JOIN USWork magic on your lips
The mouth and lips, like the eyes, add character to the face. The lips draw attention because they are so much a part of communication. What you might not know is that the lips add balance to the face too, along with other facial features like the eyes and nose.
And appropriate lip make-up can really enhance your looks. Surgery has come to be a popular option among many, but there really is no need for such a drastic choice if you wish to change the appearance of your lips. The right brush stroke and colour can make lips look fuller, thinner, or more shapely. Make-up can help conceal common flaws by creating an illusion.
It is only in an extreme situation, like cleft palate, that surgery is advised. Cosmetic surgery is also often suggested to mask injury/ accident scars. But all cosmetic surgeries carry a certain level of risk and one should be in the know of the risks involved before going under the knife.
Care for your lips
The skin on the lips is thin and sensitive. It does not contain oil glands, which is why its gets chapped easily. So, apply a little milk cream (malai) daily and leave it on for an hour to keep lips soft.
If your lips have become dark over time, add a few drops of lime juice to a teaspoon of milk cream. Apply it on the affected area. Apply pure almond oil or an almond cream on the lips and leave it on overnight.
Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to dry, chapped lips. Sometimes, lips may even develop painful cracks.
Citrus fruits, ripe papaya, tomatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole-grains, oats and milk products must be included in the diet for healthy-looking lips.
Lips don’t lie, or do they?
To make thin lips appear fuller, use a lip pencil to draw a lip line above and below the upper and lower lip. Fill it in with colour using a lip brush. The colour of the lip pencil should be only one shade darker than the lipstick. Light colours and gloss make the lips look fuller.
To make thick lips appear thin, use a lip pencil to draw the lip line, staying within the natural lip line. Then fill in with colour with a lip brush. Matte lipsticks suit thick lips the best.
Avoid using glossy lipsticks and pastel shades.
To perk up drooping lips, use a lip pencil to raise the corners of the mouth, by raising the outline slightly upwards, at the corners.
If you want a pout, apply lipstick all over the lips, leaving out the centre. Apply a lighter colour along with lip gloss on the centre.
Chapped and cracked?
*To prevent dry and chapped lips, a diet rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C is suggested. While using gloss, coat your lips with a layer of natural balm first. Always remove lipstick with a cleansing cream. Apply almond cream at night and leave it on.
*Cracks at the corners of the mouth can occur after a fever or illness. Consult a doctor for a vitamin supplement.
*Wrinkles around the mouth can occur due to ageing or excessive dryness over a period of time. A daily application of almond cream can help. Avoid the use of soap, creamy foundations, powder or matte lipsticks. Discolouration of the lips occurs due to exposure to the sun or the perfume content in certain lipsticks, due to photosensitivity. Change your brand of lipstick. If the problem persists, see a dermatologist at the earliest.