Lipsticks are a beauty necessity for many and an essential part of one’s makeup routine. A full face of makeup can look incomplete without dabbing on some lipstick. Lipsticks accentuate the lips, highlight one’s features, and brighten one’s look. That said, a few lipstick application mistakes can ruin one’s looks, make it seem inappropriate for a certain occasion, and make the lipstick fade away quickly. Here are the mistakes one should avoid:

1. Not exfoliating the lips
The base of any makeup routine is crucial, including when it comes to the lips. Chapped, flaky lips might create an uneven and patchy look. To remove dryness, one must scrub the lips with homemade sugar or lip scrubs. This ensures the lips are soft and prepped for the lipstick to glide on smoothly.

2. Overlooking the occasion and time
Each lipstick has a unique shade that works for different occasions. So, to get it right, one must carefully research the colors and formulas that work best for them. A neon tone and light shade might look great during the daytime, while bright and dark shades will look better during the night. Additionally, some shades might look inappropriate for certain occasions. For instance, a bright lipstick shade might not be the best choice for a somber occasion.

3. Using the wrong product
Those with dry, chapped skin may want to avoid lip products that are too drying. This may make their lips appear more flaky and dried out. Instead, one can choose formulas that have vitamin E oil to nourish the lips and keep them moist.

4. Skipping lip-liner
Lip liners are great, as they prevent the lipstick from smudging and allow one to overline one’s lips to achieve fuller lips. The liner should be a shade or two darker than one’s natural color to outline and structure the lips slightly outside the natural lip line to achieve fuller-looking lips.

5. Using too much lip liner
While lip liner should be used, overlining is a common mistake. Overlining the lips farther away from one’s natural lip line can make them look unnatural.

6. Putting on too much lip balm before applying lipstick
Applying too much lip balm before lipstick is bad because it might not allow the lipstick to stay put, resulting in a gloopy mess. Instead, one should apply lip balm at the start of the makeup routine, i.e., when prepping the face, and apply lipstick at the end. This way, the balm will moisturize the lips. Also, if one has to rush the routine, one should use a tissue to blot out excess lip balm before applying lipstick.