Wearing lipstick can easily elevate one’s overall makeup look. However, it’s not as simple as it appears. There are a few important factors to ensure one achieves the most out of the lipstick application. Often, women make several errors that they may not be aware of. Most of these mistakes occur because they have not properly prepped their lips before the application. Here are some common lipstick application mistakes to avoid to achieve full, plump lips.

Not exfoliating the lips
Exfoliating the lips before applying any lipstick is a good routine to adopt. With exfoliation, the lips become softer, providing a smoother surface to apply the lipstick. Otherwise, dry and chapped lips will cause the lipstick to crease. While it is not necessary to exfoliate or scrub the lip before every application, it is useful to follow this routine at least once a week. This process will help remove dead skin cell buildup and debris from the lips.

Forgetting to moisturize the lips
A common mistake many make while applying lipstick is forgetting to nourish and hydrate the lips. This step should be included in the daily skincare routine, particularly before applying any lipstick. When the lips are well-hydrated, the complete effect of the lipstick shines out.

Applying lipstick right after applying lip balm
While moisturizing the lips is important, applying the lipstick immediately after the lip balm can be a mistake. This is because the lipstick formulation will mix with the lip balm without depositing any color on the lips. To avoid this, always apply lip balm as the first step of the makeup routine, wait for a few minutes, and then apply the lipstick as the last step. This will give the lip balm enough time to soak into the lips for hydration.

Wearing lipsticks that dry out the lips
Matte lipsticks are known to dehydrate the lips by absorbing moisture. To prevent this from happening, it is important to moisturize the lips and lock in the hydration by using a lip balm, oil, or any nourishing lip product. While it is not necessary to get rid of older lipsticks that cause dryness, it would be helpful to have ones that contain natural oils, waxes, and butter to keep your lips hydrated.

Skipping the lip-liner
Not applying a lip-liner before applying a lipstick can make the lips appear messy. Without a lip liner, the lipstick can bleed and create a sloppy ring of color around the mouth after a few hours of eating, drinking, and talking. Lip liner helps prevent feathering and bleeding of the pigment. To ensure the best results, avoid overly sharp lines to have a natural-looking definition. Use a lip liner that is one shade darker than the natural lip color for best-defined results.

Avoiding the blotch test
It is often a common experience to find lipstick smeared across one’s teeth or corner of the mouth a few hours after applying it. However, one can easily avoid this by taking a blotch test. Simply take a tissue and place it between the lips. Press the lips on the tissues to remove any excess lipstick that might be present. This will ensure no lipstick gets smeared on the teeth or any other areas around the lips.