Beauty of Lips Through Lipstick

Every beauty-conscious woman must be aware of the shade of lipstick to be used which should be commensurate with the shape of her face, curves of lips, complexion and her clothes. Moreover, one must take into consideration age, color of hair. Carelessness can mar the looks. Lipstick is considered a morale booster, and is essentially helpful in giving her self-respect and self-confidence.

How to apply lipstick?

Lipstick is used to beautify lips but if applied shabbily, it looks ugly. Before putting on lipstick clean lips with a piece of cotton wool swab-dipped in cleansing milk. Lipstick does not give lustre if lips are not clean. Do not use soap because lips have soft skin. Put on foundation cream, let it dry and apply lipstick by first drawing an outline followed by filling it in. Lipstick can be applied with a brush but it requires skill and practice. If lipstick spreads on lips, apply powder on lips, let it dry and then apply lipstick Many times it is not very comfortable to applying while standing, because hands may shake an spread it. So, it is more comfortable to use dressing-table, rest your elbows on the dressing table. Put on lipstick on the upper lip, followed by lower lip. Use lighter tinge first and then darker for glow. After applying light tinge, keep a tissue paper between your lips and wipe off extra lipstick with tissue paper. Then use dark color. Blend both the colors with a brush. Use of vaseline or cream gives lustre to lips after applying lipstick.

Lipstick can change the look of lips - broad lips can be made to look thin and vice versa and the shape of lips can also be moulded to some extent. If you have a small face use light shade on lower lip and darker tinge on upper lip. Likewise, apply light shade on upper lip and dark on lower lip if lips are thin. For broad lips reduce the out­line considerably. On the contrary for making thin lips look broad increase the outline.- Uneven lips can be given desired shape according to your face by making an appropriate outline. For thickness apply two coats. Remove it before going to bed. It is advisable to use a good quality product; sub-standard product can spoil the skin.

Choose color as per your age, the occasion and the clothes you are wearing. Natural shades suit the girls. Working women should not use bright shades while going to work. Young women with fair complexion between eighteen and twenty-five should use pink shades. Women with dark complexion in this age group can use orange shade. Women between twenty-five and forty should go in for lighter shade. Also, take into consideration colour of eyes - for brown-eyed women pink is recommended; for black eyes light crimson; - for blue eyes scarlet and subdued brown; and for greyish eyes use orange shade.

Likewise, take into account the colour of hair - with black and tressed orange shade will suit, for grey hair, use pink and for golden brown scarlet. As for colour of dresses - with orange shade of your sari, use pink lipstick, with pink clothes use crimson. You cannot match lipstick with each dress you wear, but try to match as much as you can.

Using lipsticks

• If you have a small mouth, draw outer outline with dark shade lipstick and fill in light shade lipstick with a lip liner.
• If you have a broad mouth, use light shade lipstick.
• If your lower lip is protruding out, use dark shade lipstick in the middle of the lips and draw light outline.
• Do not re-touch on a stale lipstick. It does not shine. Nor does it look even.