Applying Bold Lip Gloss

After years of practice, reading magazines, and watching make-up artists in department stores, I've developed my own way to apply bold lip gloss, and ensure that it stays on. And it just takes a few simple steps!

Start With Exfoliated Lips
If you haven't exfoliated your lips recently, start with that. Gently rub a sugar-based exfoliant made just for lips over your lips for about 30 seconds, and rinse it off with lukewarm water.

Prime Your Lips
Some beauty mavens would say to use foundation, but most foundations are too heavy, and you'll end up with cakey-looking lips and emphasized wrinkles. Not a pretty look. Instead, use one of the many primers now available for lips. Instead of emphasizing wrinkles, it will fill them in and create a smooth surface.

Line Your Lips
Using a lip liner in the same shade as your lips, or no more than a half shade darker, line first your upper lip, working from the middle to one side, then to the other; then line your lower lip by working in toward the middle from each side. If you're lacking in the upper lip department, it's OK to draw that line just above the upper lip.

Apply Lipstick
Use a lip brush to apply lipstick all over your lips, including over the liner. You do NOT want the liner to show! Once you've done that, blot your lipstick with a tissue.

Apply Powder
Lightly dust a finishing powder over your lipstick.

Apply Lipstick Again
With the lip brush, apply a second coat of lipstick over the powder. That's an old "model and actress" trick to keep lipstick on for several scenes, and it'll work for you, too.

Choose a Lip Gloss
Go through your stash of lip gloss and pick a deep or bright bold color. This isn't the time to go for soft pink; if you want to draw attention to your mouth, the best way to do that is to go bold.

Apply Lip Gloss
Using the brush that came with it, or a separate lip brush if it came with one of those sponge-like applicators, apply a light layer of gloss evenly over your lipstick. Before it dries, add another even layer of gloss, but this time make the layer a little thicker.

Use Your Little Finger...
...to make sure you don't get gloss on your teeth. Stick your (clean) little finger in your mouth so that only the inside of your lips is touches it, and pull it out. You've just made sure that any lip gloss that might have ended up on your teeth ended up on your little finger instead.

And that's it! You're set to go!

(Sources: http://www.the-cosmetics-campus.com/how-to-apply-lip-gloss.html , personal experience)