Lip colors are one of the key products to creating a stellar makeup look. Whether they are an accessory to your sultry eyes or a statement on their own, no one wants their lipstick disappearing by lunch time. Using these tips you are sure to maintain a longer lasting lip color.

Preparation:
Before applying any makeup, preparation is key, even for a small area of the face such as your lips.

Exfoliate:
Some people prefer to exfoliate their lips prior to lip-color application, but if you have sensitive lips try to stay clear of this or do it the evening before. Exfoliating will remove flaky skin from the lips and ensure a smoother application of lip color. You can either use a specialized lip scrub or use a wash cloth soaked in warm water. Remember to always rub in small, circular motions for the best results.

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With the new year rapidly approaching and hundreds of new products to hit the market I thought it was about time I tell you my best in beauty’s of 2012. As a beauty writer I am constantly trying out products some good and some bad but there are a few products that I always end up going back to.

Eye Makeup Remover

Winner: Bioderma Crealine H20

Runner Up: Maybelline Express Care Eye Makeup Remover.

Primer

Winner: Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Primer.

Runner Up: Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer.

Foundation

Winner: Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturising Foundation.

Runner Up: Bourjois 10 HR Sleep Effect foundation.

Concealer

Winner: Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer.

Runner Up: Maybelline Fit Me concealer

Powder:

Winner: Maybelline Shine Free Loose Powder

Runner up: Essence Mattifying Compact Powder.

Blush:

Winner: Kit Cosmetics Cream Cheek/Lip Duo.

Runner Up: Bourjois Little Round Pot Blushes.

Bronzer/Contour

Winner: Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Runner Up: None! I am yet to find one that works as great as Hoola!

Highlighter:

Winner: Benefit High Beam

Runner Up: Benefit watts up. (Yep two from Benefit, they make the best illuminators!)

Eye Primer:

Winner: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue

Runner Up: E.L.F Essentials Eye Lid Primer

Eyeliner

Winner: Essence Gel Eyeliner

Runner Up: Stila Smudge Pots.

Mascara

Winner: Smashbox Hyper Lash

Runner Up: Benefit They’re Real

Eyeshadow

Winner: Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Runner up: Loreal Infallible Eyeshadows.

Brows:

Winner: Maybelline Define A Brow

Runner Up: Rimmel Eye Brow Pencil.

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If you have small lips, thin lips, almost invisible lips or just want to give them a little more oomph then there’s no reason you can’t use a few little tips to fool people into thinking you have Angelina Jolie-esque lips, and you don’t necessarily need to use a lip plumper to achieve them…

Highlight your lips:

Highlighting your lips can cause the lips to reflect light making them look larger, more plump and healthy, there are a number of different techniques you can use to highlight your lips.

Lip gloss: A gloss can add shine and dimension to your lips and help them to appear larger but there is a certain key on how to do this. Rather than applying gloss all over your lips (which can sometimes make it look like you’re drooling!) try applying it just to the center of your top and lower lip, this will reflect light and make your lips look larger.

Highlighter: Just like how you can highlight your cheekbones and numerous other parts of your face you can also make your lips look larger by applying a subtle highlight to the cupids bow of your lip, for the most precision use a clean small precision eyeliner brush or a concealer brush to apply it. You can also highlight  underneath the edges of your bottom lip to give the lips a lift and make them appear fuller

Shimmer powder: If you’re feeling a little more adventurous you can also try using a little shimmery powder highlighter in the center of your top and bottom lips.

Shading.

One of the best tips in the beauty industry to make your lips look a little larger and defined is to take a tiny amount of matte brown eye shadow or powder onto an angled liner brush and lightly shade just below the center of your bottom lip, this gives more dimension and makes the center of your lips more in focus.

Lip colour:

We all know that colour on the lips is one of the best things we can do to warm up the face and make it look more lively. There are hundreds of different colours out there, some can make your lips look larger others can make them look smaller.

It’s best to use a creamy sheen formula of lipstick as this will reflect light better compared to other formulas. In order to make your lips appear larger you’ll want to stay away from any dark shades (such as plum, deep wines, etc) and instead opt for lighter tones (or brighter!) shades of lip colours like light pinks, brighter looking nudes and of course don’t ever go past fiery reds and hot fuchsias.

Focus on the lips:

In order to draw the most attention possible to the lips try to keep the eyes quite understated so forget the smokey eyes and instead just opt for a little liner, mascara and a deep brown matte shadow in the crease to add definition and dimension to the eyes without making them the stand out of your face.

