THE PERFECT POUT
Turn heads with the perfect pout. Exquisite kisses and smiles start from the lips, so be sure to highlight them as you would want to be seen, whether that’s risqué, coquettish or demure. Select the right shades and products for you to transform lips from dry and colorless to juicy and vibrant! You can achieve the lips you desire using this guide’s techniques and products which bring out your softest and fullest pout yet.
EXFOLIATE & TREAT
Prep your lips by exfoliating, hydrating and nourishing them. Taking the time to do these steps will result in longer wear and a flawless application.
LUMIÈRE DE VIE® REFINE & MOISTURIZE LIP DUO
Unlock the secret to your softest lips yet with vanilla-flavored
Lumière de Vie Refine & Moisturize Lip Duo. This powerful two-step tag team will help transform dry, cracked lips into a truly kissable pout.
Application Instructions:
Step 1: Refine lips with the exfoliating lip scrub infused with luxurious sugar crystals that gently buff away dead skin cells.
Step 2: Moisturize, smooth and treat lips with the ultra-hydrating lip masque powered by jojoba seed oil and shea butter for long- lasting, locked-in moisture. Get ready for your most deliciously soft and prepped lips ever.
PRO TIP: Apply the Moisturizing Lip Masque
before bedtime for an at-home, overnight lip masque that will hydrate and repair lips as you sleep.
Exfoliate lips with the Refining Lip Scrub before makeup application to ensure your favorite lip shade glides on smoothly.
LIP BASICS
LINE YOUR LIPS
The main purpose of a lip liner is to define your lips and help your lipstick stay put without feathering or bleeding. But that’s not all! You can use it to enhance and even change the shape of your lips.
Choose Your Lip Liner Color
Before you can choose your lip liner color, you need to decide what results you are trying to achieve. Do you want a fuller lip? Are you going for a bold look? How about natural?
If you want to make your lips appear fuller while still looking natural, use a slightly darker lip liner to define the cupid’s bow and the middle of your lower lip. Then, blend it with a lighter shade liner lipstick.
PRO TIP: When was the last time you replaced your sharpener? It is extremely important to make sure that your sharpener remains sharp by replacing it regularly. A lip crayon should be well sharpened to clearly define and draw smooth, even lines around your mouth. Besides, when your liner is dull, it’s closer to the wood of the pencil, which could splinter and scratch your lips. Plus, sharpening your lip pencil before each use removes bacteria.
SHAPE YOUR LIPS
The most common method of applying lip liner is to line your lips keeping to the natural lip line. But, we can also use it to reshape our lips into the perfect pout. To reshape the mouth, apply a small amount of foundation or concealer to cover the natural lip line, which will help make the finished shape look more realistic.
PRO TIP: Don’t just line the outside; make sure to fill in the outer edges and corners or even the entire mouth with the pencil.
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT LIP SHAPE
There are many common lip shapes, and depending on which one you have, you can follow some simple steps to make your lips look their best.
FILL YOUR LIPS WITH COLOR
Colored lips make a pretty pout, but lighter lip colors can make your lips look larger. Always apply two coats of lipstick with the help of a lip brush and spread the color on the lips, covering the corners of the mouth precisely. Take a tissue and dab on your lips to remove excess lipstick for increased longevity.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LIPSTICK FOR YOUR SKIN TONE
All you need are a few key guidelines, and you’ll see that it’s actually quite easy to choose a lipstick color for your skin tone. If you’re stuck finding the perfect lip shade for your skin tone, remember that your undertone will correspond with the shade you choose. Cool undertones look best in cool lipsticks; warm undertones will look flattering in warm shades, and neutral undertones can go both ways.
It’s important to note that skin tone and undertone are two very different things. Skin tone refers to the depth of your skin (fair, medium, dark, deep) and can vary according to the season (fairer during the cooler months, deeper during warmer seasons). Then there’s undertone, which reflects the base of your skin. This means that the common misconception that fair skin can’t be warm or deep skin can’t be cool is just that: a misconception.
