A lot of people still view matte lips as a thing of the past. The lipstick your grandma wore and was always dried out on her lips, right? Psshh, well unless you have been hiding under a rock in the beauty world, you know matte lips are back and better than in years past. But matte lips aren’t always the easiest thing to achieve. For me, matte lips aren’t something I just throw on and run out the door. It’s a process, but a totally worth it. Matte lips are so timeless and romantic to me, especially red. I recommend that when wearing a bright matte lip look, you leave the rest of the face simple. No smokey eye, heavy blush or too bronze. Go for a classic dewy look.
I have been a long time lover of Mac lipsticks. So it’s no surprise that I own one of their top selling matte lipsticks – Ruby Woo. This color looks good on all skin tones. Now Ruby Woo isn’t just a matte, it’s a retro matte in Mac’s line up. What does that mean? It’s extra dry! So even more work must be put in to rock this beauty. But again, it’s totally worth it.
So now onto the steps I take in my matte lip routine.
How to wear a Matte Lip-
1. Exfoliate
This is a MUST! If your lips have dead, chapped skin flaking off, that’s not a good look with a matte lip. I recently found a new product for exfoliating my lips – GlaMER Lips by Makeup by Mer. I am in love with their organic lip scrub. I am a huge fan of sugar scrubs for the body and I am so glad I have found one I love for my lips! You just apply a small amount (a little goes a long way) and massage into lips in a circular motion for one minute. My favorite part about this brand is that all the ingredients are USDA approved Organic. You can literally eat this stuff. Not that you would want to waste it though! They come in different flavors, like bubble gum(the one I have), Lemon, and Coconut. Use coupon code WSTORY for 15% your entire purchase at http://makeupbymer.com/. I tend to do this step while I am in the shower, less mess that way.
2. Moisturize
The key to wearing a matte lip all day is to have hydrated lips. Matte lipsticks are on the dryer side, so if your lips are already dry then they are about to get worse. When I am applying my makeup, I always start by moisturizing my lips. That way, by the end when it is time to apply my liner and lipstick, my lips are nice and soft. My go to for lip balms are Maybelleine- Baby Lips, GlaMER lips- Lip Balm. After you are completely done with your make up and are ready for the lips, just wipe off any lip balm that may be left. You don’t want there to be any left when applying matte lipstick that could ruin the look and adhesion.
3. Line
Now some people might say that you can skip this step, but I wouldn’t suggest it. Matte lipstick isn’t always the easiest to get off if you mess up. So, start with a liner that is close to the shade of the color you are using. Just follow the natural line of your lips, well, unless you are going for the Kylie Jenner lip. Whatever you are into, do you boo boo. When I am using Ruby Woo, I use Follow Your Heart lip liner, by Mac.
4. Fill
Fill in the lips by dabbing the lipstick, because matte textures don’t work the same way as sheer or cream ones do. You don’t want to rub or the lipstick will just move around and not stay in place. If you have one, use a synthetic lip brush for this purpose and it will achieve a more professional looking result.
5. Clean up & Conceal
For my go to matte lip Ruby Woo, I always go around the edges with a Q-tip to clean up any bleeding. Red lips aren’t the easiest to apply and this one isn’t any easier. Another way to ensure your lipstick doesn’t bleed is to use a concealer around the edges as well.
Bonus.
Drink lots of water! The more hydrated your body is, the more hydrated your lips will be. And we could all stand to drink more water, right? Also, I want to add a few other Mac Matte lips sticks that I am in love with for summer – Candy Yum Yum and Heroine!
If you are looking for something to freshen up your look, give matte lips a try! I know it seems like a lot of work… but it is well worth it!