Lip Tip #3--Application

Now that you've prepped your lips and found the perfect red lipstick, let's talk about flawless application.

When all eyes are on your lips, you want them to look fabulous.

Start with a lip liner that closely matches your  your lipstick, or a reverse lip liner. Blend the line into your lips using a lip brush. Fill in the rest of your lips with the lip liner--this acts a base and will help your lipstick last longer. Apply lipstick with a brush for more precision. Blot your lips and lightly powder with your face powder, reapply lipstick. Super glossy generally doesn't work well with reds; if you want to add a little shine, just dab some clear gloss in the center of your lower lip. This also makes your lips appear bigger.

Lip Tip #1: Perfect Your Pout!

Lips make a bold statement this fall; here are some tips to keep your lips smooth and sexy.

Make sure to exfoliate your lips at the very least once a week. This will get rid of any dry skin or flakiness and help to diminish lines. I like Laura Mercier Lip Silk $20 or C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer $7.50

To make your own lip scrub:

Take olive oil and add a pinch of brown sugar. Dab on your lips and let sit for a minute. Then take a wet wash cloth, or use your finger, and gently rub it back and forth. Rinse with water. Apply a lip balm or a moisturizing lipstick afterwards.

Use a nightly lip conditioner; try Laura Geller Heal and Seal Gloss, $22 or Caudalie Lip Conditioner, $12

To keep dark lipstick from bleeding, try one of these two methods:

Lightly powder lips with your face powder, then apply lipstick with a brush.

Use a reverse lip liner;  a colorless waxy lip pencil that keeps lipstick from bleeding. Outline your lips and then fill in with lipstick. The wax consistency creates an invisible barrier to keep lipstick from bleeding into fine lines. I use Benefit’s D’finer D’liner but there are plenty of others to try.

Now that your lips are pucker perfect, wear those bright colors with confidence!