Looking to create the perfect pout? Look no further. In this guide, we’ll give you beginner-friendly tips on how to create your signature lip look. Put an end to dry lips, fading color, feathering and unfortunate shades. Here’s the step by step to dazzling lips.

Start With Exfoliation

The secret to soft, supple lips is exfoliation. The delicate skin on your lips can get dry. That’s because the skin of your lips is so thin and can easily lose moisture and become dehydrated. It’s important that you exfoliate your lips regularly. Doing so will remove unsightly dead skin and to keep your lips in perfect condition.

To make exfoliation easy, try our exfoliate stick.

With our mess-free exfoliate stick, removing dead skin cells is a breeze. Simply apply the exfoliate stick to dry, chapped lips and then use a wet terrycloth face towel in the shower to gently rub away any dead skin.

An alternative to the exfoliate stick is to create a homemade sugar scrub. Mix two parts cane sugar to one part olive or coconut oil and then apply to your lips. Rub off with a wet towel.

Psst… Here are 7 additional lipstick application tips that you don’t want to miss.

Moisturize for the Win

Follow up your exfoliation routine with our nourishing Rallye balm. The Rallye balm is formulated to eliminate dry lips forever.

How can we make such a promise with a lip balm? It all boils down to the ingredients. The Rallye balm contains the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, which hunts down and eliminates free radicals from damaging your skin, and castor seed oil, a well known moisturizing agent that can provide immediate relief against cracked lips. Additionally, our Rallye balm contains vitamin F-enriched shea butter and skin-healing aloe.

Not only can this lip balm be used as a daily moisturizer, it also provides a natural sheen to your lips. Be sure to let this balm soak in before eating, drinking or kissing.

You can purchase the Rallye lip balm by itself here or you can save a few extra bucks and purchase the Rallye balm and exfoliator stick duo here for a discounted price.

Use a Primer

When it comes to evening out your lip tone and ensuring long-lasting lip color, nothing beats primer. Similar to how eye primer can extend the life and wearability of your eye shadow, lip primer can be used to prevent lipstick creasing and smudging. Lip primer can help minimize any discoloration on your lips that can skew the color of your lipstick. Lastly, lip primer helps you produce a smoother surface.

To apply lip primer correctly, wait for your moisturizing lip balm to settle into your lips. Then, apply the lip primer, making sure to apply the primer to the outer edges of your lips. This prevents feathering.

There are many primers made for lips in the marketplace. However, if you’ll only be using lip primer for special occasions (where you really want the color to stand out and stay put), consider using your own face foundation as a DIY alternative.

Choose the Right Lipstick Shade

In order to find the perfect lipstick shade, you must know your skin tone and your skin’s undertone.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Skin tone is divided into four main categories:

• Fair – Transparent skin that burns quickly in the sun.
• Medium – Slightly darker than fair and tans after prolonged exposure to the sun.
• Olive – Bronze complexion that tans easily.
• Deep – Golden brown skin that also tans easily in the sun.

Skin undertone is further divided into three categories:

• Warm – Looks good in gold and white.
• Cool – Looks better in silver and off-white.
• Neutral – Can rock both silver and gold, white and off-white equally well.

Fair and warm skin looks best in peach, pale pinks, and nudes.

Fair and cool skin looks best in beige and bold reds.

All fair skin looks great in coral.

Medium and warm skin looks best in orange and copper.

Medium and cool skin looks best in cranberry and nude.

All medium skin looks great in orangish-red.

Olive and warm skin looks best in pink and coral.

Olive and cool skin looks best in red and wine.

All olive skin looks great in nude.

Deep and warm skin looks best in blue-ish red and orange.

Deep and cool skin looks best in berry and copper.

All deep skin looks great in wine.

Neutral undertones can choose from either the warm or neutral palettes.

For more information about finding your perfect shape of lipstick, check out this guide:

Tips for Finding Your Perfect Shade of Lipstick

Line Your Lips

Do you really need to use lip liner?

