Officially obsessed with the orangey lips on the girls at Zac Posen's Spring 2015 show!
Singapore ladies, why, oh why aren’t you using more lipstick? Possible explanation: An informal poll among beauty buddies has fingered feathering, or the “bleeding” of colour into mouth creases, as the foremost reason for forgoing lippie.
If frequent application of lipstick’s left a bad taste in your mouth, it’s time to sink your teeth into these top tips – guaranteed to make your lacquer last through lunch and beyond!
STEP 1. Start by priming your puckers with a quickie DIY mask. On bare lips, layer on a generous gloop of a good balm – for this purpose, gun for products with an almost gluey consistency for maximum mileage. Try Ettusais’ Lip Essence Treatment, a sumptuous salve chock-a-block with comforting botanical oils and a licorice root extract said to soothe signs of inflammation.
Wait five minutes, then wipe off with a washcloth; the fibres of the fabric help dislodge dead skin and such. Another trick I discovered through sheer serendipity: This pucker-pampering product is amazing for alleviating painful "hangnails", so feel free to spread the wealth and massage any excess into your cuticles as a neat nail nourisher.
STEP 2. Now that your smackers are flake-free and fabulous, switch to a specific treatment product to create a smooth canvas for your lip colour to cling to. Product recommendation-wise, I’m really loving Ioma’s incredible Lip Lift, with its cosmeceutical concoction of potent plumping peptides, hydrating hyaluronic acid and botanical butters. The petal-shaped tip makes application a cinch, and the opaque cream turns clear in seconds. Get it!
STEP 3. 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 a creamy nude pencil like Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes Inner Rim Brightener, then blend by patting outwards.
How does it work? For starters, this invisible skin-toned barrier stops the colour from transversing into “illegal” territory and bleeding out of your natural lip line. Reverse lining is incredibly important if you’re serious about getting your lippie to stick, so don’t skip it!
STEP 4. On to lippie proper. Using a paddle-shaped brush for precision application – Make Up For Ever’s retractable lip brush is a sure beauty bet – start from the middle of your cupid’s bow and follow the curve down to corners of your mouth.
I’m partial to a pop of tangerine, so consider dialing up the drama with a cheerful citrus courtesy of Ettusais’ Creamy Lip Crayon. Packed with pearlescent pigments and rosehip oil, this cute chubby stick is a quadruple threat: It’s said to boast the pigmented power of a traditional lippie; the patina of a gleaming gloss; the comfort of a creamy balm; and a decent SPF18 rating for protection from the sun.
STEP 5. Almost there! Now for a tip that’s an oldie but a goodie: Blot, re-apply, blot again. James Molloy, the very handsome director of makeup artistry for M.A.C Cosmetics Asia Pacific, says he swears by this tried and tested trick: “There’s a lot to be said for applying one layer, tissuing off, applying another layer and so forth. This layering technique removes excess moisture and oils so that the colour really locks on.”
What you do is to fold a soft two-ply facial tissue in half, part your mouth, place it between your upper and lower lips, then press down gently. Like James says, this blotting action wicks away oils, leaving a concentrated stain of sorts.
STEP 6. Now for the pièce de résistance: Apply the final layer of lippie, this time in a bolder but still complementary colour. In this instance, I’m going with M.A.C Cosmetics’ sizzling new Pro Lipstick in Neon Orange – super sexy and satiny.
Now, this isn’t a trend piece per se, but M.A.C’s James Molloy makes a solid case for owning the orange lip: “A punchy peach is the shade for Spring; it’s so pretty and healthy looking!” One misconception about orange is that the hue can impart a sickly sallowness to your complexion. Worn judiciously as an accent colour, orange lips lend an instantly brightening effect to your face.
In any case, now that you're armed with this nifty makeup manual, your budge-proof lippie – orange or otherwise! – should stay put as the night goes on and the bubbly fizzes over. Cheers to that!
Ettusais Lip Essence Treatment, $28, and Creamy Lip Crayon, $23 in five shades, are available at all Ettusais stores. For more information, visit www.ettusais.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.
Ioma Lip Lift, $95, is available at all Ioma counters. For more information, visit www.ioma-paris.com and follow the brand on Facebook.
M.A.C Pro Lipstick in Neon Orange, $30, is available at all M.A.C counters. For more information, visit www.maccosmetics.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.
Make Up For Ever Lip Brush with Cap 304, $45, is available at all Sephora stores and the Make Up For Ever Pro Loft at 36 Armenian Street. For more information, visit www.makeupforever.com.sg and follow Make Up For Ever Singapore on Facebook and YouTube.
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Inner Rim Brightener, $32, is available at all Sephora stores. For more information, visit www.sephora.com/tarte and follow Sephora Singapore on Facebook.