Arm yourself with this ‘matte to measure’ makeup manual that will have you sporting budge-proof and beguiling smackers worthy of Miss Kylie Jenner herself.
Mad for matte
Not going to lie: I’m obsessed with Kylie Jenner and her smackers-related shenanigans – which is just as well really, given how her modern matte mouth is all the rage in the beauty world these days.
But if you’ve hesitated to jump onto the Jenner bandwagon because frequent application of lipstick has left a bad taste in your mouth, it’s time to sink your teeth into these top tips – all guaranteed to make your lacquer last through a snogging session with #bae. Time to kiss and tell!
Moisturise with a mouth mask
First trick of the trade: Moisturise your mouth by giving your lips a gentle rub-a-dub-dub with an old toothbrush in the shower.
Next, pamper your puckers by slathering on a generous glob of conditioning balm. (I’m seriously smitten with Sisley’s sumptuous new softener.) Give your emollient a good three minutes to sink in, then wipe off with a washcloth. The fibres of the fabric will help to dislodge dead skin and such for your smoothest smackers yet.
Prime your pout with a beautifying balm
Now that your smackers are flake-free and fabulous, boost the base by switching to a specific tinted treatment to create a smooth canvas for your lip colour to cling to – red-tinged balm for red lippie, pink for pink. This is a beauty no-brainer: Swipe straight from the bullet, dab deftly and get on with the next step (and slide). Click through, pretty please!
Put a ring on it
Line ‘em up, baby! Time for a bit of reverse lining, which is really just fancy makeup jargon for using a light liner of any sort. All you need to do is trace the natural contours of your mouth with the tapered tip of a creamy nude pencil, then blend by patting outwards.
This invisible skin-toned barrier will stop the colour from traversing into “illegal” territory and bleeding out of your lip line. Reverse lining is incredibly important if you’re serious about getting your lippie to stick, so don’t skip it!
Let me see you one, two step (old-school Ciara reference, yo)
Stain first, cream later. Laid down your base coat of balm? Good. On to application proper. Whether you’re sticking to your guns with a tint straight out of a traditional tube or biting the bullet and lubing up with a liquid lippie, I’ve found that there’s infinitely more fun to be had – and swag to splurge on! – by hewing to a two-step ritual combining both for a delightfully divine demi-matte sheen.
Here’s why. Staining your smackers with a lush liquid lipstick (like this voluptuously velvety Nars nourisher) before swiping on a standard lipstick means that there will be a hint of a tint on your lips even if the second layer of lippie wears out. Incredibly ingenious, if I do say so myself.
A liquid laugh
First, lay down a liquid lipstick in the colour of your choice. “Hue” know I love me some Kylie Jenner, so a beguilingly bare beige shade is superb – the naked nude-ness will lend the illusion of a plumper pout.
Product recommendation-wise, I’m positively gagging for Chanel’s covetable Rouge Allure Ink, an opulent oil-infused liquid lippie with the most gorgeous glide. Press the doe-foot applicator right into the centre of your pout, then slide it back and forth in one smooth pendulum-like movement. One step down, one to go.
Sexy seconds
Wait for your liquid lippie to dry down, then proceed to a “proper” lipstick – I’m besotted with the say-it-as-it-as Comfort Matte hues from Urban Decay’s addictive array of Vice Lipsticks, all of which come chock-a-block with comforting botanical butters for a voluptuously velvety finish. How to apply conventional lippie the “right” way? Only one way to find out: Click through the slide, please!
Idiot-proofing your lipstick application
Swiping straight from the bullet, start from the middle of your cupid’s bow and follow the curve down to corners of your mouth. Wait a beat, then apply a second coat – two coats should give you an incredibly intense flush that’s really rather fetching indeed.
The final flourish
Now for the pièce de résistance. Apply a last layer of lippie, this time in a bolder but still complementary colour. In this instance, I’m going with Shiseido’s sizzling Rouge Rouge – super sexy and satiny.
Blot softly with a sebum-absorbing sheet – the oils in glossy formulas are the main culprits of colour slippage – to leave behind a concentrated stain of sorts, slick on another layer and you’re almost – almost! –good to go.
The final, FINAL flourish
But wait – there’s more. (There always is more.) Fan up the fun factor by tapping on a trendy ‘topper’, like this blue baby from YSL Beaute. The hue will add darkness, depth and dimension to any lippie laid down underneath, for a custom colour you can truly call your own. (FYI: A yellow amplifier will introduce a warm burst of sunshine to any existing shade, while magenta magnifies the plum notes in your lipstick.)
And voila, a Goldilocks-esque stain that hits the sweet spot between moist and matte, with the added advantage of being long-lasting to boot. Pucker up, ladies!
This story first appeared on www.herworldplus.com
Like this? Check out the hydrating yet long-lasting lippies that won’t budge or smudge for 12 hours, the 7 lipstick top coats we dare you to switch up this Fall and all the new cushion compacts to get now.