Get luscious lips in minutes

LIPSTICK is one of the quickest ways to look made-up in a flash. One swipe brightens up facial features that no amount of preening can equate.

A few smoothing tricks and color tactics will help you score the most irresistible, pillowy pout ever.

Express buffing

When you brush your teeth tonight, take a small packet of sugar with you in the bathroom, along with your favorite lip balm. Mix the two to create a paste and, using your finger, gently exfoliate the top and bottom lip. Rinse, pat dry and finish with a thin coat of balm for the night. You’ll wake up with soft lips.

Right lipstick

The most flattering shade for Asian skin tones range from warm rose pinks to peachy corals. If your skin is fair, bright bubblegum shades and punchy melon hues can bring out the cool undertones of your complexion. In the evening, reach for a blue-based red for a sophisticated look. If you’re tan, warm terracotta and golden caramels are your best bet.

Your own combo

Personally, I love lipstick but always forget to put it on. What I do remember the most is this easy, lip-boosting trick I learned from working with models: Find a berry-colored tinted lip balm like Nivea Lip Care Cherry and press it onto your lips. Top this with either a creamy pink or clear gloss. (try Bobbi Brown Lipgloss in Petal and Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Pretty in Pink). This two-layer tactic also helps minimize touch-ups if you tend to be forgetful about lip color.

Liner notes

A good lip liner has creamy matte consistency and helps keep lipstick in place by creating a base for rouge to adhere to. If you use this, however, make sure to go with the exact same shade as your lips or lipstick—never darker. And unless you’re using one of the newer translucent formulas, resist the urge to outline the periphery of your mouth. Instead, fill in the entire surface of your top and bottom lip for best results.

Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Ok! Magazine Philippines. Visit her blog at http://NyMinuteNow.com.

(Image courtesy of http://www.girl.com.au. Original Inquirer article link here.)