How to Create Romantic, Kissable Lips For New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day and Other Romantic Occasions

Whether you’re about to have a romantic evening out, ending (or beginning) with that special New Year’s Eve kiss, or will be enjoying a Valentine’s Day dinner, a special date or occasion, your elegant, classic or sultry makeup look is incomplete without stunning, kissable lips.

Start With Soft & Smooth Lips
Exfoliate dry lips. Coat the lips with Vaseline Petroleum Jelly or lip balm and slough off dry skin with a soft toothbrush or damp washcloth, using gentle, circular motions.
Or
Mix a little olive oil and (white or brown) sugar into a paste and gently scrub lips with a circular motion using a soft toothbrush or damp washcloth.
Rinse off lips and apply lip balm or lip conditioner.

How to Apply Lip Color
Before applying color, coat the lips with lip balm or lip conditioner. Blot any excess with tissue.

To Prevent Bleeding
Dip a cotton swab in translucent powder and roll outside lip line before adding color. (Some people prefer to do this after applying color.)
Line and fill lips with a matte nude shade or a shade close to the lipstick color you will be wearing, keeping to the natural lip line.
 Another method is to outline with concealer which also keeps the lips from smudging or lipstick from setting into lines around the mouth and looks less harsh than a lip pencil.

To Prevent Fading
Fill in entire lip area with lip pencil, using the side of the pencil (not the tip) using gentle strokes. Or pat on a lip stain with the pad of the ring finger. Clean around edges with concealer.
Use a lip pencil to fill in color on the lips, just inside the edge of line so you can keep the defined lip line intact. Start at the center of the upper lip and draw a line down first one side and then other side of the Cupid’s bow) to each outer corner and following along the natural lip line to finish the lower lip.
Blot with tissue. Put on a little loose powder over the first coat and then reapply lip color. Softy brush loose powder to outside edge of lips around lips.

Lip Gloss Tips
If you plan to use gloss, apply two or three coats of a deep shade and leave on for a few minutes. Blot with tissue and then apply lip gloss. This will help gloss last longer. You can also use a lip stain first and then apply gloss, but lip stains tend to make lips dry.
If wearing regular lipstick, add a touch of gloss over bottom lip.
Use a metallic lip-gloss in the center of lips.
Older women look better in subtler, opaque gloss with a dewy finish instead of the super-shiny gloss and glazes.

Bold Lips
There’s something about red lipstick that just dresses up the face. A matte red always gives the look of elegance and sophistication, but if you have dry lips you might want to use a creamy formula instead.
Avoid using high-shine gloss or lipsticks when opting for bold lip colors.
Keep eyes minimal with soft eye shadow shades, black eyeliner and a coat of mascara.
For Asian or small eyes, define eyes with soft black or brown liner.
Use a little bit of shimmer in the inner corner of the eyes, and if you want, use a shimmery liner very close to lower and upper lashes.
Use a very light or nude shade of blush.

Uneven Lip Color
If you tend to have discolored lips, dab foundation on the lips, blot and then apply lipstick.
Dry Lips
If you tend to have dry lips, you will want to avoid matte lipsticks, which tend to be dry and opt for a creamy formula or gloss. They don’t last as long, but won’t dry out lips.
If you try a long wearing lipstick make sure that it has a moisturizing formula since these lipsticks also tend to dry out the lips.
If lips are very dry and chapped, avoid shiny or very dark lipsticks, as this will emphasize the dryness. Use a gloss or creamy lipstick and chose lighter colors (soft roses, golden peach—according to skin tone).