Lip plumpers:

These are also a great option for larger looking lips but should be saved as a last resort if possible. Lip plumpers work by containing ingredients which irritate the lips (such as the sting of a bee) and making them swell up, this can really cause the lips to become irritated and sore so use them as minimal as possible and if you have sensitive lips stay clear of them. Some lip plumpers which aren’t too irritating and work well are: Lip Fusion, Pixi By Petra Plumping Lip Gloss and Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme. Be sure to get rid of your lip plumper after a year though as the plumping ingredients can turn bad and make the lipgloss very tacky.

Problematic lips:

If you’ve got one lip that’s bigger or slightly smaller than the other it can be challenging trying to figure out how to apply lip products in the most flattering way, so to make them appear more even use a slightly darker shade of lipstick on the bigger lip and a slighter lighter shade on the smaller lip, and unless you want to rock the ombre lip trend make sure they are almost the exact same shade or in a very similar color group!

At one stage or another in our lives we’re going to be in front of the camera and whilst not all of us are photogenic we can at least fool people into thinking we are. Whether you’re taking some happy snaps with your friends or getting professional photos taken it’s best to pay a little more attention to your makeup! This guide will teach you how to do your makeup so it photographs best with or without flash photography.

- Prime. Patchy makeup never looks great on anyone and makeup which has half faded or isn’t on the skin smoothly isn’t flattering so it’s important to prime your skin using a primer. It’s best to use one with photo designed properties such as Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

- Coverage. Wear a little more makeup than you’re usual day to day makeup. This doesn’t mean dip your face in makeup; it simply means build up your foundation and concealer a little more or go for something with a higher coverage. Cameras tend to enhance flaws rather than our best assets. Remember to use layers and gradually work up as too much thick cakey makeup won’t look good on or off camera and for optimum coverage use a foundation and concealer brush to apply products.

- SPF FREE! This is something that many people are so gracefully unaware of but it’s something that should be noted on your list of priorities. Most makeup contains at least some SPF especially foundations and concealers generally this SPF is made up of Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide particles, these are pure white and they certainly show up like that on camera. So at every opportunity opt for SPF free and if you’re thinking you’ll be able to get away with using your everyday moisturiser packed with SPF underneath your makeup without it showing through; think again.

- Warm not Cool! Generally speaking you shouldn’t be using a pink or cool based foundation unless you want to look like your old grandma! A warm, yellow toned foundation/concealer will help to make your skin look younger, radiant and less sallow so it’s best to opt for one of these but specially in photographs as cameras emphasizes the pink tones in the skin and using a cool based foundation can result in looking washed out and white.

- Matte! This is where a lot of people go wrong, when getting photographs taken most people cannot pull off the dewy or luminous look it often shows up as greasy and oily on camera so it’s best to opt for matte formulations, however if you have dry skin these products may be to drying so instead finish off your makeup with a dusting of slightly tinted setting powder (using completely white translucent powder will make you look white!)

- No Nude. When it comes to the lips; nude and natural looking colours can look great to the naked eye, but a camera flash?… Not so much! Cameras tend to wash out colour by a large percentage so by wearing a nude colour you’re just asking to look ghostly so instead opt for a colour that’s a little more brighter or intense than you’re everyday nude lippie, try a brighter pink or try a subtle red!

- Brows. Your brows are like a picture frame to your face so why wouldn’t you want them looking their best? It’s equally just important to have your brows filled in and well groomed every day as it is in photographs. Cameras wash out colour so you don’t want to look back at photos and ask yourself where did my brows go?

- Eyes. When it comes to photos it’s important that you have some form of definition to your eyes, so line them add a good mascara and a little depth with a dark brown shadow in the crease!

- Shape! Whilst our faces are three dimensional; on camera they can look a little… Flat. So ensure you use a powder a few shades darker than your skin tone underneath the cheekbones, down the sides of the nose and around the temples to add depth to your face. Also be sure to apply blush but don’t apply it to low or you’ll drag your features down just don’t go over the top as cameras will exaggerate the pinkness in the skin; you want to look gorgeous, fresh and naturally flushed not sun burnt!

- No shimmer. Wherever possible avoid shimmer; whilst it can look gorgeous and give you that sun kissed and healthy look in daylight you must remember that shimmer reflects light and if you’re using flash photography this isn’t something you’ll want as you’ll look white!

- Skip HD. Remember that HD (high definition) makeup doesn’t mean “I’ll photograph well” Some HD products photograph beautifully in flash photography but we must remember that HD makeup is designed for on film makeup (think TV Shows, Movies, Etc) not necessarily flash photography. Most HD makeup contains silica which can photograph white so it’s best to skip HD makeup just to be safe.

