Makeup Maven's Tips to Super Sexy Lips

So I was walking though the cosmetic aisle at my local Target. I realized two things. One, there are tons of colors to try and hundreds of variations of a sexy lip. There are lip stains, lip gloss, lipstick, lip balm, lip liners, and tons of lip treatments. It was then that I realized, how does a woman pick what kind of stuff to use and what look to go with. The funny part of the whole thing was that I bought a few different lip sticks, glosses, balms and lip liners to go home and try. It was quite the experience when I got to the check out counter. The girl looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled and told her it was a work assignment.

The first was from eyeslipsface.com. The lip stain I picked was called.bombshell. It sounded good. It sounded good, right until I put it on. Have you ever walked outside on a really dry day and either licked your lips to wet them or rubbed them because they felt tight? That was exactly what it felt like. It was dry, uncomfortable and REALLY hard to get off.

The second was from Covergirl. It was a raisin colored lip liner and peachy gloss. It was okay but it was really gummy and I can tell you, my daughter ran in the other direction when she realized I was gonna kiss her with that crap on my lips. I wiped it off and tried a third time.

The third time as with Revlon's new gloss balm. It went on great and felt like I was wearing chapstick. Not bad but it didn't really last and I was really disappointed that I had to keep going back and re-applying over and over.

So this time I stopped, did a little research and tested out a little trick I picked up from a fashion magazine. It was an issue of Lucky Magazine like from 2010. Okay, I don't believe in throwing out magazines when they have good makeup tips in them. That was until I started tearing out the articles and putting them into a three ring binder. Anyhow, these are the tricks I learned and I hope they help you get your sexy on!

1. It is paramount that you exfoliate BEFORE you try to get that sexy lip. With all that dry skin on your lips, your makeup looks like you spent a day in the Sahara and now are suffering a severe case of dehydration. Take a soft wash cloth and gently rub your lips. Or you can go the posh way and use a soft toothbrush with a little petroleum jelly. But you could just opt for one of those super expensive lip stuff that sloughs off the dead skin while you wait. Kinda like a wax on your car after you go through the car wash, just saying.

2. Pat dry your lips with a soft towel. Next, find a lipstick color that is a shade or two shy of your original lip color. Use that to fill in your lips. Next, use the lip definer and shaper pencil, the darker colored end from eyeslipsface.com. Feather in your lines to fill it in so you don't look like one of those crazy women you see with bright lip liner and pale lips. Yikes!

3. Take a little translucent powder or your powder and use a wedge sponge to tap in onto your lips. DO NOT GO CRAZY with the powder. IT will ruin the effect and your lips won't come out.

4. Take a gloss that is a watermelon or peach color. It will make the look pop.

5. Next, and this is a huge secret. Take a little sparkly eyeshadow and use your finger to tap in onto the center of your lower lip. Or you can use Pout Perfector from eyeslipsface.com. It only goes on the center of your lower lip. It gives the illusion of super full lips. This Pout Perfector stuff is great and it works as an all over gloss in a pinch.

So those are the little tips and tricks learned. I recommend staying away from concealer or foundation all over your mouth. It muddies the color of the lipstick you are wearing and makes your mouth look small and drawn on.

It took me like a few tries to find a combination of lipstick and liner that I liked. I find that if you stay neutral, you get a better look. If you are going out, go for a more ruby colored gloss over a pinky colored lipstick. There are hundreds of combinations you can try. I think simple is best when doing this technique.

Also it is nice that some of the stores will take back these purchases without a reciept and you aren't stuck with a bad decision and a chocolate colored lipstick that is not for the fair skinned like me. Long story. Anyhow, check out the websites of the places where you are purchasing your cosmetics and see what the return policy is. It may be for store credit or a full refund. I always keep my receipts to be safe.

And also,remember that at the end of the day, make sure you wash off the lipstick and gloss if you have any left on. That way, you don't end up with a "kool-aid" mouth in the morning and scare the crap outta your housemates. My husband makes a face and walks away. I guess I should have wiped off that lipstick because we go through hundreds of pillowcases. I have ruined them with the gloss I left on my lips from the night before. Or you wake up with a smear across your face. Some of the gloss can stain not only the fabric but your skin too.