First and foremost, it’s key to identify your skin’s undertone (bonus tip: this can help with choosing a foundation, too). Most people fall into one of two categories: warm or cool. If you’re having trouble deciphering your undertone, you could be neutral (a mix of both warm and cool).
How to Identify Cool Undertones:
You’re cool-toned if you have a pink, red or bluish hue to your skin.
You can tell if you have a cool undertone if the veins in your wrist look blue, if silver jewelry complements your skin, or if your skin tends to burn in the sun before getting a tan.
The best lipsticks for cool undertones have blue- or purple-shaded undertones. For example, when going for a red lip, veer more toward deep bluish-reds (think cherry red) versus ones that lean more orange. For nude lips, you can enhance the natural flush of your lips with a rosy, pink nude or a taupey beige for a more subtle look.
The Best Lipstick Shades:
Go for lip colors with blue or purple undertones.
How to Identify Warm Undertones:
You have a warm undertone if you have a yellow, golden or olive hue to your skin.
You have a warm undertone if the veins in your wrist appear green (versus blue), if gold jewelry complements your skin or if you tend to tan easily.
The best lipsticks for warm undertones are lip colors in warm shades. Think bold oranges, brick reds and terracotta browns. Going for a nude? A good rule of thumb is to correspond your skin tone with the lipstick shade. For instance, if your skin is light, go for a paler nude; if your skin is deeper, go for a richer nude.
The Best Lipstick Shades:
Fiery reds and oranges pop beautifully on warm undertones. If you’re feeling bold, coppers and golds are your best bet.
How to Identify Neutral Undertones:
You have a neutral undertone if you have a mix of pink and yellow when looking at your skin.
Those with neutral undertones look good in both silver and gold jewelry. Luckily for this undertone, a wide spectrum of colors is complementary. Try pink hues for fair skin, mauve shades for medium skin and berry colors for deep skin.
The Best Lipstick Shades:
It’s a free for all — anything from light nudes to deep wines will look good.
PRO TIP: You should choose a lip color you feel the best in. If a coral shade evokes confidence in you but doesn’t align with the “rules,” go ahead and rock it.
MOTIVES® CREAM LIPSTICKS
PRO TIP: Want to avoid getting lipstick on your teeth? After applying your lipstick, take a clean finger and put it into your mouth. Purse your lips around it and pull it out. This will remove excess lipstick on the inside of the lips which could potentially transfer onto your teeth.
PRO TIP: Find the perfect shade just for you with the new Motives Virtual Try Me feature on motivescosmetics.com. You can try as many lip colors as you want before you buy!
ADD SOME SHINE
We all want our lips to stand out. What better way than giving them a bonus shine with a coat of lip gloss? The shine of lip gloss attracts light to your lips, making them appear fuller. If that’s not enough reason, lip gloss can also be used to help keep your lips moisturized. Lip gloss can have ingredients that help soften, moisturize and nourish your lips. Lip gloss can be applied over your favorite lip stick, or you can wear it alone.
PRO TIP: Instead of putting lip gloss on like lipstick (swiping it on from one side to another on each lip), apply gloss on the middle of your bottom lip only, then rub your lips together. This adds the perfect amount of sheen while keeping the gloss from getting goopy.
If you’re looking for high shine, apply a full sweep of gloss to the bottom lip and press lips together.
Gloss can elevate your lipstick, too, whether you opt for a neutral shade or a bold hue. After applying lipstick and lip liner, dab just a bit of gloss on the center of your bottom lip, then press your lips together.
Want your lip gloss to last? Fill in your lips with lip liner, then set with powder. Add your gloss on top of this base, and it’ll stick around longer.
Have mature lips? As you age, you may lose a bit of fullness to your lips. This is normal and a result of a decrease in collagen production. If this is an issue for you, you can compensate with lip gloss. For added fullness, line your lips just outside of your natural lip line, then swipe on the gloss. Struggle with fine lines around your lips? Using a lip liner first will also stop your lip gloss from “bleeding” or “feathering” outside of your natural your lip line.