- Natural Light. Natural light is key when doing your makeup (Especially for photographs) it’s best to apply your makeup in natural light (go outside if you can!) because if it looks great in natural light it’ll look great almost anywhere!

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Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to a little beauty splurge but for some of us that may not always be an option or sometimes you might want to do one even better: Pick up a fabulous product that performs just as well for a much more reasonable price.

- Essence Gel Eyeliner

Essence Gel Eyeliner is my ultimate go to gel eyeliner, I’ve tried several high end brands but this one still beats them out. It’s got staying power, the perfect texture & formula, is super smooth, super pigmented and well it’s just amazing! If you like you can read all my thoughts on the Essence Gel Eyeliner!

- Essence Stay All Day Shadows

I can say with full confidence that these are the best cream eye shadows I’ve tried. Everyone’s been loosing there mind over cream shadows lately and these are the ones I’m going crazy over! I have super oily eyelids that even with Urban Decay’s Cult Primer Potion doesn’t make shadows last on me, but these cream shadows last for over 10 hours on me (through a busy day!!) even without a primer they also blend super easily with other cream shadow formulations and are so so so so so pigmented! I just wish there were more shades!

- ELF Eye Lid Primer

ELF’s eye lid primer is my go to. It performs better then some cult favourites and makes even the most crease prone shadows last for at least 8 hours! Super similar to Urban Decay’s Primer potion (although in my opinion a little better) I own them in all the different variations! Not only do they prevent creasing but they make shows appear much more vibrant and go on much more smoothly!

- ELF Studio HD Powder

This powder is one of my all time favourites for setting makeup! It may look pure white and very intimidating but don’t let that fool you; it goes on translucent and stops concealer and foundation from budging one bit! Also works well to set lip stick and give it a matte finish (take a sheet of tissue and then using a blending eye shadow brush to dust it over) or to set cream blush without altering the colour! I love a dewy finish on my skin and hate the full blown matte look and I find this powder sets everything without making me look dull. I just wouldn’t advise getting pictures taken with it or you’ll look super duper white!

- ELF Wet Look Brow & Lash Gel

This was one of my very first introductions to makeup, I used to wear this ever minute, every day, every week if you’d caught me without it you would of been god smacked! (Of course not knowing anything about makeup I used to accidentally use the brow side on my lashes and then question why it didn’t work…) It’s great for giving you that glossy “yes my lashes are naturally this long” look and taming unruly brows into place!

- * Face Of Australia Face Base Primer

This Face Primer is such a budget friendly option and is my go to primer for lazy days when my skins not looking or feeling it’s best. It’s so hydrating (if you have oily skin you probably could skip moisturiser with this one!) smooths out the entire skin, feels super smoothing but most importantly it makes makeup last! Very similar to the much loved Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Primer!

- Face Of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons

They’re not a lip gloss, they’re not a balm, they’re not a lipstick they’re all of them! For the last three weeks I haven’t been able to put these down, they are moisturising, smell great, taste great, feel nice and smooth on the lips (not all sticky!) and have a good amount of pigmentation! Super similar to the chubby sticks offered by Clinique and similar to the newly loved Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains these are a little more glossy but I love them to bits! Just wish there were more then the three shades Cupcake, Sundae and Macaroon!

- Wet N Wild Colour Icon Eye Shadows

As far as drugstore powder eye shadows go you can’t get much better than this. These are super pigmented, have an almost “butter” like texture and these last for quite a decent time without a primer; and without one? These aren’t going anywhere. There is some fall out with can be slightly irritating but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed if you do your eye shadow first, dust a heap of translucent powder underneath your eyes, wet the brush, or use some clear balm on a cotton tip to clean it up!

- NYX Eye Shadow (For Brows)

You’re probably thinking: another eye shadow? These came in pretty damn close to be the best budget eye shadow but I like to use them for a different reason!; Brows! I’ve always had a struggle with finding a brow powder that’s the perfect shade; not to warm, not to cool, not to pigmented and not to soft and I’ve found it, NYX single eye shadow in dark brown! It’s great for those days when I want a softer look that brow pencils just can’t quite give.

- Hard Candy Fox In A box Blushing Quad

These blushes are super similar to Benefit’s Much Loved Box O Powder Blushes! They have good pigmentation (the pinks are surprisingly really bright!), decent staying power and a good selection of colours! Aren’t to shimmery or to matte and aren’t chalky like many blushes I have tried in the past; just be sure not to use the little brush included that just calls for a bad application!

