Jewel & Jewel

Women of course know the importance of lips to their appearance and by using lipstick they go to some lengths to make them more prominent, more attractive and appealing to the opposite sex. Yes women know the significance of lips and how to bring attention to them.

Apply a film of lipstick. But lipstick should do more than attract a potential mate or accentuate the lips’ fullness and beauty. According to a Bangkok Post report, lipstick also has a part in helping to protect the lips’ delicate skin. We slap sun protection on our faces and bodies when sunbathing but our poor lips are often ignored and many of us fail to protect them properly. Lips though are as prone to environmental damage as the rest of the facial skin, and unlike the rest of the body which can be covered and protected from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, lips are constantly on show and always vulnerable to sun and environmental damage.

So it is just as important to protect lips from UV damage. There are two types of ultraviolet rays UVA and UVB that can damage lips and contribute to ageing; UVA damages the deeper skin tissues and UVB the more superficial layers. But both will reduce the amount of collagen, elastin and hyarulonic acid all three are plentiful in youthful lips but are not so abundant in the more mature.

Protecting lips with a broad spectrum sunscreen will keep them safe, soft and attractive. Because of its position the bottom lip is more vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancer. Many women will pay attention to the signs of ageing around the eyes noticing the development of crows’ feet and of fine lines on the forehead that announce the onset of maturity. Many will go to lengths to delay their onset, by applying anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle creams, but many women will also forget that the lips are also important structures in showing the progress of ageing.

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Lipstick in various forms, has been around for about 5000 years as it is the easiest way to add an instant splash of colour and give focus to your face. The main problem though, is that there is no perfect colour that suits everyone. There are no perfect shades, brands or formulas but these guidelines can help any woman to express her mood or personality as she chooses the lipstick that is right for her.

Sheer lipsticks: are more universal than opaque lipsticks and are more flattering as they allow your own lip colour to be seen underneath. They do not last as long as some other formulas although they are very moisturising and easy to wear. A happy medium can be found in the cream lipsticks but as these are more opaque you will find yourself having to be more discerning when choosing your colours.

Shimmer lipsticks: last for longer than sheer formulations and can flatter the wearer of any age, unlike the shimmery eye shadows or blushers. Due to the light reflecting qualities, lips will look fuller but be warned that shimmer formulations look ghastly on dry or chapped lips.

Matte lipsticks: are the formulas that last for longer than any other and are a good selection to make bold statements with. The main problem with this type of lipstick is that they dry the lips out quite quickly and as such should not really be worn if you have dry or chapped lips already.

Lip colours can be found in many styles of applicator but by far the most popular are the ones that come in a stick in bullet shaped holders. As lips are quite sensitive to the sun, the lipstick formulations that have built-in sunscreens are very useful. Lip-gloss can be used to add an attractive gleam to your lips when used on its own, or to catch the light if applied over your normal lipstick.

If you want to mark an outline to your lips before applying lipstick then a lip liner is the best method (this also helps to stop ‘bleeding’) and is designed for just this purpose. For a darker matte effect just apply a lip liner over the whole of your lip area. A word of caution if you do decide to use this method though is that you may need to apply a lip salve over the top to avoid drying out your lips.

Choosing a Colour:

There are many traditions that help in the selection of lipstick colours. Some of these say that you should choose rich, deep colours such as burgundy or plum reds in winter and lighter, more pastel tones such as pinks or lavenders in spring. Summer months herald the need for sheer or glossy formulations and autumn is the time for brown-based earthy colours. All this said, lipsticks are used as an expression of yourself so you don’t have to follow tradition if you don’t want to – go ahead and experiment.

Colour Guidelines:

People with a fair complexion will find that a small amount of colour will go a long way. Over the top, bright colours will look a mess so stick to nudes, beige tones, light corals or light pinks. Sheer formulas prove to be the most flattering here.

Complexions with medium colours are best suited to brown based mauves or sheer berry types of coloured lipsticks in a cream formula.

Reds, especially those with golden undertones rather than blue, are the best and most suited colours of lipstick for people with whitish complexions.

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Apart from your eyes, your lips are the most striking feature of your face. So here are some tips for you to get your lips a perfect shape.

For Thick Lips:

Do not apply lip liner to thick lips. But if you like to have those looks then soften edge with your finger. For the thick lips spotlight lip gloss right in the center of your lips The thick lips should not wear any lip color that is too glossy or shiny. If you want to make lips appear thicker outline lips just outside natural lip line. And apply pencil lipstick. Line thicker lips along natural lip line. Fill in new lip shape with lip stick.

For Thin Lips:

Choose bright shades of lipstick for thinner lips. Applying very dark shades of lipsticks make the lips look even thinner. With a neutral colored lip pencil draw a lip outline slightly beyond the lip area. And apply the lipstick. Apply a little white shadow on center of the lips over lipstick and then spread slightly. If one of your lip is thinner and you want to make lips look equal, outline thinner lip just outside natural lip line.

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It is often observed that make up of lips is given more importance than lip care itself. This is not the right attitude because lips need specific attention as their outermost protective layer is very thin. They contain no sweat glands and few oil glands therefore they are prone to dryness and chapping. Cracked dry lips can be painful and can develop infections also.

Let us first consider the factors that can lead to dry lips.

• Dehydration can cause dry lips. Drinking too much coffee  and alcohol can cause the body to dehydrate  and the first symptoms manifest in dry lips.

• Extremes in temperatures both hot and cold can cause lips to chaff. The outer protective layer of the lips is thin and us unable to handle extremes in temperature very well. It cracks and this can also hurt.

• Overworking and stress can cause general body breakdown. The lower immunity leaves in the body manifest in minor infections and lips are a first casualty. This can cause dry lips which can crack and turn out really painful.  

• Irritation and allergic reactions to certain lipsticks and foods can also cause cracked lips. Contact eczema can also be a cause of this problem. This needs investigation by a professional doctor.

• Some medications can also cause the body to dehydrate, causing dry lips.

• A few medical diseases can have the lips drying as a side effect. This also needs to be investigated by a doctor.

Some common sense remedies and precautions that need to be followed daily to prevent dry lips are as follows.

1. Hydrate the body well by drinking at least eight glasses of water everyday. Dehydration is a common cause of the problem and drinking water is a simple solution.

2. Use a good lip balm which should create a moisture barrier reducing dehydration from the lip area. Lip balms with antiseptic properties are also good for cracked lips where infections may have set in.

3. Eat a diet rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin B, E and various minerals to counter lifestyle problems and boost immunity levels.

Some home remedies to counter dry cracked lips and help moisturize these lips are as follows.

Mix 5 ml of glycerine with 5 ml of lime juice and 5 ml of natural rose water in a bowl. Apply this mixture daily in the morning/ evening to hydrate and disinfect the lips. Let it stay on till it is absorbed or evaporates naturally. Keep the bowl in a refrigerator and re use this mixture for three days before creating a fresh batch.

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Rona Berg, in her book, “The Beauty Basics,” lists a bunch of great lipstick tips and tricks, some of which I want to share with you.

Tip #1: Lipstick done? You might notice there’s still a bit of lipstick down in the tube. Scrape out the last bits with a cotton swap or orange stick and mix it with Vaseline or lip gloss in a lipstick palette. Use a lip brush to apply.

I also love this tip shared by reader Patti Campbell. She scoops out the lipstick remnants from the bottoms of her tubes and she puts them in a pill case, “the one with the days of the week individually capped.” She then nukes the pill case until the lipstick melts.

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