The secret weapon in your armory, the lip liner, used masterfully, is the quickest means of changing your lip shape. Used wrongly, or with a heavy hand, it will leave you looking more ugly.
While no make-up artist would be without a lip liner, the majority of women are rather scared of a product that most wrongly associates with looking unnatural and out of date. Produced in a multitude of colors and today’s lip liners blend beautifully with the natural tone and texture of the skin. Available in traditional pencil, push-up crayon and felt-tip form, they are simple to use and easy to carry.
For a modern look, always run the pencil over the back of your hand after sharpening before you actually line your lips. This will soften a very pointed tip, and ensure a more natural-looking outline. Always fill in the whole lip area with the same lip liner, otherwise when your lipstick fades you will be left with an obvious outline. A peachy lip liner used like this makes a great alternative to lipstick for a daytime look. If the lip liner you are using is too dark, tone it down with a little foundation. Keep your lips relaxed, and do not press too hard when applying lip liner. Using small feathery movements will keep the line looking more natural, but be careful not to end up with a broken lip line.
Semi-Permanent Make-Up
If you cannot be bothered to line your lips every time you go out, but like the effect that is achieved when you have done it, semi-permanent make-up (or a tattooed lip line) may be the answer for you. Many a celebrity who has decided against collagen has opted to enhance her pout with a subtle tattoo – very effective, and far less obvious. The process involves injecting color pigments around the shape of your natural lip line, in a shade that blends imperceptibly with your lips. The upsides to this are that it is low maintenance, and you will leave home every day with a pair of perfectly defined lips. The downsides are that it can be painful, some people have had allergic reactions, and it does not last for ever (treatments need to be repeated on average every three months). If you do choose to take this route, make sure that you find a reputable therapist, because ensuing infections can be nasty.
...
