How to apply Lipstick - A Step by Step Guide

As the seasons change we love mixing up our lipstick shades. From berry hues to natural nudes, fiery reds to classic corals, the perfect lipstick can be the cherry on top to your look. Here are 10 tips on how to apply lipstick and how to make sure those bold lips make a statement all day.

Step 1: Prep Your Lips

• This is the first and foremost step and I can’t stress upon this enough – prepping is key! You don’t want to be walking around with dry, chapped lips. Exfoliate with a soft, damp toothbrush and hydrated by applying a nourishing lip balm to make those lips soft, supple and healthy-looking. You may apply a lip primer after to make the color stay on longer and to prevent it from bleeding.

Step 2: Apply A Base

• If you are worried about any kind of discoloration or an uneven liptone, it’s crucial for your lipstick to have a base to hang onto. This is to make sure your lipstick does not sink into your lips. Choose a concealer shade that matches your lip color and dab a little on with a flat brush or a small fluffy brush. Apply some compact over this to seal the base. It also helps your lip color to stay on longer.

Step 3: Use A Lip Liner

• To define your natural lip line and to prevent your lipstick from getting messy, use a good lip liner to define, reshape and perfect the contours of the lips. This way you will achieve a more defined, precise and polished look.
• Trace over your natural lip line from one corner to another with a liner that compliments your skin tone to prevent feathering (this sometimes depends on matching it with the lipstick you decide to wear). To make the cupid’s bow more prominent, create an ‘X’ shape on your upper lip, just below the cupid’s bow.

Step 4: Apply the Lipstick

• Once you finish all the above steps and choose your lipstick, take some product onto a lip brush and apply it evenly all over your lips. Don’t miss out the inner corners. Ensure you apply it within the corners of your lined lips. Go coat by coat and intensify the color as you please. Usually, one good coat of a quality lipstick will suffice.

Step 5: Add Definition

• Use a small concealer blush and work on your edges to correct the shape of your lips. This is optional but if you want to give your lips that pouty look, you can add a subtle hint of lip gloss.

Now that you’ve got a basic idea of prepping your lips and applying lipstick perfectly, let’s cover a few other essential ideas that you can make use of.