*This post contains a product/sample which was sent to me for consideration in accordance with our disclosure policy, however this does not alter the honesty of this review or the blog, all opinions stated are honest and my own.

Don’t have the cash to dish out on hundreds of different products? Learn about products and their multiple uses. These will generally depend on the shades of makeup themselves.

Lipstick:

• On the cheeks as a cream blush.
• A dark beige/brown tone as  a contour underneath the cheekbones, under the chin, down the sides of the nose.
• An orange tone with concealer to neutralize darkness.

Clear Ointment/balm (think lanolips/paw paw ointment):

• On the highest points of the face as a highlight.
• Mixed with blush for a fresh runway cream cheek colour.
• As a clear gloss.
• On the brows to keep them in place.
• Mixed with lip liner for a cheek colour.
• Mixed with lipstick for a tinted lip balm.
• On the eyelids for a fresh natural looking runway finish.

Mascara:

• On the lash line as an eye liner when used with a eye liner brush.
• On the brows as a tinted brow gel. (brown should work for most people, but only use black if you have extremely dark brows)

Brow Pencil:

• As an eye liner.

Eye Shadow:

• A matte neutral shade as a brow fill in.
• As an eye liner.
• As a lip or cheek colour.
• A medium/dark brown matte or shimmer shade as a bronzer.
• A light shimmery shade as a highlighter.
• A dark matte neutral shade as a contour.

Bronzer:

• As an eye shadow on the lids.
• As an eye liner.
• As a lip colour when mixed with clear gloss/balm.
• As a contour.

Clear Mascara:

• On the brows to keep them in place.
• Around the lip line to prevent lipstick from bleeding/feathering.

Lip Liner:

• Before Lipstick to prevent feathering/bleeding.
• Mixed with a small amount of clear balm for a cheek colour.
• A dark brown or bold vivid colour as an eye liner. (you will need to ensure you use an eye tested product for this one)

Blush:

• As a lip colour when mixed with a clear balm/gloss.
• For a very subtle hint of colour on the eyelids.
• A dark neutral shade as a contour.

Eye Liner:

• As an eye shadow when used over the entire eye lid.
• As a brow fill in.
• As an eye shadow base for other colours.

Foundation:

• On the eyelids with a dusting of translucent powder as an eyelid primer.
• On the lips extremely lightly to neutralize them before applying lip colour.
• As a tinted moisturiser when mixed with moisturiser.
• As a long lasting sheer foundation when mixed with primer.
• A dark shade as a contour.
• A light shade as a highlighter.

Primer:

• A light hydrating formula on the lips as a lip primer.
• A matte finish primer as an eyelid primer when set with powder.
• Use a clear silicon based primer to fix dried up gel liner.

Concealer:

• As an eraser to correct any lipstick mistakes.
• A dark shade as a contour.

Okay. I admit it, I’m a bit of a lipgloss addict, well a bit is a understatement. I have draws busting full of lip glosses, lip sticks, stains and all the rest, some I love, and others I just have to dispose of because I simply have no room. But new lip products excite me, there’s something about purchasing your first high end lipstick from a cosmetic counter, and swiping a bit of gloss on just to go to the shops that enlightens me. Lip products are simply the key to pulling your whole look together. You can have the perfect makeup but it still never looks right till you have some sort of gloss, balm or lipstick on. So when I try a new lip product for the first time, I sure do get excited. Recently I tried two little lip glosses from one of my ultimate favourite lip care brands, Urban Rituelle. There lip balms had worked perfectly, so I had really high expectations. Take a look below to see what I thought of both products.

- Urban Rituelle’s Lip Lustre in Geranium & Ginger Flower.

Although this lip gloss looks like it’s a full on high impact pink it’s not.  This lip gloss is a lovely translucent pink so it suits all skin tones. It feels ultra comfortable on the lips, it’s not to thick or sticky which is really important for me in a lip gloss. It has a really nice summer smell to it, but once applied you only get a faint taste, so for those of you who often get the urge to lick your lips when you taste something good on them (very bad as it causes them to dry out) you have nothing to worry about. The lipgloss looks although to have a slight bit of glitter to it, but it’s nothing way to over the top. The formula isn’t drying on the lips, and it didn’t cause any irritation whatsoever to mine. I really love the packaging on this product, I’m a sucker for anything lacey and floral so this was an instant win over for me, and I love that the applicator is a mini little brush that can be cleaned after uses and doesn’t go yucky after time like a sponge tip. It leaves the lips discreetly, but once the glossy factors gone, you can still see some colour and shimmer. Perfect for those days when your going to the beach and want something subtle or pretty, or when your popping down the shops to get some supplies.