It’s a valid question. Lip liner seems like overkill. What’s the point of using it when you’re already using a lipstick?

Here are several reasons why lip liner is essential:

• Increase the fullness of your lips – If you have thinner lips, you can slightly overline your lips to give the illusion of fullness.
• Boost the longevity of your lipstick – When you wear lip liner, you won’t need to apply as much lipstick.
• Keep your lipstick from running – Lip liner keeps your lipstick from bleeding. Liner is especially important to pair with shiny formulas that tend to bleed.
• Substitute lipstick – In a pinch, you can use a lip pencil instead of a lipstick. Apply a lip pencil and smudge it into your lips to create a matte look.

When applying a lip liner, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Always sharpen your lip liner before you apply it. This gives the most precise line.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment with different lip shapes until you find the look that works best for you.

To provide added oomph to your lip color, choose a liner that’s similar in shade to your lipstick.

• For longer lasting color, be sure to color in the entire surface of your lips with a lip liner first before applying the lipstick and gloss.

Don’t Get Rid of Bad Shades

So, you’ve purchased a lipstick that was the wrong shade for your skintone— What do you do now?

Before you toss the offshade, you may be able to redeem it.

Here are a few ideas to do just that:

• Pair it with a different shade lip liner. A different undertone can dramatically change the appearance of your lipstick.
• Blend it with another lipstick that you actually like. This can deepen the look of your fave lipstick, allowing you to experiment without having to spend more money.
• Prime your lips with a flat color. Sometimes, an off shade will look better against the neutral canvas that a lip primer can provide.

Final Thoughts

Lipstick application is a whole lot like repainting an item. You sand off the old paint (exfoliate). You prep the surface (moisturize and prime) and let that layer dry. Next, you apply paint (your lipstick layer) and let it dry again. Finally, you apply your top coat (final layer) and avoid touching it.

We hope these tips helped. Before you go, sign up to become a VIP for free and receive new discounts every month on our high quality, handmade cosmetics. 

Check out these 7 additional lipstick application tips that will help you perfect your pout like a pro.

How To Stop Lipstick Bleeding

Lipstick bleeding is one of the more significant frustrations when it comes to wearing lipstick. Let’s kick off with why lipstick bleeding happens.  Why does lipstick bleed? Lipstick bleeds or…

How To Apply Lipstick – A Step By Step Guide

No makeup look is complete without colouring the pout. Lipsticks have been a makeup essential for many years now. The preferred colours and formulas change with changing trends, but a clean and precise lipstick application is important to ace any makeup look. Even though the lipstick is a commonly used makeup product, there are still a few people who do not know the right way to apply lipstick and one of the most common makeup questions often asked is “How to apply lipstick?”

If you are often left wondering about how to apply lipstick perfectly without feathering or getting it on your teeth, we have got you covered!

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply Lipstick

1. Prep Your Lips

Whilst most people are on top of their skincare game, they usually tend to neglect their lips. When learning how to apply lipstick, preparing your lips should always be the first step. Lip care is as essential as skincare, as it helps keep your lips soft and nourished and prevents them from cracking or chapping. Dried lips are a bold lipstick’s worst nightmare! Lipstick will start to cling to your dry patches, peel off, or seep through the cracked lines.

Exfoliate your lips with a damp toothbrush. Remember to be very gentle as the skin on your lips is thin and delicate. You can also use lip scrubs that are easily available in the market. After exfoliation, hydrate and moisturize your lips with a nourishing lip balm. Try the Maybelline Baby Lips Lipcare lip balm with SPF 20 to not only moisturize your lips but also protect them from the sun.

2. Prepare The Base

Use a small amount of any lightweight concealer or foundation that matches your skin tone and apply it all over your lips. This acts as a primer and fills in any cracks you might have in your lips, giving your lipstick a smooth and even base so that it does not sink into any fine lines. This step is optional but works great if your lips have any hyperpigmentation or uneven colouring. This quick hack also prevents your lipstick from bleeding or feathering outside of your lip line.

