Lip Liner Loving...

I am on a mission to save women from poorly applied lipstick. The simple solution is lip liner; it executes lips with a professional sleek finish, it stops lipstick from bleeding and you can create the illusion of larger lips without the pain of surgery. Listed below is my theory on the best way to apply lip liner...

1. Firstly make sure your lips are moist and smooth.
(Dr Feelgood Lipscription by Benefit is a lip exfoliator and balm duo, perfect for getting rid of dry skin and moisturising at the same time. Kiss Mix from Eve Lom is a more intense hydrating balm for those who need a little bit more care)

2. Dab a bit of concealer, only a little mind, onto your cupid’s bow. This will define the shape and make it stand out. To make it stand out even more so, try adding a highlighter over your concealer. (Highbeam/Moonbeam by Benefit is a gooden as it has a really nice iridescent finish)

3. Make sure your lip pencil is super sharp. I find it easier to quickly sketch the shape of your lips with small dashes, rather than to draw a constant thick line. It may look a bit messy with this technique but it allows you more room to amend the shape if needs be.

4. Using a brush or even small cotton bud soften the inner edge of your lip line. This creates a sharp edge to your lip shape, with the inside of the line being softer to blend in with your lipstick.

5. With a lip brush paint on your lipstick/gloss carefully making sure you keep within your lip liner. (Nothing is more frustrating when you’ve spent hours creating your shape with liner, and then spoil it by being too excitable with your lipstick! Although a good tip to know is that make-up removes make-up. Just dab and wipe bit of concealer over the trickled lip colour and it will lift immediately – this tip also works well if you ever dash mascara on your nose!) Take special care of applying the lip colour to the inside and corners of your lips as these are the more tricky areas.

The products I have used in my demonstration pictures are...
• Eve Lom Kiss Mix £12.50
• Mac Studio Finish SPF Concealer £12.50
• Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Titvate £12.50
• Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Petulant £12.50

By all means this is not the rule, it just works rather well for me – feel free to leave a comment on your own lip tips as I would love to hear them...