application Tutorial

Step 1: Get Your Lips Ready

This is the initial and most essential stage and cannot be emphasized enough – preparation is essential! You don’t want to be seen with chapped or dry lips. To make those lips supple, soft, and healthy-looking, exfoliate with a soft, damp toothbrush and hydrate with a moisturizing lip balm. After that, you can use a lip primer to help the color last longer and avoid bleeding.

Step 2: Apply A Base

If you’re concerned about discoloration or an uneven lip tone, a base is essential for your lipstick to adhere to. This will prevent your lipstick from sinking into your lips. 

Use a small fluffy brush or a flat brush to apply a small amount of concealer in a shade that pairs well with your lip color. To seal the base, dab some compact over it. It also aids in giving longevity to your lip color.

Step 3: Line Your Lips With a Lip Liner

Use a quality lip liner to define, reshape, and perfect the contours of your lips to define the natural lip line and keep your lipstick from getting messy. This will give you a more precise, defined, and polished appearance.

To avoid feathering, trace your natural lip line from one corner to the other using a liner that matches your skin tone (this occasionally depends on pairing it with the lipstick you choose to wear). Form an ‘X’ shape on the upper lip, just under the Cupid’s bow, to draw attention to it.  It doesn’t matter if the lines on the inside are a little wonky because the lipstick will cover them up anyhow – it’s the lines on the outside that matter.

Note: For easy application, choose a liner with a somewhat smooth texture.

Step 4: Apply the Lipstick

After you’ve accomplished all of the previous steps and chosen your lipstick, take a small amount of product and apply it uniformly all over your lips with a lip brush. Don’t forget to look in the corners. 

Apply it to your lined lips’ inside corners—coat by coat, building up the color intensity as desired. One decent application of good lipstick is usually enough.

Note: If you have dry lips, matte lipsticks may be a bad idea because they dry them out even more. Look for lipsticks that are both hydrating and nourishing.

If your lips are thin, stay away from very dark colors because they tend to make them look smaller.

Step 5: Incorporate Definition

To restore the shape of your lips, use a tiny concealer brush and work on the edges. This step is nonobligatory, but if you wish to give your lips a pouty appearance, you can add a little dab of lip gloss.

Let’s go over a few other useful tips now that you have a fundamental understanding of how to prime your lips and apply lipstick flawlessly.

Method 2: Applying Lipstick Without Using Lip Liner

If you don’t have a lip liner in your makeup collection, don’t worry; there is a trick to applying lipstick flawlessly without one.

Step 1: Get Your Fingers Involved

Rub the color of your pick into your ring finger and push it directly onto your lips, working along the natural lip line. You can get precision without using a liner this way.

Step 2: Complete the Look

Finish by working the color to the insides of your lips directly from your lipstick tube or using a lip brush.

This method is also useful when you’re in a hurry!

Method 3: How to Apply Lipstick on Dark Lips

 

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You can still master your lip color whether your lips are pigmented, dark, or discolored with a few simple techniques. Don’t be afraid of sheer pinks or light colors; they may be effective if you put out some effort.

Step 1: Conceal

The idea is to use a concealer that matches your skin tone to neutralize pigmented lips. Concealer is always present with darkness; therefore, it isn’t unusual to use them on your lips. You’ll be dumbfounded at how much of a difference it makes.

Step 2: Increase the Amount of Coverage

If a bit of concealer wasn’t enough, dab a bit more of the product into your lips until you get the look you wish for.

Step 3: Apply a Lip Liner

To accentuate the contour of your lips, use a lip liner that matches your lipstick color and meticulously line your natural lip line, producing a cross or an ‘X’ directly under the Cupid’s bow.

Step 4: Add Lipstick in Layers

If necessary, apply your lipstick in layers. For optimum results, choose a non-glossy product. Additionally, they have a significantly longer wear time than glossy or creamy lipsticks.

You can now wear whichever color you want!

Method 4: How to Put Lipstick on Small Lips

There are many amazing makeup shortcuts that might make your dreams come true. Lip plumpers, which temporarily give your lips a bigger appearance, are also available on the market for lip enhancement and pouting. Read on if you wish to achieve a fuller appearance with the aid of a little lipstick.

Step 1: Exfoliate

You might use a natural sugar scrub or a nourishing lip scrub for exfoliation. In gentle circular motions, gently rub the scrub onto your lips.

Step 2: Prepare the Lip Surface

Use a primer to create an equal base and extend the longevity of your lipstick.

Step 3: Draw a Line

Utilize a lip liner that is a similar color to your lipstick. Avoid using dark hues since they can make your lips look even smaller.

Step 4: Make a Point of Highlighting

Make sure you highlight your lipstick once you’ve applied it. Similar to how highlighting creates dimension on your face, highlighting helps your lips appear larger.

Apply one layer of lip gloss over your lipstick for a finishing touch. This is a blessing for thin or small lips.

Important Tips and Precautionary Measures While Applying Lipstick

 

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If you’re a lipstick aficionado, here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind:

  • Use a light shade of lipstick with a dark liner to avoid ruining your overall appearance.
  • Always blend out the lines created by the lip liner with a Q-tip or your fingertips to lessen the lines.
  • To eliminate excess product and smooth out the texture, always blot with a tissue.
  • Use an angular brush to apply lipstick while using a brush. This contributes to a more defined appearance.
  • Apply a cream-based highlighter to the Cupid’s bow for plumper-looking lips.
  • When wearing creamy, transferable lipstick, make sure there are no lipstick marks on your teeth.
  • Expired lip products might cause allergic reactions as well as other health problems.
  • Refrain from trying tester lipsticks in stores because they’ve been on many people’s lips and can spread illnesses.
  • You should never use lipstick on chapped lips since it will highlight all of your lines and cracks.

What Is The Best Way of Removing Lipstick?

a woman removing her lipstick

Now that we’ve covered the application let’s speak about how to erase your lipstick at the end of your day. It’s critical to remove any traces of makeup before going to bed to maintain the health of your skin. After all, doesn’t it feel lovely to have healthy, soft lips?

You can remove lipstick in a variety of methods. Ideally, you should use a makeup remover readily available on the market.

We must be delicate with our lips, and we must constantly be careful not to harm or dry them out while removing lipstick.

Method 1: Spread Petroleum Jelly

Apply petroleum jelly to your lips as you would any lip balm and wait two minutes. Wipe away the lipstick with a cotton ball or a wet wipe. This method also works with liquid mattes!

Method 2: Use Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

Apply coconut or olive oil to your lips, which is both nourishing and among the most natural makeup removers available. Wipe any remaining substance from your lips with a cotton ball.

Method 3: Lotion

If you don’t have anything else, gently massage some of your body or face lotions onto your lips. Let it sit for some minutes before wiping it away with a cotton ball.