Soft plump lips give the face a healthy and beautiful look. But how can you go about making them look amazing? Start exfoliating them regularly and putting on an emollient to help them look their best. Then add color and shine to make them beautiful and bright. Finally, keep them healthy by hydrating them, applying sunscreen and maintaining healthy habits over the long term.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Treating the Lips
Step 1. Use a lip scrub to exfoliate them
The skin in this area is delicate, dries up and tends to flake off easily. If you have dry, chapped lips, you need to treat them instead of trying to hide them. A light exfoliation can help in this regard, and it only takes a few minutes. There is no need to purchase a special product; just mix some substances already present in the house. Here's how to do it:
- Mix a teaspoon of sugar with a teaspoon of honey.
- Wet your lips with warm water.
- Rub the mixture into your lips in a circular motion.
- Rinse and repeat as needed.
Step 2. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush
If your lips are too dry to be smoothed with a scrub, try repeating the same process with a toothbrush. Wet your lips and scrub them with a clean toothbrush in a gentle circular motion. Rinse and repeat if you still notice dry skin peeling off.
- Make sure your toothbrush has soft, non-stiff bristles. You don't have to cut or scrape the skin on your lips, as irritating them will only aggravate the problem.
- If your lips are chapped, it may be necessary to repeat the process for a few days. After exfoliating them, moisturize them and wait until the next day to exfoliate them again. Continue until you see that they come back in excellent condition.
Step 3. Feed them with a homemade serum
A lip serum is similar to a face mask, but specific to this area. It is a rich nourishing blend that deeply hydrates and brightens the lips, leaving results that last for several days. After exfoliating them, apply a serum to make them look their best.
- Mix a teaspoon of honey or aloe with a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil.
- Smear the mixture on your lips.
- Let the serum sit on your lips for ten minutes, until it is absorbed.
- Rinse off excess serum with warm water.
Step 4. Apply a natural volumizer
If you want fuller lips, there are several ways to help them look fuller without the need for injections or expensive products. The trick is to increase circulation to the area by applying a substance that attracts blood. Create a blend of natural volumizer and apply it to your lips whenever you want to give them extra thickness. Here are some common household products that you can use for this purpose:
- A mixture of a pinch of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of olive or coconut oil.
- A mixture of 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of olive or coconut oil.
- A mixture of 5 drops of peppermint extract and 1/2 teaspoon of olive or coconut oil.
- Or use this quick fix: Rub a freshly cut piece of ginger or jalapeño on your lips.
Step 5. Hydrate them every day
Lips are constantly exposed to all kinds of substances that can dry them out. Excessively low or high temperatures, the food and drinks that are consumed, wind, sun and air pollution all affect the health of the lips. Protect them every day using a good emollient, so as to form a thin barrier between the lips and the rest of the world.
- Look for a conditioner made from natural substances. The most important ingredients that moisturize the lips are coconut oil or butter, shea butter and vitamin E oil.
- If you want to create a healthy conditioner, simply blend 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with 1 tablespoon of beeswax. You can perfume the blend with five drops of your favorite essential oil. Pour it into a clean lip balm jar and let it cool before applying.
Part 2 of 3: Adding Color and Shine
Step 1. Use a tinted conditioner if you want to add an extra pop of color
If your lips are in good condition, it doesn't take a lot of makeup to make them look beautiful and healthy. If you're not the type of person who likes to put layers of lipstick on their lips, try a simple tinted balm to add a pop of shine. You can find it on the market in any shade you want, or you can customize your own. Here's how to do it:
- Make a simple conditioner by blending 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of beeswax together.
- Cut a small piece of your favorite lipstick and blend it into the mixture while it is still hot. Add more or less lipstick according to the intensity of the color you want to achieve.
- Finally pour the product into a clean jar and let it cool before applying it.
Step 2. Learn how to choose the lip color that best matches your complexion
If you have no qualms about putting on a bold color to make your lips look prettier, it's still important to know how to choose the right shades to match your complexion. Skin tones basically fall into three categories: warm, cool, or neutral. Learn more about the "temperature" of your skin to choose the right lipstick for you.
- If your complexion is more like earth tones, yellow and red, and gold jewelry, your skin is warm. Choose a lipstick with warm shades, such as brown, orange-red, coral pink and cream.
- If you are at your best with gemstone tones, navy blue and silver jewelry, your skin is fresh. In this case, choose a lipstick with cold shades such as plum purple, cherry red, pink, lavender and neutral pearl.
