A lot of attention is often given to different techniques of applying lipstick. Of course, applying lipstick properly is very important, but if you apply it to dry, flakey lips it is not going to look good. Plain and simple.
I'm sure there are a lot of ways to prep your lips for lipstick, but this is the way I find most effective.
There are times when I am lucky enough to know that I'm doing something the following day which will prompt me to wear a bright or dark lipstick. This most often happens when I have plans for a night out, or I know I am going to an event like a wedding, or there is a holiday party. In these circumstances take advantage by starting to prep your lips the night before!
(Side Note: In general it will be helpful just to make sure you care for your lips on a daily basis. Just try not to let them get chapped in the first place. My personal method of lip care is keeping a lip balm in every pocket, purse and crevice in my life. If you stick your hand in my belongings (which you shouldn't...get your paws out of my stuff!) you will probably pull out a lip balm. But the point is I moisturize them ALL THE TIME. To summarize- Do not step outdoors without something protecting your lips from the elements.)
It is probably always a good idea to put some balm on your lips before you go to sleep. Overnight is the time when your lips can get most dried out. I like to choose something thick to go on my lips at night because the longer it stays on while you sleep, through your tossing, turning and drooling, the more you benefit from it.
When I know I will be wearing lipstick the next day, I like to layer my products. I start with a layer of Palmers Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick
If you have never tried this stuff, you should. It is about $3.00 at the drugstore or you can buy 3 packs on amazon and it's kinda huge as far as chapstick-type products go. It is super creamy and makes your lips feel soothed and moist. I likey.
If you want you can stop here with just a healthy dose of you favorite balm, but thats not enough for me. Time to call in the big guns. On top of that I put a layer of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.
This one is a bit more pricey but I have had my tube of it for about a year and it isn't even half empty, so a totally worthy investment. This stuff isn't a cream so much as it's a thick balm. It puts a good protective coat over your lips and seals in the moisture from both products. It also has Salicylic acid in it, which exfoliates chemically. That is good news because you need to get that flakey skin off those lips without irritating them and chapping them further.
If you are not blessed enough to know in advance that you want to wear a bold lip or if you decide to wear one on a whim, you can also start this process before you start getting ready. Just put your balms on as early as you can, and start marinating your kisser.
(Preferably you would at least do this a while before you get in the shower. But if not then at the beginning of your makeup routine will be fine too. This is what I do when I am working on other people, and it works well as long as their lips aren't peeling like an old onion.)
Now that you have moisturized them well, and you are about to jump in the shower (or maybe just step into the shower if your outfit for the day doesn't go with a neck brace) make sure you still have some balm on there. Now you can let the warm water and steam help you out. The warmth of the water and the steam will further soften any gross dead skin and make it easier to scrub off, which brings us to the next step.
Before you step out of the shower you should exfoliate your lips a little.
I like to use my Clarisonic to do this. I just gently move it over my lips for a few seconds. It gets all the dead skin off and bonus, it increases blood flow and plumps your lips up!
If you don't own a Clarisonic or you just forgot to bring it into the shower, you can gently buff over your lips with a clean, wet washcloth. This will also get all the dead skin off. You will be amazed at how easy the dead skin comes off them at this point. Just be gentle, over exfoliating will only make them irritated and lead to more chapping.
After the shower, while you get ready and do your hair and whatever else you do, you should moisten up those lips again. You can use the palmers cocoa butter for this, or something similar that you prefer, but my favorite product for this part is the famous rosebud perfume company lip balm.
I personally LOVE the "brambleberry rose" version, but I know some people can't stand the scent of it. I have never met someone who didn't like the "Minted Rose" one though so that is always a safe bet.
The reason I prefer this in the crucial moments before applying lipstick is because its absorbs well but still provides moisture.
Last but not least, right before you apply any lipliner or lipstick, wipe your lips clean of the balm. You want them to be healthy and moist, but if there is any actual balm left on your lips the oils will break down the lipstick and cause it to wear off at an alarming rate. It will be gone if you are even in the same room with food.
I performed this whole ritual last night and this morning just to show you the end result. To prove my point I used Russian Red lipstick, which is one of my all time favorites, but it is also one of the most matte and unforgiving lipsticks I own.
Mmmm Russian Red...
See, not a flake in sight!
I know it sounds like a really long process, but you are really just slapping some stuff on your lips and sleeping through the rest. That's not so hard!
Hope this helps!
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