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There's nothing more annoying than dry, chapped lips in the middle of winter. If you're like us, you probably find yourself reaching for your Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 30 times more often than you probably should. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, you want to keep your lips soft and smooth, especially if you'll be spending the day with an irresistible special someone. Because we always have your back, we talked to experts to get some tips on how to get sexy smoochable lips. You can thank us later!
"The secret to smooth kissable lips is a good lip care routine," Dr. Michele Green, NYC-based cosmetic dermatologist, told E! News. "Lips are often ignored when it comes to beauty routines. But unlike the rest of the body, the lips do not have oil glands, therefore cannot produce its own moisture."
Fortunately, there are many great products on the market that can help keep your lips in really good shape. From lip oils to lip scrubs and everything in between, experts share their tips for maintaining healthy-looking lips.
Tip #1: Read labels and look for ingredients that are good for your lips.
According to Dr. Michele, the best ingredients to look for in lip products are hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, shea butter, beeswax, and honey. Hyaluronic acid is widely known and recognized for its ability to provide and maintain moisture, vitamin E strengthens and protects the skin from damage and signs of aging. Beeswax and shea butter help to lock in moisture and soften the lips, while honey works as an exfoliant.
Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss Lipstick Balm
This lipstick balm from Charlotte Tilbury contains hyaluronic acid, c-peptide, and rich emollients to make the lips look plump, smooth and glowy. According to one Sephora shopper, this feels like a lip mask but looks like a lipstick and gloss on. It comes in eight shades including their iconic nude-pink Pillow Talk.
Tip #2: Use lip oils in the colder months.
Dr. Michele shared she prefers using lip oils during the cooler months. "Lip oils are great as they provide hydration to the lips and condition the lips," she said. "They differ from balms and hydrating lipsticks in that the oils penetrate deeper and faster, providing longer hydration. It keeps the lips healthy from inside out. Balms and hydrating lipsticks sit on top of the lips and don't penetrate, therefore don't provide as long-lasting hydration."
Hourglass No 28 Lip Treatment Oil
Hourglass's anti-aging lip oil treatment is formulated with 14 essential oils including vitamin A, B5, C and E. It's one that Dr. Michele recommends, and it comes in six shades.
Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil
The TikTok-fave lip oil will not only nourish your lips, it'll also enhance its natural color while giving it nice kissable shine. Due to its popularity, it sells out all the time. In fact, it's currently sold out at Sephora right now. But if you're lucky, you may be able to snag one for yourself here.
Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil
This tined lip oil from clean beauty brand Ilia is made with ultra-hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, salicornia herbacea extract and meadowfoam seed oil. They were made to help your lips feel soft and smooth, but not sticky.
Tip #3: Start your routine with a lip scrub.
If you have dry, flakey skin on your lips, it's important to start with a lip scrub. "Pro tip: use a disposable spooley to gently 'comb' the scrub on the lips to assist in lifting flakey skin," Carly Giglio, bareMinerals Global Makeup Artist, told E! News. "Afterwards, wipe away the scrub with a damp cotton round."
Fresh Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator
Both Dr. Michele and Carly recommend using Fresh's Sugar Lip Polish in your lip care routine. "Rub a little of this onto dry lips to work any flakey skin away," Carly said.
All Natural Vegan Coconut Lip Scrub
This $10 all-natural lip scrub from Amazon has over 10,000 five-star reviews and shoppers say they're comparable to lip scrubs you'd find at Lush. As one reviewer wrote, "Wow! My lips are always dry and it's drives my boyfriend crazy that I peel the dry skin. My lips feel new! They are soft, took the dead skin off and look hydrated. Definitely recommend and the price is great." At that price point, it's definitely one to try.
Tip #4: After exfoliating, apply a lip mask while you do the rest of your makeup.
If you're getting ready to go out, NYC-based celebrity makeup artist Suzy Gerstein recommends applying some lip mask right after scrubbing. This gives the lip mask some time to "works its magic" before you put on any color.
Ilia Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment
Ilia's Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment is made with hyaluronic acid and papaya enzymes, which work together to give you smoother, softer-looking lips. It's a mask Suzy recommends.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
It's no secret that we're obsessed with the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It's super hydrating, goes on really smooth and does a good job at keeping our lips moisturized. It's a must-have for everyone.
Burt's Bees Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment
For a more affordable option, we highly recommend the Burt's Bees Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment. It glides right on and makes your lips super soft when you wake up in the morning. Not going to lie, some days we even like it better than the Laneige lip mask!
Tip #5: Work with what you've got.
"If you're going to overdraw your lips, be realistic about it," Suzy said. "Follow the shape and only go slightly above and rounder at the outer corners. Look at what you like about your lip shape and enhance that rather than trying to completely redraw the whole thing." Your lips will look much more natural that way.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner - Pillow Talk Collection
Charlotte Tibury's lip liners come in universally flattering nude-pink shades for different skin tones. If one of your go-to lipsticks is the matte revolution Pillow Talk, this is a liner to get.
Babe Lash Plumping Lip Jelly
Once you have your lips lined, Suzy suggests applying a volumizing gloss to maximize the shape. "I am currently loving the Babe Lash Lip Plumping Jelly in Red Glass for a pillowy pout with a slight tint," she said. "The shade looks like a flush and the formula moisturizes with a subtle hint of shine."
Tip #6: When applying color, start with the center of the lip.
"Remember, wherever you lay the applicator first deposits the most color," Carly said. "By beginning on the center of the lower lip, you're getting the richest color in the fullest part of the lips. Then you can work outward without gathering too much pigment at those tight outer corners of the lip." Do the same with the top lip by starting at the center of the cupid's bow and working the product up to the peaks and corners. You'll have gorgeous, kissable lips in no time.
BareMinerals Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick
One of Carly's go-to's in her kit is the bareMinerals MINERALIST Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick. "There's a wide range of shades and they glide on so easily and give a rich color payoff," she said. If you want to have a more defined edge but want to skip lip liner, she recommends using a small flat brush like an eyeliner brush to apply the lipstick.
Chalotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipsticks are ones we highly recommend. They're pigmented, don't dry out your lips and just look so good on. We'd call this our little secret to having full, kissable-looking lips.
Sephora Favorites Plump and Hydrate Lip Kit
Finding the right lip products for your routine may take some trial and error, so we recommend taking advantage of sets that allow you to try a variety of products at a great value. Sephora released a curated collection of lip balms, lip plumpers and lipsticks from Nars, Too Faced, Fresh and more. The Nars Afterglow Lip Balm and the Rose Inc. Lip Sculpt Amplifying Lipstick both come in full sizes.
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