Step 1: Start with a lip pencil
The purpose of a lip pencil is to keep the colour in and prevent bleeding. Don’t use it to try to make your lips look bigger or to work as a contrasting border to your lip colour.
Step 2: For lasting colour…
‘…sandwich a layer of translucent lip powder between your two coats of lipstick,’ says Diane Bessesen, makeup artist at Gloss Artist Management in Cape Town. This sets the makeup by absorbing excess oil. ‘After blotting the first layer of colour with a tissue, lightly dust your mouth with powder before finishing with a second coat.’
Step 3: To prevent excess colour from migrating to your teeth
Put your index finger in your mouth, pucker your lips around it and slowly pull it out.
Step 4: For fuller-looking lips
Add a dab of gloss in the centre of the lower lip.
We put three reds to the test
Extra moisturising:
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Refined Ruby: Creamy and moisturising, with a bold colour. Stayed fast for three hours.
Easy application:
Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Grand Garnet: The wand makes application really easy. The colour is bold and long-lasting, but the texture is a bit drying, so you may need to apply a gloss over it.
Sexy night-time shade:
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in Rouge. Luxurious, moisturising texture – no dry lips with this lipstick. The colour bled a little, but the use of a liner solved the problem.
PHOTO: iStock/MStudioImages
