LIPS - how to apply lipstick for your lip shape

As with eyelids, lightly applied foundation provides a wonderful base for lipstick and helps the colour last longer. Moisturise lips first always, with an eye cream - nice and light. Concealer can be used for shaping about mouth.  As we age our mouths tend to droop so to counteract this, blend a little concealer in the corners of, and underneath the mouth. Define top lip with just a drop above the centre.

Always outline the lips with a lip pencil to give a good shape and stop feathering.  Lipstick applied with a lipbrush works into the lips better and lasts longer. Blot with a tissue and apply a 2nd coat.  The brush also saves you money by enabling you to reach the lipstick at the bottom of the tube.

For longer lasting lip colour, colour lips with pencil first before applying lipstick.  More impact and definition can be achieved bhy using a paler lipstick over top of normal colour.

Sometimes corrective techniques are needed for lip shapes, so a few follow here. Once you are over 40 you can literally take 10 years off your age by switching to a softer lipstick colour.  Maybe a slight coral tinge instead of real blue-based colours, and leave a real brown lip colour alone.

CRINKLY lips look better if a lot of gloss is applied over the lipstick.  Use a good eye cream on lips at night to help correct dryness.

To correct TOP HEAVY lips, line both lips keeping to the inside of the top and the outside of the bottom.  Use a lighter shade of lip colour

on the bottom than on the top OR apply lipcolour to both and blend a dot of white (or a silver toned lipstick) into the centre of the lower lip for a fuller look.

FULL lips should be pencilled just inside their natural line.  Apply lipcolour only inside this line and use medium to darker shades of colour.  Favour lipsticks close to the natural lip colour or a little darker for a minimising effect.  Use creams instead of frosts and glosses.

THIN lips should be pencilled with a light colour to outline the mouth, staying just a bit to the outside or beyond the natural lip line.  Use gentle curving lines. Choose light lip colours, especially frosts. Keep away from lip gloss. For Thin upper lip - build up the curve of upper lip to balance. (with lip pencil) Thin lower lip - extend curve of lower lip to balance (with lip pencil)

WIDE lips will look attractive if they are nicely shaped.  Draw the pencil line inside the natural line, stopping a little short of the corners and creating a cupid's bow effect.  Always fill in with a strong colour lipstick which will reduce the prominence of the mouth.

DROOPY lips can be lifted by covering  the lip corner with a concealer.  Blend then use a lip pencil to extend the corners of the lips upwards.  Fill in with colour and extend the thickness of your bottom lip to accentuate the upward sweep.

BOTTOM HEAVY lips - line both lips keeping to the outside of the top and the inside of the bottom.  use a lighter lipcolour on top

than the bottom OR apply colour to both lips and blend a dot of white (or silver toned lipcolour) into the centre of upper lip.

If your mouth is too OVAL, colour the centre upper lips into a slight cupid's bow. If your mouth is too SMALL  - build out sides of upper and lower lips to extend the corners of mouth, with a lip pencil, then use lip colour.

CHOOSING the CORRECT Shade

PINK should be about looking pretty.  Frosted opaques, vivid fuchsias, and candy-coloured shades work on young  faces, but

will drain colour from the skin of a mature woman.  Muted pinks in warmer tones will flatter better. Light transparent pinks look better on  FAIR SKIN.  They can be pale and glossy, with a blue undertone, or muted and dusty, with a subtle hint of beige. REDHEADS can go for peachy or apricot pinks, maybe salmon and sheer red-pink glosses. MEDIUM SKIN looks better with deeper, warmer pinks that have soft mauve, blue or brown undertones. OLIVE & YELLOW TONED SKINS should avoid light pinks and go for deep rose, berry, soft plum. BLACK SKIN should look to soft, sheer, nude pinks.  Glossy beiges with a hint of pink look good. LIGHTER BLACK can look to deep rose, berry and plum tones.

RED comes in a spectrum of shades.  Deep red, brown mahogany, plum, berry.

Textures range from matte to creme and sheer gloss.  Worn deepand bright, red becomes a statement.  Strong reds can look severe and aging on MATURE faces.  Look for muted shades in acreamy mixture that doesnt dry the lips. FAIR SKIN can wear soft berry reds with a bluish undertone, along with deep plum red, but keep away from orange tones. REDHEADS look wonderful in soft brownish reds, apricot, and sheer raisin shades. MEDIUM SKIN needs to go to rich, deep reds.  If skin has a yellow undertone, try blue red to brighten and brown red to look warmer. OLIVE & YELLOW-TONED SKIN should look only at deep brownish-red or deep berry tones. BLACK SKIN looks best in deep blue-toned and mahogany reds.  Avoid pink and orange reds.

BROWN lipsticks range from rich coffee to pale beige with textures that allow some natural lipcolour to come through, giving a softer look.

A good brown will take you from a business meeting to a cocktail party or to a weekend supper. On FAIR SKIN, pink-toned beiges, honey shades and mocha browns work well. Deeper chocolate brows are good for evening looks. REDHEADS should stick with sheer raisin or peachy hues.  If they need dramatic colour, try rich browns with red undertones.  Don't wear beige or pink/brown. MEDIUM SKIN will look washed out with browns that are too pale and beige.  Soft Mocha, coffee and caramel browns are better. OLIVE & YELLOW-TONED SKIN, should look for shades of chocolate, toffee, and mahogany, and browns with some red or plum undertones. BLACK SKIN was made to wear brown from the very light glossy beiges to the deepest chocolate.

You can correct colour mistakes or create new colours by blending a top coat of a light coloured lipstick into a too-dark shade. To subdue a bright colour, blend on a top coat of a darker colour.

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