Get the Perfect Lips for a Winning Winter

If eyes are the windows to your soul, then your lips are the doors to your heart. Although we believe that love should be part of every minute of every day of every month of the year, there is one when we open the gates to love: February.
 
Love is in the air and one of our most powerful ways of expressing love is with our lips. Human lips are the only lips in the animal kingdom which have shade variation, with a darker "vermillion border" on the outside and lighter shades of red and pink on the inside of the lips. Taking care of your lips is an essential part of loving yourself. Plus, a prepared pucker is a fun way to attract, spark and retain fun-loving feelings, and maybe even a kissing partner to celebrate amour.
 

Step 1: Exfoliate with care

The foundation of a perfect pout is in your daily self-care
 
You can exfoliate, gently, on a daily basis.
 
Exfoliating with a lip scrub will help remove dead layers of skin. By removing old skin, you encourage your skin to regenerate and create new, fresh skin cells. Use a lip scrub product and gently rub it onto your lips lightly until you feel they are noticeably smoother. Rinse thoroughly.
 
Another tip is simply using a washcloth on your lips while you shower. Rub very gently while you shower. You can also put a moisturizer or oil on your lips and massage them with a damp cloth.
 
The key is to be extremely gentle. Just like you want to take care of your heart, and protect it, massage it, nourish it and treat it well, you want to pamper your lips as much as possible.
 

Step 2: Hydrate with love

Once you've exfoliated your lips, immediately (immediately!) apply a lip balm or oil. You can put it on in small amounts, or douse yourself and then let it absorb and wipe off the excess.
 
Now, all of the exfoliating and hydrating in the world won't save you if you don't take care of your moisture levels internally and externally. Hydration is key to loving your lips and taking care of yourself. Make sure to drink lots of water every day and, when you can, use a humidifier if you're in a dryer environment. For the savvy traveller, a travel humidifier next to your bed while you sleep or at your desk while you work can make all the difference in the world. Plus, you can put in some essential essences for a little aromatherapy.

Now, back to loving your lips.

Step 3: Embrace your look with your whole heart
 

This winter season, the post-facial glow is in and we love it. If all you do is exfoliate, hydrate and give your pucker a little massage, then you're in perfect shape to walk out the door and take on the world. You can feel confident that your natural beauty and vermilion border are all you need.
 
For those of you in the middle who need a more polished look (in other words, you need to look like you made an effort), we love two-toned lips.
 
To achieve the perfect two-toned lip, after you've exfoliated and hydrated, make sure to gently press your lips together to remove any excess moisture. Get your favourite skin-toned lip-liner. Gently open your mouth in front of a mirror and outline your lips very carefully using light, short strokes. Then, press your lips together and rub slightly so you soften the edges and create a natural look. Put some light colour, similar to your skin shade, or a berry stain, on the inside of your lips and press again. This two-toned look mimics your natural lip shade variation and is a sophisticated, elegant yet natural lip look that we love.
 
If, on the other hand, you're in the mood for a bit more colour or looking for some and excitement and good times, the traditional red lip is perfect for February. Make a statement with a deep crimson red for simple sophistication. You can also go darker and take a burgundy turn. Textures are flexible this winter. If you press lips with some powder you can try out a matte effect. Or, you can put on a little gloss and see if some shimmer picks you up.
 
For the more daring lovers out there, you are in luck. This winter season, designers and trendsetters love the disco look. Hello, glitter. You can play with bright, striking colours, glitter, lacquer and metallic finishes. Some of the looks we love include fuchsia lipstick with glitter. Other failsafe disco-lovers looks are a violet lip with matte finish and gold lacquer lips. And for any aspiring makeup artists out there, maybe figure out a way to work in both into one lip look!

Step 4: Let colour take flight!

Seek inspiration for your new look from any destination you aspire to visit or even your recent adventures around the globe. Inspire yourself with the new M·A·C customizable eyeshadow palettes that let you experiment with infinite colour combinations! Choose from 80+ colours and textures to customize your travel-friendly, refillable palette.

Since the season is all about lips, M·A·C Artists are here to share a quick backstage tip & trick with you to elevate your eye look with a touch of gloss! Yes, you read this correctly! We are using M·A·C Clear Lipglass to create a WOW moment to your eye.

Application: Take a small amount of M·A·C Clear Lipglass, use the tip of your index finger & gently press it on to the centre of your eyelid over your eyeshadow. This will give it a subtle shine and finish your eye look like a pro! Check out the London look below showcasing this quick tip:

Visit any M·A·C counter at our duty free stores and find your customizable look & get more tips & tricks. To explore more, visit https://maccosmeticstravels.com/en/let-colour-take-flight/

Let’s fly!