The lip pencil is more than just a one-trick pony. It prolongs hold, prevents leaks, increases the volume of your lips and much more. Here are five good reasons to add one to your makeup kit.
Lip pencils are the perfect tool for correcting little imperfections and impeccably redefining your lips. Choosing the right one is important. A line that’s too dark or too thick will quickly ruin the effect you’re going for. Use a dry, well-sharpened pencil in a shade that is one or two tones darker than your lipstick.
Make sure the tip of your pencil is well moisturized so it glides gently over your lips. Next, draw a line from the centre of your upper lip—at your Cupid’s bow—to the corners, following your natural lip line. Now, simply apply your lipstick, preferably, with a brush. This will help you follow the contour of your mouth and blend the lipstick with your liner.
Tip: For a natural look, avoid pressing too hard on the pencil. Instead, lightly line your lips with small strokes.
Lip liners can be used for more than outlining your lips. Because they’re ultra-matte—sometimes even more than matte lipsticks—you can also apply them to your entire lip. Then, simply run your finger over your lips to spread the product out and even out the finish.
Tip: The secret to a beautiful matte mouth: soft lips! You don’t want to apply liner to chapped lips. Just like with matte lipstick, liners tend to make dead skin stand out. You can avoid this by exfoliating your lips once or twice a week and moisturizing them regularly with a balm.
Lip pencils are handy allies for plumping up your lips. Simply outline your lips with a liner in the same color as your lipstick, lightly and naturally accentuating the contours by no more than three or four millimetres.
Start with your lower lip before working on your upper lip. Pay careful attention to symmetry and closely follow your Cupid’s bow! Next, lightly blend the contours to ensure the line looks natural and then fill in the inside of the line with your lipstick. If you want to enhance the plumped effect, add a touch of lip-gloss to the centre of your lips on top of your lipstick and you’re good to go!
Tip: For best results, apply a thin coat of foundation or concealer to your lips before applying your colour.
Here’s the best-kept secret of professional makeup artists: in addition to using a lip liner to even out your lip colour, you can use it as a base to maximize your lipstick’s hold. The liner’s powdery texture holds the pigments and stops the lipstick from bleeding into the fine lines and corners of your mouth.
Tip: Choose a lip liner that’s the same colour as your lipstick, and apply it with cross-hatching over your entire lips before applying your lipstick.
There’s nothing worse than lipstick that runs into the fine lines around your mouth. Once again, lip liner can save the day. Thanks to its texture, it serves as a barrier for your lipstick or gloss, preventing it from bleeding. Naturally, having well-moisturized lips will also make your lipstick last longer, while applying loose powder to your lips before putting on makeup will help to keep your lipstick where it belongs and stop it from running.
Tip: You might not want to have an arsenal of lip pencils to match all or your lipsticks. If that’s the case, you can use colourless or flesh-coloured pencils. They go with everything!
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