Step 3. Apply lipstick like a make-up artist
Soften your lips with a balm before applying the lipstick, otherwise it will flake off and give it a blotchy look. Apply it to your lower lip, being careful not to go out of its natural line. Rub your lips together so that the lipstick adheres to your upper lip as well. Add a few extra strokes of color to both lips to fill in any gaps.
- If you swab them with a paper towel, you help the lipstick to set better and prevent traces from remaining on your teeth and on the glasses you drink in during the day.
- If you want the lipstick to last all day without fading, apply a primer before putting it on.
Step 4. Enhance the shape of the lips with a lip liner
It is not mandatory to use it all the time, but on days when you want your lips to turn the heads of the viewer, it is essential. Choose one that matches the color of the lipstick you want to use. This tool is used to accurately outline the shape of the lips before applying the lipstick, defining their profile and avoiding that the applied color can "escape" from the defined limits.
- You can also use the pencil to change the shape of the lips. Draw the line slightly above or below the natural line to make them appear larger. When you fill them in with lipstick, no one will be able to tell the difference.
- Additionally, you can also create a subtle shadow effect by using a lighter or darker pencil than the lipstick you are using.
Step 5. Add a layer of lip gloss to make your lips even brighter
After putting on the lipstick, if you wish, you can apply a layer of clear lip gloss to make them stand out even more. The lip gloss adds a nice touch of shine and also helps set the lipstick better. Choose a transparent one or one with colored reflections, depending on the look you want to show off.
- Lip gloss is entirely optional, especially if you prefer more matte-looking lips rather than glossy ones.
- Coconut oil works well as a homemade lip gloss.
Part 3 of 3: Keeping Lips Healthy
Step 1. Protect them from the sun
Like the rest of the skin, lips need to be protected from the sun's rays if you want them to stay healthy. Exposure to sunlight over time can make them dark and dry out. Apply a conditioner with SPF 15 or higher every day to keep them in their best state, especially during the summer.
- If you want to make your own, you can add sunscreen by mixing it with zinc oxide powder. Coconut oil is also a product that provides some protection.
- If you don't like applying conditioner, wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep your face in the shade on the sunniest days.
Step 2. Keep lips well hydrated in dry weather
Depending on where you live, the air humidity may be lower, in summer as well as in winter. Even before your lips start to get dry and chapped, pay special attention to them and keep them hydrated. Apply conditioner when you go out to protect them from irritating weather.
- It is also a good idea to apply conditioner in the evening, before bedtime, to prevent them from drying out overnight, especially if you tend to sleep with your mouth open.
- Try turning on a bedroom humidifier to keep your lips and skin moisturized.
Step 3. To have healthy lips it is important to have a well hydrated body
Drinking plenty of water is essential in helping this area of the body to remain soft as well. If the body is dehydrated, often the first place where this is noticed is the lips. Drink water throughout the day so they don't have a chance to dry out.
- When you can, try to replace coffee and alcohol with water, since this is undoubtedly healthier.
- Salty foods dry your lips, so when you eat foods that are particularly rich in them, you should drink even more water to compensate.
Step 4. Never use harsh chemicals on your lips
Many lip products contain alcohol, perfumes and dyes to create a lasting color. Still other lipsticks contain lead, which can cause serious health problems if ingested in large quantities. This does not mean that you have to throw away your entire collection of lipsticks, but it is important to be aware of what you put on your lips and to choose natural products as often as possible.
Step 5. Know the effects of smoking on the lips
Smoking can make them darker, thinner and more wrinkled. Consuming tobacco is definitely counterproductive if your goal is to have beautiful lips. If you want to make them look wonderful (in addition to all the other health benefits), go out of your way to quit smoking as soon as possible.
Advice
- When brushing your teeth, also scrub your lips for 2 minutes and then apply the moisturizing conditioner.
- Volumizing products now on the market come in many forms, from conditioners to high-quality lip glosses. These can give your lips a fuller look, as well as give some color, without being sticky.
Warnings
- Some people recommend petrolatum-based moisturizers, such as petroleum jelly, but they can crack lips even more if not used for a set period of time. Instead, try a cocoa butter containing vitamin E.
- If you think you'll be kissing someone soon, choose a mild colored lip gloss. As sexy as red lipstick is, both you and your partner would end up like two clowns after the kiss.
- Although the volumizing products sold in the supermarket can make your lips look beautiful, be careful! Many people have experienced allergic reactions or been exposed to poorly used chemicals. Make sure you always test the product on one hand before you buy it, so your lips don't look like they've been stung by a swarm of bees when you go on a date.
