Lips Made Easy


Posted on September 10th, by staff in Makeup. 9 comments

Lips Made Easy

Love the look of lip fillers but not quite ready for the needle yet? Many women pay good money for fuller lips at the dermatologist’s office, but if you want a gentler and more wallet-friendly approach, try enhancing your pout with makeup. Here, beauty expert Sarah Scotford shows you how to do it in six easy steps.

Before

STEP 1. Exfoliate 

Create a fresh starting point by gently removing dead skin cells from the lips. This will prevent flaking and allow the other products to penetrate further and last longer. TRY: Some raw sugar mixed with an oil (I use coconut oil); or a wet soft bristle toothbrush. Don’t press or scrub too hard, as doing so might tear the delicate skin. The Kellett Polishing Cleanser (our editor‘s favourite facial exfoliator) can also be used on your lips.

STEP 2. Apply sunscreen

Lips shrink and wrinkle over time so using a lip sunscreen is a great preventative tool. There are some great lip products with SPF out there that don’t taste like sunscreen, and many also come in tinted formulas to give your lips a wash of colour. TRY: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($23 at Sephora) or Maybelline Baby Lips SPF 20 Moisturizing Balm in Quenched ($5 at drugstores and mass market retailers).

STEP 3. Line and fill

Use a lip pencil similar to your natural lip colour. Fill the entire lip and line just outside of your natural lip line.

STEP 4. Use a lighter liner

Take another lip pencil that is a shade or two lighter and colour inside the middle of your lips. This will create more of a 3D effect.

STEP 5. Apply a lip plumper

Make lips swell with a lip plumping product that contain ingredients such as cinnamon, cayenne pepper, peppermint or hyaluronic acid. These ingredients will irritate and increase blood flow to the lips causing them to temporarily swell.  TRY: A clear gloss will create a fuller pout by filling in lip lines and reflecting the light. But if you don’t like shiny lips, try a plumping lip primer like the Guerlain Kiss Kiss Liplift ($40 at Guerlain counters).

STEP 6. Create shadow and light

Like contouring works for your check bones, the same can go for your lips. Brush a darker face powder or contouring powder just under your lower lip. Think of it like drawing a shadow. Lastly use a reflecting highlighter in the center of your Cupid’s bow (the “V” part of the upper lip) to amplify the fullness.

After

 Now pucker up for your close-up.


 

About the Author Sarah Scotford is a Canadian model, actress, and makeup artist.

 

Photo credits: Lead image, Lana Del Ray for Interview Russia Magazine cover by Sean and Seng, February 2012; Instructional photos provided by Sarah Scotford. 





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