How To Apply Lipstick – A Step By Step Guide

No makeup look is complete without colouring the pout. Lipsticks have been a makeup essential for many years now. The preferred colours and formulas change with changing trends, but a clean and precise lipstick application is important to ace any makeup look. Even though the lipstick is a commonly used makeup product, there are still a few people who do not know the right way to apply lipstick and one of the most common makeup questions often asked is “How to apply lipstick?”

If you are often left wondering about how to apply lipstick perfectly without feathering or getting it on your teeth, we have got you covered!

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply Lipstick

1. Prep Your Lips

Whilst most people are on top of their skincare game, they usually tend to neglect their lips. When learning how to apply lipstick, preparing your lips should always be the first step. Lip care is as essential as skincare, as it helps keep your lips soft and nourished and prevents them from cracking or chapping. Dried lips are a bold lipstick’s worst nightmare! Lipstick will start to cling to your dry patches, peel off, or seep through the cracked lines.

Exfoliate your lips with a damp toothbrush. Remember to be very gentle as the skin on your lips is thin and delicate. You can also use lip scrubs that are easily available in the market. After exfoliation, hydrate and moisturize your lips with a nourishing lip balm. Try the Maybelline Baby Lips Lipcare lip balm with SPF 20 to not only moisturize your lips but also protect them from the sun.

2. Prepare The Base

Use a small amount of any lightweight concealer or foundation that matches your skin tone and apply it all over your lips. This acts as a primer and fills in any cracks you might have in your lips, giving your lipstick a smooth and even base so that it does not sink into any fine lines. This step is optional but works great if your lips have any hyperpigmentation or uneven colouring. This quick hack also prevents your lipstick from bleeding or feathering outside of your lip line.

3. Line Your Lips

Using a lip liner to outline your lips gives your lips a clear shape and definition and helps you apply the lipstick with more precision. Trace over your natural lip line with either of these 3 types of lip liners –

– A clear lip liner that has no colour, great for nude or light, pastel lipstick shades

– A lip liner that matches closely with the colour of your lips

– A lip liner that matches the colour of your lipstick – most commonly used

Start on your Cupid’s bow (the little “V” at the center of your top lip) and draw an X shape along it to clearly define your cupid’s bow. Follow along the lip line and work your way around the edges of the lips. You can then either colour in a little more inside the edges or fill your entire lips with the lip liner. To create a perfectly defined lip and to make your lipstick stay put for longer, try the Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner by Maybelline. The creamy formula of the Color Sensational Lip Liner makes it easy to define your lip shape and accentuate your lips. Did you know you can also use a liquid lipstick to line your lips? The tip of the unique applicator of the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick is perfect for when you don’t have a separate lip liner on hand. Simple use the pointed tip to line your lips and you’re done!

4. Apply Your Lipstick

Here’s what you have been waiting for, how to apply lipstick like a pro! Start with your favourite lipstick formula and shade. If you like the look of a matte lip colour that also feels soft and creamy on your lips, try the Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks by Maybelline. These lipsticks are infused with shea butter and give you a crisp and vibrant lip colour with smooth and supple lips. If matte liquid lipsticks are more your style, go for the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. The intensely pigmented formula of the SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick gives you a flawless matte finish that lasts up to 16 hours.

With your desired lipstick of choice, start by applying the lipstick on the center of your upper lip, just below the Cupid’s bow. You can apply the lipstick straight from the tube or the applicator if using a liquid lipstick, or use a lipstick brush for a more precise application. If you are a beginner, we recommend ditching the lipstick brush and going straight in with the product. Now swipe the lipstick across your upper lip from the center to both corners, till the entire lip is covered.

Repeat the same procedure on the bottom lip, starting from the center and working your way towards the corners. Avoid going over your lips with multiple swipes of lipstick as this could cause the product to build up and make your lips look patchy and cakey. Too much product on the lips could also cause the lipstick to crack or bleed outside your lips.

5. Blot Your Lipstick

This is an optional step and can be skipped if you are in a rush, but blotting your lips will reduce the transfer from your lips to your coffee mugs, spoons, etc. and make your lipstick last longer. To blot your lips, take a soft face tissue and separate the layers to make it a thin, single ply tissue. Fold this tissue in half and hold it in between your lips and press down. This takes off the extra product and oil from your lips and leaves you with a thin yet pigmented layer of lipstick.

Just like how you set your face makeup with a setting powder to mattify the liquid products and make them last longer, you can also set your lipstick! With a very light hand, use a fluffy brush or clean fingers to pat some translucent powder (or a matching eyeshadow powder!) on your lips. Remember to use very little powder as you do not want the extra powder to pile up on your lips.

And there you have it, a simple step-by-step guide that teaches you how to apply lipstick! Head over to the Maybelline website and shop our amazing selection of rich and luxurious lipsticks available in a variety of different textures and shades, there is one out there for every mood! Check out the Different Types of Lipstick Makeup blog to find a type of lipstick that works best for you!

If you are a beginner, it could be intimidating to see many different shades of lipstick and not knowing how they would look on you. What if you end up buying a lipstick that you think doesn’t look flattering at all? Take out the guesswork from lipstick shopping and give the Maybelline Virtual Try On tool a try. Simply upload a picture or use the camera to virtually try on all the different Maybelline lipsticks. You can see how each shade looks on you from the comfort of your own home. So what are you waiting for? Try the Virtual Try On tool today!