Twist and Pout

Twist and Pout

The sheerer and glossier the formulation, the quicker it is to apply-because you don’t have to worry so much about precision.
Lip gloss has a tendency to slide off more quickly than any other formulation, but Stila’s Jeanine Lobel has this advice: "To give lip gloss more staying power, line lips first with a coordinating lip liner, then ‘fill in’ by drawing all over the lips with liner. Lip gloss will naturally wear more quickly than lipstick, but the liner will make the lips matte and provide a base for the gloss to adhere to, so it won’t slip and slide around quite so much."


It’s up to you whether you apply lipstick straight from the "tube" or with a lip brush-but a brush gives a more polished look and makes lipstick stay put longer by pressing the color into the lips.


To make any lipstick last longer, apply then slip a tissue between lips and press down on it with your lips. Add a second coat of lipstick. (Alternatively, some makeup artists like to powder lips after the first application – using a velvet puff – and apply a second coat over that.)


There’s a red lipstick for everyone, insists Bobbi Brown, but warmer complexions, including olive skin and one that tan easily, look best in reds that have yellow and orange in them. Cooler tones (fair skin) should stick to blue reds. When in doubt, try red in a sheer texture.


To make sure you avoid getting lipstick on your teeth – a Gloria Swanson effect that nobody wants – purse your lips as though you were about to give a kiss, then put your index finger in your mouth and pull it out. Any excess color will end up on your finger rather than on your teeth.


Don’t throw out a fave lipstick just because it’s broken off. Swivel it up so that the broken base is exposed. Then, hold the decapitated top with a tissue – so it doesn’t slip – and the slowly wave a lit match under the chunk of lipstick to warm it. (Be careful not to burn yourself!) When it starts to soften, gently place it on the back on top of the broken base. Twist the lipstick all the way down and place it – uncovered – in the fridge for 5 minutes. (Just make sure not to twist the tube up so high next time.)

Got to the end of a lipstick and don’t want to waste the last bit? Scrape out the remains with a cotton swab or orange stick, and mash with Vaseline or lip gloss in a lipstick palette.
Total Beauty by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley