Top 6 Things to Do About Your Dry, Chapped Lips

6. Avoid Super Long Wear. If you wear lipstick, don’t use one of those longwearing lipsticks that has a lip stain on one end and a moisturizer on the other. At least, I’ve not found one that works. Even with the moisturizing stick, lips still feel dry shortly thereafter so you have to keep using the moisturizer on top of the stain all day long. And I don’t even think the color ends up being super long wearing anyway. Or else I’d be wearing them. 5. Find a Moisturizing Lipstick. I personally hate reapplying lipstick so I wear the driest, most matte lipsticks that don’t ever come off. This causes people to constantly comment on what a great color I have on but that my lips look really dry. Which, again, if I have to trade one thing for another I’m not going to wear a lipstick I have to reapply over and over. The alternative for me is not wearing lipstick. But you, like most people, probably don’t have this hang-up. So find something really creamy and soft like Lancome’s L'Absolu Rouge.

4. Moisturize Nightly. Since I wear dry lipstick during the day, I moisturize at night. I like to use either Burt’s Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter or Nivea Lip Care Essential. For some reason I discovered Nivea years ago in Dubai. It was in my hotel room or something and I had not had it before so I bought a whole bunch while I was there, only to realize we have it here. But since then I have loved many Nivea moisturizing products.

3. Exfoliate Lips. Use a gentle face scrub on your lips from time to time. I like Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream because it has a cream base and small, perfectly round beads that are gentle and buff off dryness. Do not use a chemical/cream exfoliant on your lips unless a company says it’s OK - if it’s not specifically made for lips it can be irritating (or worse).

2. Use a Lip Balm with a Lip Pencil. If you can’t find a moisturizing lipstick that does it for you, use a moisturizing lip balm with a lip liner. First apply lip balm; then line and fill in lips so you can wear it all as your lip color. Apply the balm first or else the lip pencil will probably drag and pull on your dry lip skin.

1. Drink Lots of Water. Cure that dryness from the inside out. Eight 8oz. glasses daily are the recommended but I find that I do best with 12 (glasses a day). This makes my brother to warn me about hyponatremia (water intoxication that can be fatal) but I rarely achieve 12 glasses anyway. I know if I did my lips would be soft and supple every day – without ever having to use any lip balm.

Mwah!

My Favorite Products Fall 2011

I’m often asked about my favorite products. While some products are better than others depending on what you want to achieve, these are some of my favorites.Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer

Eve Pearl Concealer - MakingupBeauty.com

Eve Pearl Concealer - MakingupBeauty.com

A concealer that hides under eye dark circles and looks natural is rare. The shade undertones in this lightweight formula do just the trick! I use it on almost everyone.

Fun Fact: Eve Pearl is an Emmy-Award winning makeup artist and her products reflect this. Find her stuff at www.evepearl.com.

Kevyn Aucoin - MakingupBeauty.com

Kevyn Aucoin - MakingupBeauty.com

Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer

I use this for really dark circles. Its thicker consistency requires a bit of skill to get just what you want—but worth it.

How-to:

  1. Dab a bit onto the back of your hand.

  2. Mix with an eye cream for extra moisture and the consistency/coverage you want.

  3. Use a brush or your fingertip and pat over areas you want to cover.

NARS Foundation

NARS has some of the most natural-looking foundation shades anywhere—not too much pink, not too much yellow…just right. Years ago, I could never find a foundation shade that matched my skin—until I found NARS. If you have trouble finding the right foundation or powder, NARS is my go-to recommendation.

Chanel-StyloYeux Waterproof Eyeliner

If eyeliners leave smudges around your eyes, this is a must-have. For myself, it’s the only liner that doesn’t smudge. If you’re Asian—and I am—you probably share this problem and will want to share this solution too!