All About Your Lips - Part 2: Smooth Satin/Matte Lips and Gradient Lips

Before reading this post, please read Part 1: How to Have Healthy Lips Prepared for Lipsticks. That is because we need healthy lips to begin with to create the best look with lipsticks.

Lipsticks used: 3 Concept Eyes Lip Colors #408 Chu Chu and #104 So Pink

Prepare lips before applying lipsticks

Bare Lips

This is just a reminder from Part 1. In the morning after brushing my teeth and washing my face, I immediately put lip balm on to retain the good condition of the soft lips before doing anything else in my morning routine. If you have death skin, this is also the time when you can scrub it off easily so do so before applying lip balm.

Is it better to use a lip brush to apply lipsticks?

From my experience: No. Using a lip brush makes me feel like a pro but it takes so much time: I have to get enough product onto the brush and apply; the product on the brush runs out, go back to step 1 ... I apply lipsticks directly onto lips and use my finger to blend when I need to. I have the feeling that the pressure from my finger helps the product adhere to lips better. (The only exception to me is when I use 3CE Lip lacquer; it's too messy that I need to use a lip brush).

How I create smooth satin/matte lips

Step 1: Starting from the middle of the upper lip, use the tip of the lipstick to precisely apply the color along the lip line.

Step 2: Do the same for the lower lip line. 

Step 3: Apply the rest of lips evenly.

Step 4: Use my finger WITH a little of pressure to blend out the color.

Step 5: Repeat step 3 (and also step 4 if you want to).

Optional step: Apply lip gloss.

Steps that I skipped:

- Concealing: my lips are not too pigmented and I don't like how the colors turn out to be lighter than they actually are. If you have pigmented lips you might want to lightly conceal them first.
- Apply concealer around lips: I only include this extra step when I go to an important event and want my lips to be very defined.
- Lip liner: I think it's useful to line your lips first but I rather skip this extra step since I think I'm ok without it.
- Using a tissue after the first coat to take off extra product or oiliness: I think using my finger to blend out the color WITH pressure is enough to get the job done.

How I create gradient lips

*Approach 1:

Step 1: Apply along the lip lines a pale/nude color or a color that is similar but lighter than the color of my main lipstick.

Step 2: Apply the main color on the inner part of lips.

Step 3: Bring lips together for the colors to blend.

Optional step: Apply lip gloss.

*Approach 2:

Step 1: Use concealer/foundation to conceal either the whole lips or just the outer part.

Step 2: Apply the main color on the inner part of lips.

Step 3: Use finger to blend out the color lightly. Repeat step 2 if I want to emphasize the inner part of my lips. 

Step 4: Apply lip gloss. This is not an optional step because the concealer makes my lips look "lifeless".

Phew, the long post is finally done! Big thanks to my lovely readers and I hope it helps ;) !