How to get beautiful lips

Your lips have a very delicate skin and are one the most sensuous parts of your body so taking good care of them is vital. What can you do to ensure they remain beautiful looking and healthy? Here are some tips:

Make sure you do not rub your hands over them too many times or bite them with your teeth. This can lead to the skin getting irritated and the area around them to become dark.

Just like your skin, your lips need a routine care for their upkeep. So always keep a lip balm handy with you and apply it on them from time to time. If you do not wish to carry it around, then apply once in the morning and once before you sleep. You can get different kinds of lip balms – apply lip oil if you do not want intense moisturising, or go for heavy lip butter if they are too chapped. You can even buy lip balms with SPF to protect them against harmful sun rays.

If you apply lipsticks, make sure you dab some lip balm before you apply them so that the skin is well moisturised.

A simple home remedy to heal chapped lips is to apply a drop of ghee before you sleep. Apply it for a few days every night and see your lips heal soon.

Make sure your lips are free of any lipstick or lip gloss at the end of the day. Wipe it off gently with a wet cotton ball; never rub them vigorously to remove make-up.

Avoid sharing lip cosmetic and balms with others as your saliva gets transferred on them when you lick them with your tongue.

Get that perfect smile with the right lip colour

A perfect smile can get you many admirers instantly! Not only does it make your face more appealing but also adds a warmth to your personality. With the right make-up and some tips, you can certainly aim to get the perfect toothy grin. 
 
Tips to get your smile right

Don’t show too much teeth: While displaying your pearly whites is good, too much of them can put off people. When you smile, make sure your upper set of teeth are visible but don’t open your entire mouth at once. Many people have a half, lop-sided smile. It may look good on some but see how you look before you ape it. 
Smile from your eyes: If you are faking it, people will know. In order to get a lovely grin, let your eyes too emote your happiness. Greeting people with a warm smile will always earn you brownie points in their books. Smiling with your lips with a deadpan expression in your eyes is the wrong way to go about it. Also, shutting your eyes completely when smiling doesn’t look good. Try to keep them open but don’t stare at the same time. A slight head tilt will make your smile look more natural. 

Practise it to perfect it: If looking at your pictures makes you cringe, practise the way you pose and smile in front of the mirror. You can try different variations or even take pictures to help you understand what looks best on you. Though a natural smile will always look better, you can certainly make sure that you are more confident in your photos. The camera can make many people conscious so remember the look you practised and try to get the same when you pose. 

Pouting isn’t for everyone: If Angie can do it, so can I! Unfortunately, that isn’t the truth. Some people have naturally pouty lips which makes it easier for them to perfect the sexy pout. Though it looks smouldering, it can look very weird and even funny if you don’t get it right. Your face will look uncomfortable and tensed if you try too hard to pout, definitely not a happy picture.

Make-up tips 
The right make-up can make your face look more attractive. In order to perfect your smile, you need to pay attention to your lips and let the face make-up be more subtle. Hues like pinks and reds go well with most skintones and also divert all the attention to your lips. Many lipstick shades though they look good, can make your teeth look yellowish. In order to avoid this, choose from the following lip colours to get that perfect smile. 

Pale pink: Instead of blah nudes that make teeth look more yellow, pick brightening shimmery pinks, says Marissa Nemes, a make-up artist in Miami.

Sheer pink: A hydrating, see-through gloss with a hint of a berry (versus orange-y versions like coral) counteracts subtle yellowing.

Light pink: Bolder than sheer glosses, these matte rose shades have just the right blue undertone to minimise yellowish tinges on teeth.

Bright pink: Whether bubble gum or fuchsia, these electric blue-based colours dramatically brighten, says Edward Cruz, a New York-based make-up artist.

Bright red: Bold, opaque reds can make teeth appear up to two shades whiter, Nemes says. Apply two layers straight from the tube for a more intense effect.

Deep red: It’s little surprise that the classic femme fatale colour creates the ultimate sexy smile. Apply with your finger for a lasting stain-like finish.

Are you ready for two-toned lips?

 

The recently concluded couture week saw two-toned lips as a major runway trend. Both Christian Dior and Giambattista Valli had models wearing two-toned lips with an au naturel look. We ask some of our experts if Indian women can pull them off.
 
Trend du jour
Stafford Braganza, national make-up artist, Lancôme India says, ‘The trend for two-toned, ombre lips as seen at Kenneth Cole has taken the beauty industry by storm. Tone on Tone, a blend of different textures or just playing with matte and satin finishes was hot on this seasons fashion runways. From textured lips at Lanvin to neon lips at Christian Dior to red lips stained in the middle with a merlot hued lip color that effectively amplified pouts at Anju Modi’s and as seen at Masaba, pick two blindingly bright colors that are complementary and use it to complement each tone on either lips.’

Get the look
‘Lancôme Gloss In Love has been designed to be used alone or to be worn with Rouge In Love lipstick to create a magnifying glass effect which amplifies the pigments and the intensity of the lipstick. For ombre lips, create a two-toned kiss by applying an undercoat of 200 Just Strass, Gloss In Love to boost your lipstick’s colour. Then apply a lighter, more luminous shade like 361MPink Bonbon Rouge In Love lipstick to the lower lip and contrast with 183NBe My Date on the upper lip.’


Colour blocked style
Virginia Holmes, make-up artist at Fat Mu says, ‘Two toned lips are usually seen in either a colour blocked style which can be quite out there for everyday wear but great for party wear or in a more wearable petal stained look which is a more gradual two tone effect. To achieve a two toned petal stained effect start by using a lighter lipstick or stain all over the lips and then a darker one on the center fading out. For a great two tone look go for lip shades like pinks and orange. Depending on the situation you can rock this look in a pretty fresh way or in a fierce fashion style.’