3. Line Your Lips

Using a lip liner to outline your lips gives your lips a clear shape and definition and helps you apply the lipstick with more precision. Trace over your natural lip line with either of these 3 types of lip liners –

– A clear lip liner that has no colour, great for nude or light, pastel lipstick shades

– A lip liner that matches closely with the colour of your lips

– A lip liner that matches the colour of your lipstick – most commonly used

Start on your Cupid’s bow (the little “V” at the center of your top lip) and draw an X shape along it to clearly define your cupid’s bow. Follow along the lip line and work your way around the edges of the lips. You can then either colour in a little more inside the edges or fill your entire lips with the lip liner. To create a perfectly defined lip and to make your lipstick stay put for longer, try the Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner by Maybelline. The creamy formula of the Color Sensational Lip Liner makes it easy to define your lip shape and accentuate your lips. Did you know you can also use a liquid lipstick to line your lips? The tip of the unique applicator of the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick is perfect for when you don’t have a separate lip liner on hand. Simple use the pointed tip to line your lips and you’re done!

4. Apply Your Lipstick

Here’s what you have been waiting for, how to apply lipstick like a pro! Start with your favourite lipstick formula and shade. If you like the look of a matte lip colour that also feels soft and creamy on your lips, try the Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks by Maybelline. These lipsticks are infused with shea butter and give you a crisp and vibrant lip colour with smooth and supple lips. If matte liquid lipsticks are more your style, go for the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. The intensely pigmented formula of the SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick gives you a flawless matte finish that lasts up to 16 hours.

With your desired lipstick of choice, start by applying the lipstick on the center of your upper lip, just below the Cupid’s bow. You can apply the lipstick straight from the tube or the applicator if using a liquid lipstick, or use a lipstick brush for a more precise application. If you are a beginner, we recommend ditching the lipstick brush and going straight in with the product. Now swipe the lipstick across your upper lip from the center to both corners, till the entire lip is covered.

Repeat the same procedure on the bottom lip, starting from the center and working your way towards the corners. Avoid going over your lips with multiple swipes of lipstick as this could cause the product to build up and make your lips look patchy and cakey. Too much product on the lips could also cause the lipstick to crack or bleed outside your lips.

5. Blot Your Lipstick

This is an optional step and can be skipped if you are in a rush, but blotting your lips will reduce the transfer from your lips to your coffee mugs, spoons, etc. and make your lipstick last longer. To blot your lips, take a soft face tissue and separate the layers to make it a thin, single ply tissue. Fold this tissue in half and hold it in between your lips and press down. This takes off the extra product and oil from your lips and leaves you with a thin yet pigmented layer of lipstick.

Just like how you set your face makeup with a setting powder to mattify the liquid products and make them last longer, you can also set your lipstick! With a very light hand, use a fluffy brush or clean fingers to pat some translucent powder (or a matching eyeshadow powder!) on your lips. Remember to use very little powder as you do not want the extra powder to pile up on your lips.

And there you have it, a simple step-by-step guide that teaches you how to apply lipstick! Head over to the Maybelline website and shop our amazing selection of rich and luxurious lipsticks available in a variety of different textures and shades, there is one out there for every mood! Check out the Different Types of Lipstick Makeup blog to find a type of lipstick that works best for you!

If you are a beginner, it could be intimidating to see many different shades of lipstick and not knowing how they would look on you. What if you end up buying a lipstick that you think doesn’t look flattering at all? Take out the guesswork from lipstick shopping and give the Maybelline Virtual Try On tool a try. Simply upload a picture or use the camera to virtually try on all the different Maybelline lipsticks. You can see how each shade looks on you from the comfort of your own home. So what are you waiting for? Try the Virtual Try On tool today!