Talk to me about applying lipstick please...

[mommathatwearspink]

I keep seeing all of these women with immaculate lipstick and it seems to make their lips look really defined. Please tell me how to apply it properly? I just can't get it perfect and find it hard to keep my lips in good enough condition.

Lip pencil to outline, fill in with a lip-brush, blot and use lip-cote to enhance staying power.

This is my method for an industrial night on the tiles don't want to re-apply it:

1. Whatever you are applying, always use a lip brush. You need a good one. Some things sold as lip brushes really aren't. What you are looking for is a firmish, flat, small brush with defined edges (no splaying).

1. Exfoliate your lips - you can do this with your tooth brush.

1. I apply lipbalm after washing face and exofoliating and then wipe it off with a tissue - so you get some residual moisturisation but doesn't interfere with lipstick application.

1. Apply a thin coat of lipstick and blot with a tissue. Repeat several times depending on how long you want it to stay. At least twice; I tend to do four -five times for a night out. The secret is thin layers building up the colour and blotting it off so that it all gets built up together - like filling in crevices!

1. Cover your lips with a single ply of tissue (drape don't press or blot) and pat loose powder on a brush over it. If you are short of time, you can use the residue on your powder brush without the tissue.

1. Apply Lipcote. When you do this, make sure you apply very thinly all over the lips and then keep your lips apart until it dries.

Once you've applied lipcote, you can't really retouch it as the texture goes a bit weird.

The above is a tried and tested method. Having said all of that, I am a recent convert to Maybelline 24 hours lipstick which for staying power is unbelievable.

For that follow steps 1 to 3 and then apply with a lipbrush (get the colour off the dippy wand thing). No need to re-coat or use powder or lipcoat. Keep lips apart until it's properly dried. It says 1 min I think but can use longer. Then cover with the built in lipbalm in the 24 hr stick. This is a really great product -it's only downside is a limited colour range - but it is top class.

Here endeth the lesson.

PS: I meant to say forget about lip pencil in my opinion. It's excessively drying, creates an overly harsh line and adds nothing. Maybe if you are in your 60s and are really worried about the colour bleeding but even then it tends to give a really harsh line unless applied by a professional makeup artist.

I'm in my 50's and it all looks better with a lip pencil. The key is to have one that matches your lipstick, so may need more than one. Chanel do a good one, comes with a lipbrush on the end and a sharpener for about £16.

I always wear red/bright pink lipstick, and I prefer to reapply after eating rather than use loads of layers/products. My regime is:

Lip pencil - I use a nude one which matches my lip colour with everything

Lipstick straight from the bullet

Blot - but not with tissue which can leave fibres. I use old envelopes.

Lipstick straight from the bullet again.

Out the door.

If you like the texture, matte lipsticks tend to last (on me, at least) better but can be drying. I love the colours Mac do, for example, but find them too uncomfortable to wear.

I am in no way an expert, and nor do I have time to follow the amazing sounding procedure set out in previous posts! What I do is outline my lips with a lip pencil, and then colour in my lips with the lip pencil. Then I put lip gloss on. I use subtle, neutral shades, and it works as well as I need it to.

I'm a lifelong lipstick wearer. I always use a nude Chanel pencil or colorless lip pencil (Urban Decay in Ozone), it makes a visible difference at 40+. I have been really impressed with the wearing time and pigmentation of Nars lipsticks. Look into the super long-wearing stuff from Rimmel too. I always put on lip balm at night and sometimes also under my lipstick (I prefer Badger Balm, Burt's Bees and a pure beeswax one, I find vaseline type lip balms drying), and when I want a long wearing time I use a lip brush. Super matte lipsticks tend to be uncomfortable and drying on my lips so I wear creamier ones or semimattes reapplying after lunch.

If you are still practising, start with a creamy or semimatte MLBB shade (a a dab of gloss if it feels too chalky), not red lipstick. Pure red tends to be high maintenance and the fade can be difficult to control, neutrals are much easier for experimenting.

Crikey SelfLoathing I'm going to try that process! But am I being thick? I don't really get no5. Is the powder supposed to go through the tissue? That might depend on the type of tissue. I'll go for residual on the brush I think.

You need a lip pencil. In the same shade as your lippy. It isn't obvious at all and is the only way to prevent feathering and bleeding.

Agree with exfoliating and moisturising. Lipstick needs a prepped base.

Is the powder supposed to go through the tissue?

Yes - that's the idea - just a hint of tissue -filtered powder to pre-fix rather than a pile of powder that dulls the colour and ends up turning lipcote to sludge.

further to my previous posts, having read the replies (which are probably all a product of our own ages) I'd add that a nude lip pencil sounds like a good idea and I will test that out myself as may have benefits without the harsh lining I mentioned.

MAC subculture is a perfect match for my lips, I tend to go for my own lips but better look, and fill in with patisserie. When the lipstick wears off, ts not obvious. I've always used a liner, otherwise it just looks messy.

I use the Maybelline 24 hour lipstick as an 'undercoat' (I have most of the shades ) and then a couple flight layers of my lipstick on top or a layer of lipstick then lipgloss.

Does. Not. Budge. Have to use super strength eye make up remover to remove it!

SelfLoathing I saw some 1990s lipliner in the park the other day - pale lips, thick purplish mocha liner and I just hope that she was stuck in a makeup rut, not one of the early adopters I also suddenly understood the 1990s obsession with brownish pinks. I'm pale and pink toned, so the 1990s lippy makes a strong statement on me and is quite difficult to wear, but when I looked around on a tram, for lots of women with naturally darker skin (Philippines, South America etc) that color is the perfect nude, just a tiny step up from clear gloss.