If you follow me on Instagram (@monicalerit), you would know that I love lipsticks! Lipsticks are one of the easiest and most convenient beauty product. You can immediately change your lipstick color depending on the event, mood or situation, you just need a 5-minute wash room break and voila! I used to have zero knowledge about makeup. Back in the day a pat of J&J powder was already enough for me. Putting on makeup would usually connote being maarte but it really is just a way of being presentable and having the appropriate look for every situation. For lipsticks, I prefer matte or velvet finish since I don’t like the glossy feel on my lips. I think lipsticks are a good investment because you can just wear it even without other make-up on your face but still look presentable. It instantly adds color to your face or a statement to your outfit. Like most women, I tend to have dry and chapped lips because I always use matte finish lipstick. So I made a promise to myself that I can only continue wearing matte lipstick if I take care of my lips. Have healthy lipsLIP BALM Applying lipbalm will keep your lips hydrated and moisturized. I've been using ChapStick Classic Lip balm for years because I don't like flavored or tinted balms. Whatever brand or kind you are using, make sure you apply lip balm before your put on lipstick. Another option is Petroleum Jelly, when it’s too cold or too hot, I use petroleum jelly to avoid extreme chapping of my lips. You can use lip balm or petroleum jelly instead of licking your lips because this will make your lips dry and result to rough lip cracks that are obvious when you apply lipstick. EXFOLIATE Exfoliating would remove dead cells and chapped skin out of your lips. After wearing lipstick for more than 8 hours everyday, make sure you exfoliate at least two times a week. You shouldn’t exfoliate everyday because your lips might swell. On the days you don’t exfoliate, just scrub your toothbrush on your lips to clean it. I use Organic Alley's Lip scrub in exfoliating my lips. I bought it at SESOU Nature Source in Greenbelt 1. (I super love this store! They have a lot of organic beauty products of social enterprise which makes me love it even more) From their Facebook page it says that, "Scrubbing will help the circulation of blood and the cinnamon and peppermint in the scrub will plump the lips. The lemon will lighten the lips, the honey is antibacterial and soothes the lips, brown sugar will take off all dead skin as it is a natural source of glycolic acid and the Sunflower oil lightens and moisturizes, nourishes and replenishes the lips to give it a pink, healthy and luscious appeal." From my research, you can also make your own at home, just mix rock salt with honey or olive oil then gently rub it on your lips. Trust me, your lips will feel so clean after you exfoliate! LIP MASK Overnight lip care for smooth and moist lips. My Ate Kath was the one who recommended this and we looked all around Singapore for this product and guess what, we found it at Changi Airport while waiting for our flight. Hahaha! It is the not-so-secret to Korean's plum, smooth and rosy lips (LOL) After exfoliating or scrubbing your lips, apply it on your lips (it feels the same as applying lip balm) and keep it overnight. Then when you wake up the next day, wipe your lips with cotton. It says, "A lip sleeping mask that provides smooth, firm lips by gently melting away dead skin on the lips over night." HYDRATE There's nothing better than a complete package of a healthy body. Being hydrated will also reflect on our lips, we will have fuller, rosy and moist lips if we drink plenty of water. LIPSTICK IS LOVEBefore buying lipstick, read reviews about the product. It also matters a lot if the brand has a good reputation in the industry. Honestly, I have read a lot of reviews and researched more than a thousand of lipstick swatches so (I think) at this point, I can already identify fake lipsticks, know brands that cause darkening of lips and the shades that I need. Your lipstick checklist should have the following: 1. A trusty classic red 2. A versatile pink 3. A fierce dark color 4. An effortless nude shade 5. A bright or a risky color I tried doing swatches for my favorite lipsticks. I hope this will help you :) The Classic RedRUBY WOO x RUSSIAN RED Ruby Woo has an "electric red" vibe and it stands out. (Listed as a cult classic, enough said.) but it has a very very dry formula and chapped/dry lips will be very obvious while Russian Red has creamier formula and it's smoother in applying. REALLY RED This is perfect for everyday use. The formula is matter but also creamy and easy to apply. JUST ADD ROMANCE This is my only Mac lip pencil-type and for me, it has a very safe red color. RED DIVA This probably my favorite drugstore product. This lip liner blends well in any of my red lipsticks. THE ROSÉDRAGON GIRL My favorite girl, T Swift's favorite lipstick! I love how it looks in between the shade of red and pink. It finishes a lighter burgundy color. LAS FASCINANTE #38 x LA SENSUELLE #40 Chanel lipsticks have a creamy formula. Since it has a velvet finish, it's moist when you apply it and it'll have a matte-like finish afterwards. What I love about it is that it doesn't feel very thick on the lips (there are some lipstick formula that feels so heavy and thick on the lips). The difference between 38 and 40 is that the first one is more of red shade while the latter has a pink shade finish. PINK NOUVEAU I got this lipstick because the color is very versatile, from weddings to corporate events and even night-outs. It has the perfect moist pink shade when applied. The color can also depend on the times you apply it, it could be very light pink to retro pink. POSIE K This is my one and only liquid lipstick because I personally don't like liquid lipstick, they make my lips crack. So anyway, I have this color because it borders pale pink and nude. It's perfect for lazy days or it could be matched with any outfit from day to night. Yes, it's really hard to remove and it stays the whole day (you don't even need to re-apply it). The formula dries quickly once applied and has vanilla scent. VELVET TEDDY When I was choosing a nude in MAC store in Dubai, the MAC representative helped me choose a shade that would compliment my skin color so after trying all the possible lipstick candidates, the best one for me was Velvet Teddy. It borders between nude and brown and when applied it looks very natural (by natural means not trying hard to have a nude lips). The MAC representative also told me that nude shade should always be accompanied by a darker lip liner or else your lips will look flat on your skin, which brings me to the next one. SPICE UP Another drug store product that I like. I can use it to any of my lipsticks when I want my lips to look fuller. The UncomplicatedPRUNE AVENUE My current obsession - wine lips! It can be applied darker and lighter but my favorite is when you apply it moderately, it gives a flawless 1920s flapper vibes. (AND YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE 1920s) REBEL x DIVA Rebel is another version of wine lips. It's a brighter purple compare to Prune avenue. (I feel like a vampire when I use it. Hehe) Another of my all-time favorite is Diva, super perfect burgundy shade. It gives a bad-ass classy vibes. MARGHERITA My one and only coral shade. Coral shade doesn't work on everyone, thus, you have to make the perfect one for your skin. The good thing about Margherita is you can apply it lighter for a soft coral lips and darker for neon orange. So whatever color, shade or brand you're comfortable with, make sure to always take care of your lips! xoxo, M
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She wonders and wandersMonica writes about her life, what she eats, what she reads and where she goes. This space is where her thoughts, experiences, memories and feelings turn into words. She's glad that she can share with you. Archives
August 2021
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