Making Make-up Work: Lips

Hello lovelies,

We’ve all purchased make-up that has ended up in the back of the drawer for one reason or another. I want to share ways that you can get the most out of your unused products. Today I will be focusing on lip products.

The MUA lipsticks below (top to bottom) are in the shades ‘Bare’, ‘Nectar’ and ‘Totally Nude’. These are £1 each and available at Superdrug or on the MUA website. The Natural Collection Lip Lines (top to bottom) are in the shades Mulberry and Espresso. They are £1.99 each and available at Boots. I purchased them when they had a ‘3 for 2’ offer, so got an eyeshadow free! 😁

MUA is my favourite high street/drugstore brand but I won’t digress too much now or I’ll be here forever. I will be doing a post about their products in the near future. Follow my blog so you don’t miss it.

So here are my tips:

When a lipstick is too light and washes you out, try adding a lip liner in a darker or different undertone. For example, ‘Bare’ and ‘Totally Nude’ (pictured above) are light, brown-based nudes, so I usually add the ‘Mulberry’ lip liner as it is a pink/purple, berry shade. The combination of the two produces a beautiful, mauve, nude lip. If you add a lip gloss on top, then this can further change the colour on your lips, so bear that in mind.

Another way of using light lipsticks is to highlight your lips, to create a fuller look. I have lipsticks which are far too light for me in almost every colour; a light peach/coral, a light pink, a light brown, a light purple, and I use all of them as highlights. For example, if I want a brown-based nude lip, then I line and fill my lips with a brown lip liner, such as the Natural Collection Lip Lines in ‘Espresso’ and use the MUA lipstick in ‘Bare’ just in the centre of my lips and blend together. I usually add a nude lip gloss over the top to create an even fuller look.

For lipsticks that are too dark on me, I dab them onto my lips and blend in with my finger or a lip brush. This adds a natural wash of colour onto my lips. The colour can be built up to the desired intensity by dabbing and blending until you are happy with the result. As above, you can add a lip liner or lip gloss to help you achieve the colour you want.

Lastly, neon shades were trending last year but they are not to everyone’s taste. If you feel a lipstick is too bright for you, you can tone it down by adding a lip liner or another lipstick that does complement your skin tone. Again I would recommend the dabbing and blending method, so you don’t lose the brightness completely.

Any of these tips can be applied to unused lip liners, lip stains and lip glosses. Don’t be afraid to mix your products to achieve a colour/finish you like.

One other thing I want to mention is the texture of a lip product. This may be another reason putting you off from using it. If the product is too drying, be sure to moisturise your lips well, beforehand. And also layer the product with a bit of gloss or a creamy lipstick. If the product is too wet or sticky, lightly press your lips together over a tissue to take away the excess moisture, and dust with translucent powder for a matte finish.

I hope you were able to take away some tips from this post that will help you to make use of your unloved lipsticks. And  when you receive complements on your lip colour, and asked what lipstick you’re wearing, be prepared to answer “a lip liner, two lipsticks and a lip gloss”! 💄;)

What is your perfect lip combo? Do you have any tips to share? I would love to hear from you.

Latifa xx

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the products mentioned. I purchased them all with my own money, and any opinions given are also my own.