Lip Service

The tips, trends, and care regime you should know for the perfect pout in Summer 2013.

The Why and How

Great lips start with a solid foundation to keep them soft and kissable all year round.

Why do your lips still need special attention in the summer? Because of two very important reasons; the skin on our lips has no melanin, or oil glands. Melanin is a natural sun protectant produced in the rest of our skin, the pigment that causes you to tan when exposed to UV rays. A lack of oil producing glands in the lips means the skin cannot maintain its own moisture and drys out very easily. (Discovery Health)

What you can do to keep your lips moisturized and protected is 

1. invest in a moisturizing lip balm containing SPF. Depending on whether you have sensitive skin or not you'll need to choose between a beeswax (or other wax), or petroleum based product; there are a few glycerin based products (the best for sensitive skin) on the market but they are difficult to find. And of course taking into account how much sun protection you want SPF ranges from 5 to 30.

2. Use a lip scrub weekly to slough off any dead skin cells; about 15 to 30 seconds once per week should do the trick. And remember not to overdo it on the exfoliation as you'll damage the healthy skin on your lips leaving them raw and sore.

Recommended Products

Balms; Bert's Bees Sun Protection with SPF 8 and grapefruit extract (beeswax) , Blistex Silk & Shine with SPF15 (petroleum).

Scrubs; Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julip, The Body Shop Lip Scuff.

That's Sooo 2013!

Trends: What are they, how to wear them, and where they were spotted.

 

The 3 distinct trends in lip colour to emerge from the Spring / Summer 2013 runways shows are... Naturals, Neons, and Rubies.

Naturals: These are shades the boys won't be afraid of. Soft pinks, browns, and other shades similar to natural skin tones are what make up this range of lip colours. These colours can be worn with any makeup style.

As seen at Chanel, Chloe, and Alexander McQueen

Neons: Think 80's pop done right. Oranges, pinks, and corals all verging on the fluorescent are what to look for. This look is best worn with a neutral almost bare looking face. The good news is that most cosmetics companies are jumping on the neon bandwagon, so you'll be able to find those wild and out there hues at your local drugstore.

As seen at Missoni and Moschino

Rubies: The screen siren is making a comeback. Bold rich reds are ideally worn with subtly smoky eyes and a fresh complexion to achieve the maximum va va voom look of the 1940's.

As seen at Burberry Prorsum, and Jean Paul Gaultier

Avoiding Faux Pas

Tips for keeping inside the lines.

With bold, bright hues, and classic screen siren glam being the hot tickets to a statement beauty, looking fierce rather than foolish is key.

• Products like No Bleeding Lips (at Shoppers) are a fantastic solution to stopping the dreaded feathering lipstick.

• Matte and long last lipsticks can dry out your lips use a base of moisturizing lip balm to keep your pout soft and supple.
• When applying your colour, using a brush can help with precision.
• Or you can go with toned down versions of the bold trend and pull double duty with tinted lip balms.

For a more detailed look at makeup application tips and tricks checkout websites like ohwowyouworethat.com, founded by GBC student Jack Harding.