How to Apply Lip Liner and Lipstick perfectly (step by step)

Lipstick is not just a regular beauty product, throughout my career as a makeup artist I’ve seen the impact that comes with wearing good lipstick. It transforms and it has the power to change someone’s mood just by applying the right color. It’s feminine and powerful.

A well-applied and long-lasting lipstick will always bring a positive effect and a sense of confidence. This is why today I want to share the very basic steps on how to achieve a statement lip on yourself.

Step by step to apply lipstick

1 – Make sure your lips are ready

Exfoliate and hydrate your lips before you start and make sure you clean them using a Q-tip with water or a makeup remover wipe. You should consider that if your lips have lip balm on and you try to apply lipstick on top of it, the lipstick won’t last as much.

2 – Apply lip liner

Just as if you were contouring your lips. Start by defining the outer corners and cupid bow.

You can also use your liner and create a type of “base” by going in and defining your entire lips with it, this will also help your lipstick to stay in place for a much longer time.

Soften the line blending the liner with a clean small brush or a Q-tip.

3 – Use your desire lipstick

I recommend starting from the very center of your lips and then continue to move towards the outer corners of your lips. You can use a thin brush to be more precise and blend in the product evenly.

4 – Use a clean brush for extra definition

To make sure that the shape is perfect, use a thin angular brush, add some water to it and use it to go around the shape of your lips to remove excess product.

5 – Use a concealer

You may use a concealer on the edges of your lips to enhance the shape.

6 – Use a loose powder to set your lipstick

If your lips don’t hold on to any lipstick very well, try setting it with powder. Placing a clean tissue over your lips, add some setting powder using a fluffy soft brush on top of the tissue.

What to do before applying lipstick

1 – Exfoliate

Exfoliating your lips will help improve their texture by removing any dead skin creating a smooth surface over your lips perfect to apply any lipstick.

Tip: You can use coconut oil mixed with raw sugar to create a natural lip exfoliator. These 2 ingredients are great to smooth and nourish at the same time. Try doing this step before you start doing your makeup.

2 – Hydrate

Nobody likes dry, unhealthy lips. Taking care of your lips should be part of your daily skincare routine. Hydrating my lips have become a habit for me, try doing this as well, that way you don’t have to worry about having dry and/or flaky-looking lips.

Finding a really amazing lip balm that does the job for us is hard because no matter how many times we apply lip balm if it doesn’t work, your lips won’t improve their texture (especially during wintertime).

Here are my top 3 lip balms that I absolutely adore and have become my lifesavers when it comes to hydrating lips:

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (you can use it day and night, is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants)
Bite Agave Lip Mask
Rosebud Salve

3 – Find the right lipstick

Commonly, you see a particular lipstick everywhere and then it turns out it doesn’t work for you because it’s not what you were looking for.

We all know how overwhelming it can be picking the “right lipstick” for that special event, especially because there is a huge variety of lipsticks in different textures and prices and they all seem to be amazing.

But how to know which one works best for you? — Well, first you have to know that it’s not about picking the “trendiest” lipstick, is about finding the one that checks all the points of what you are looking for (hydration, texture, pigment, lasting time)

Tip: My personal advice for you is to try different options (liquid, matte, glossy) and see which type of texture works best for you. Are you more into a matte liquid lipstick or do you prefer a regular lipstick: do you like a hydrating finish or a much bolder one? For example, I love wearing a long-lasting lip color that looks bold and matte but most of the liquid lipsticks tend to crease and dry out my lips no matter what I do, so I usually tend to use regular lipsticks that have great pigment and last for long enough.

Note: If you are trying in-store testers, always ask one of the employees or makeup artists there to sanitize the product before you use it. This can prevent you from getting any infections.

Find the options that make you feel more confident while wearing them. You may want to have options in your kit for whenever you want to be versatile and use something different as well so don’t be afraid to try. Remember, in the end, there are no rules for makeup, the goal is to have fun and to use the products that work for you.

Tips to apply liquid lipstick

Consider applying it with a thin brush to use the right amount and be able to smooth the product evenly throughout your lips.

Try not layering up the product, using too much of this type of lipsticks could increase the chances of having the product melting or creasing during the day/night.

Use a gloss right at the center, blended out for a plumper look.

How to apply lipstick on thin lips

You may follow the same steps of a regular application but if you have small or thin lips, there are a few tips and tricks you can apply to contour your lips and make your lips look plumper and bigger.

Create Shape and Definition

Use a lip liner with a similar color to your natural lips to create the shape you desire, if you are going for a bolder look like red, you may use a lip liner similar to that color as well. Create the shape you desire and use the lip liner all over your lips as a base to make sure the lipstick you put on top looks even.