- Beach Lip Glamour in Pink Jasmine. 

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this lipgloss, some days it looks amazing on me, and other days it just does not seem to suit me. This lipgloss is basically scentless compared to Urban Rituelle’s lip lustre which sometimes makes me prefer it more. I think the packaging on this lipgloss is so much better, I love that the applicator can be cleaned after each use and you can share it with your mates without stressing! It adds a really subtle colour to the lips so don’t panic when you see bright pink! This product always works amazing as a light blush, just make sure you set it with translucent powder and use it sparingly! Perfect for those who don’t want to wear to much makeup but don’t like to leave the house without making sure they look good! Pretty, barely scented, sheer, and everything you could ask for in a lipgloss! I like to use a lip balm underneath for longer staying power and a more intense colour.

Have you tried any Urban Rituelle Products?

*This product was sent to me for consideration, however this does not alter the honesty of this review or the blog, all opinions stated are honest and my own.

For years upon years I’ve suffered dry lips and never quite known why. I have a good diet, drink tons of water, don’t lick my lips and apply lip balms regularly, but still my lips don’t agree with me. At times I’ve been able to just control it with a average lip balm, and other times they just go so out of control to the point they’re bleeding. I’ve tried countless numbers of lip balms and ointments, from Blistex, to Carmex, Lucas’s Paw Paw ointment, and even some Vaseline, but still, nothing ever seemed to work. Other lip balms, worked fabulously for days so I would tell everyone how good they were, but then they’d stop working to their full potential and I would end up with dry lips again. It got to the point I was visiting doctors only to get told to use the exact same thing I’d been trying, which I was already applying religiously.

One day I saw a lip balm in a small, cute looking tin by Urban Rituelle, I’d heard of the brand before, but had never tried their products. What did I know the lip balm

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Recently one of my lovely followers (loverandalbert) pointed out a week to wear a red lippie (although you can choose any day to wear it!) for a good cause, and of course why wouldn’t I post about it, one it’s an excuse to be able to wear a red lippie during the day without people thinking you are some weirdo, and it’s a great idea for those who suffer a disease of which affects young women constantly, okay I admit the whole thing is a little sad and scary but hey we can all wear a nice lippie so something great comes out of it for us. So here’s just a couple of hints and tricks which will help you get a good red lip, during the day.

- First start with a gentle lip exfoliant that is designed to buff away the dead skin on your lips making them look fresh and rejuvenated. I recently tried smashbox’s lip exfoliant and it’s amazing, infused with poppy seed’s and sugar what’s not to love? It buffed away all the gross little flakes on my lips, and left them hydrated, I did not even feel the need to apply a lip balm, and you all probably know by now how sore, dry and cracked my lips are, and normally the smallest sign of something rough on my lips will cause them to bleed and sting. Although I did not experience even a sign of that when using this! It also left my lips with a gorgeous fresh peppermint taste, no water required either! It’s quite a cheap product and it’s well worth it, it’s now an essential in my makeup bag, for those in Australia wanting this product smashbox’s lip exfoliant is available at kit cosmetics in Australia.

- Before applying any lip product you should apply a good hydrating lip balm to your lips and let it sink in for at least a minute or so. This will help to make your lip makeup last a lot longer and stop it from  bleeding all over the place.

- Choose your red lippie. For a day red lipstick, you probably want to stay away from your bright,bold fire red colour and opt for something a little bit lighter, but that still has a red tone to it. Dark toned coral colours look brilliant. Generally tones that are a dark pink, with a slight hint of red and shimmer into it are perfect. Personally my pick and what I will most likely wear will be Loreal Paris’s Colour Riche Lipstick in Golden Nectar.

- Before applying any product fill in your lips with a lip pencil that matches the colour of your lipstick/lip gloss/tinted lip balm. This will help your lip colour last a lot longer, for even better results use a long lasting lip pencil.

- When applying lip product. As this isn’t your average nude lipstick you are going to want the best precision, so get a lip brush and start applying!

- Add the finishing touches. Finish with some gloss, whether you choose to finish with a red toned gloss or a clear gloss it’ll still look great, remember to add a little more to the center of the lips for extra shine. You can also place a tissue onto the lips and dust some translucent powder over the top for a matte lip.