Beauty Beat~ {Lipstick Routine}

I feel like I have been fielding lots of questions regarding my lipstick routine and offering up some recommendations as of late. It seems a bit odd because I was not a real big lip product user until just a few years ago. In the past I would slather on a bit of lip color for a big event or night out and that was about it. It all changed when I noticed a pattern in photographs of myself--it "appeared" in the pictures that I had barely visible lips. Eyes, nose, cheek, and teeth. Wait. What? Where'd my lips go? Well, they went the same shade as my skin and practically became nonexistent when photographed. I decided the way to solve it was to invest in some lip products. However, I have some long standing issues with lip products. I don't like products that dry my lips out and I want lip color to last. Turns out I could totally get the first but have come to grips with the second taking, well- second place. Here is my lipstick routine with a few tips sprinkled in.

1. EOS lip balm (or any lip balm): (Get some!)
This is not step number one because its the first thing I do in my routine. It is number one because I believe it is THE most important step in ANY lipstick routine. Bottom line folks--your lipstick is only going to look as good as the lips underneath (this same applies to skin ladies--more on that in a later post!) Keep your lips hydrated at all times and you will have to do less exfoliating and your lips will age better and age you less. I also throw a bit of lip balm on every time before I apply lipstick--makes the whole process slicker.

2. Exfoliation: (Get some!)
Our lips shed skin just like every other part of our bodies. The WORST thing you can do is let your lips get caked with dry skin. Any lipstick, no matter how great or expensive is not going to look good on dry, cakey lips. I do two things about three times a week to keep my lips exfoliated and free of flakey skin.-- After I am finished brushing my teeth, I brush my lips (yup) with my tooth brush. This gets a nice layer of dead skin good and gone. Then, I use my ELF lip exfoliator at night before I go to bed to get rid of another layer. Once I got into the habit of both of these my lips have been uber soft and flake free. Believe me, this makes putting on lipstick a much better experience.

3. Lip liner: (Get some!)
Once my lips are prepped and ready to go I apply a lip liner. This is definitely an extra step that I believe is worth doing. Lip liner keeps your lipstick from bleeding out into the tiny fine lines around your mouth. It also acts as a primer to help your lipstick last. I use a shade very close to my natural color so I don't have any dark line issues or discoloration. My favorite brand of lip liner is the Exaggerate line by Rimmel. My two favorite shades are Innocent and Addiction. They have a matte, long-lasting finish that I love.

4. Lipstick: (Get some!)
Some days I go for the full lipstick look. When I do, I reach for my all time fave color and finish--MAC Lustre in Hug Me. This is not the first time I have mentioned this on the blog and I fear it will not be the last. It has a wonderfully smooth finish and the color is just two notches above my natural color. Annnnd it shows up in pictures without making me look like a clown.

5 & 6: Lip Gloss: Revlon Lip Butters  Clinique Chubby Sticks
 I think my biggest issue with lip products is their lack of staying power. The ones that claim to be 12-hour are often drying and feel horrible on my lips. One day I simply decided to get over it. So I have to reapply? Big whoop. However, if I was going to reapply I wanted a product that I could do so in a pinch and without a mirror. My two faves in this category are my Revlon Lip Butters and Clinique Chubby Sticks. Both of these products go well over my liner, have great color payoff, are moisturizing and have decent staying power. They both also reapply easily. I have gotten in the habit of having one out on my desk and I add a new swipe about every two hours. I truly feel like it finishes off my overall look no matter how much or how little other makeup I am wearing.

Share your lip tips below!