Longlasting Lipcolor for Everyday Wear

Women in today's culture are walking pieces of art. Their faces are the canvases upon which they work, carefully applying cosmetics to skillfully enhance each of their features. Beautifully-colored lips can be extremely appealing on a woman. They are not to be ignored!

The million dollar question, however, has always been how to make lipcolor stay in place so that reapplication is unnecessary for a few hours. I have found a technique that works for me for everyday wear. It would work, for example, if I were at an office several hours per day. Please note, however, that this DOESN'T for a woman who is eating and drinking. (In this case, it would be necessary to spend approximately $10 for a professional long-lasting lipcolor.)

First, I have to make a comment about lip fullness. Full lips are a premium and can be very sensuous. Women who have relatively pale lips may not realize how full their lips actually ARE. They may look thinner without makeup. (My daughter Ariana has full, model-worthy lips. I always wondered where she got them, but once I discovered the technique I'm about to reveal, I discovered that she INHERITED her lips from me! Who knew I had full lips? It was a very pleasant surprise!) Please note that darker, wine-colored lipliners make lips look fuller than lighter pinks do. It would also be advisable to choose a darker shade of red rather than a bright red. Bright reds can sometimes look slightly orange and can be a tricky color with which to work.

Start with clean, dry lips. Apply a light-colored concealer as a base. (Some concealers are shaped like regular lipstick! They're invaluable for this process and don't cost very much.) Once you've applied concealer, fold a paper towel and blot your lips on it until you don't see any color.

Now apply lipliner on the outer edges of the lips, carefully tracing the full natural curves of each lip. Don't cheat by going beyond the natural contours of your lips, as this can make your makeup look untidy. If you're using a darker color, you may be surprised at the fullness of your lips. (I'm a brunette and I use 1000 Kisses Lipliner, available at Wal Mart. "Cherry Kiss", number "071", is a beautiful wine color and costs under $3.00.) Don't stop at just the outline of your lips. Cover the whole surface of your lips with color. Blot carefully until no extra color comes off onto the paper towel.

Find an eyeshadow that closely matches the color of your lipliner. Use the applicator sponge to put it over the top of the color you've already applied, then rub the eyeshadow ever so lightly with your fingertip. When wearing "1000 Kisses Cherry Kiss", I use "Cover Girl Eye Enhancers in Mauve". The eyeshadow will make your lips look slightly fuller and add a subtle sparkle to them. It will also help lock in the color of the lipliner. (It should be noted, as well, that applying a light pink or even white eyeshadow to the center of your lower lip and blending it slightly with your finger can produce a sexy little highlight.) Blot your lips on a paper towel until you no longer see color.

If you like, you can use this technique for everyday wear and save the more expensive, long-lasting color for special occasions. Remember, you are a living, breathing piece of fabulous art. Don't neglect your lips!