Tips & Tricks for Awesome Lips

I am pretty obsessive about taking care of my lips as I consider them one of my best features! Here are my tips & tricks for awesome lips…

Exfoliate
Lips are skin and thus require exfoliation like any other body part. However, the skin on your lips is VERY delicate. You don’t need a fancy “lip exfoliator” product. Exfoliation can be done with a moistened soft toothbrush or washcloth on a regular basis. If you choose to use a toothbrush, use one that hasn’t been used to brush your teeth. Toothpaste contains ingredients that are very drying to the skin, and for some people even cause dermatitis. I know I said you don’t need a fancy product for exfoliating your lips, but there are still some out there that I really like. These are just kind of if you want to use them for extra help. My favorite one is very sadly discontinued– mark. Kiss Xpert. This product was in-freaking-credible for when my lips needed some extra TLC (like after a cold when your whole body needs some TLC!). It was $5 or less and worked great. I have a couple that I’m hoarding and you’ll have to pry ’em out of my cold dead hands. Another option that I haven’t personally tried but have heard very good things about is Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask ($9.50, marykay). The Mary Kay lip mask also comes in a set with a Satin Lips balm for $18. Similar to the Mary Kay product is Benefit’s Dr. Feelgood Lipscription, which is a buffing scrub and silky balm in a set. The set is $32 though and that seems like a bit much for a product that you really don’t need.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
Lips need moisture! I keep hearing about all these moisturizing lip products– lip glosses and lipsticks that claim to balance your lips’ natural moisture. Pucky, most of them. Seriously. Think about it– you apply moisturizer to your skin before you apply makeup. Why would you neglect to do this for your lips, too? I did this without thinking and did not realize that many women do not. I always apply balm before any gloss or lipstick, no matter how moisturizing it claims to be.

But Alyson, a shiny lip balm will change the finish of my lipstick! I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have to use a shiny lip balm. There are several lip products out there that are not shiny at all and will do the job without changing the finish or depth of your lipstick/gloss/etc.

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm – $3 at drugstores
C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm Stick with SPF 15 – $7.50 at Bath & Body Works
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 – $7 at Sephora, Beauty 360

Personally I don’t care about a little shine. If I’m worried the balm makes my lips too “slick” for the lipstick I’m wearing, I just let it sink in a bit and then blot with a tissue (actually napkins work better for blotting in my experience).

And don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
Lips can sunburn. And it hurts really bad. So it’s always a good idea to have an SPF product for your lips around. I admit I do not wear SPF on my lips on a daily basis, but if you’re going to be doing something like going to the beach, walking around at an outdoor mall, etc. it’d be a good idea to have one of these or something like them around…

Burts Bees Weatherproofing Lip Balm – $3 at drugstores
MAC Lip Conditioner SPF 15 – $14.50 at MAC – comes in tinted versions as well as a stick

Night Time is the Right Time
I always wear lip balm to bed. I wear a nonsticky one and apply it well before going to bed. I keep one on the nightstand so I don’t forget. :) Your skin is in state of repair at night when you sleep, and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to help your skin heal itself.

Quick Fix
A MAC artist taught me that if you need a fast-acting surge of moisture for your lips to dab on your favorite deep moisturizing eye cream. MAC’s Fast Response eye cream is great for this purpose! I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it moisturized and plumped my lips.

Hope these tips help you. :) I also wanted to include some other lip balms I love…

  • Philosophy Kiss Me high emollient lip balm in Pink – $10 @ Philosophy
  • Softlips Pure in Chai Tea – < $4 @ drugstores
  • Sephora Professionnel Most Complete Lip Balm – $2 @ Sephora
  • Wet ‘n Wild Juicy Lip Balm – $3 @ drugstores
  • Lipsmackers – $1.50 @ drugstores
  • Labello (particularly in Dragonfruit) – not available in the US, available at smallflower.com for about $7 ea.

What about you? What are your favorite goodies for pampering your lips?

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