Lipstick is one of those beauty items that can be a signature look to your entire look. It’s one of those items that women have had in their makeup bags for centuries. But there are times when your lipstick can look bad and it could be some simple mistake that you have made.
So, why does my lipstick look bad?
- Not exfoliating the lips
- Not moisturizing the lips regularly
- Try using a lip liner
- Try using concealer
- Try using a lip primer
- Not choosing the correct lip color
- Applying too much lipstick- Your getting lipstick on your teeth
- Applying too much lip gloss
- Your lipstick is expired
- Staying hydrated
The lipstick goes far back as 2500 BC, It goes back to a time where Cleopatra painted her lips, she was known for taking crushed insects and mixed it with waxes. In the 1900s lipstick started to become a part of everyday attire for many women. It’s really important that our lipstick is on point because this can make a statement about us.
1. Not Exfoliating Your Lips
Exfoliating your lips regularly is very important by not exfoliating the lips it causes your lips to dry. This leaves behind a rough texture to the lips which your lipstick will stick onto, and this could make your lipstick appear uneven.
At times it can also make your lipstick appear as if it was peeling off the lips. Lipstick can accentuate texture which will make the lips look less flattering throughout the night, therefore in order to avoid this mess it’s best to exfoliate the lips using a sugar scrub to remove all the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. some simple and easy ways to make lip exfoliators is by;
Step 1: Adding 1 table spoon of sugar in a small bowl or container
Step 2: Adding 1 table spoon of coconut oil to the same bowl and container
Step 3: Mix these two ingredients and it will turn into an exfoliator for your lips. The coconut oil will help hydrate and condition the lips while the sugar will exfoliate the texture off your lips.
Another quick and easy way to remove dead skin cells from your lips is by adding coconut oil on your toothbrush to scrub off your dead skin on your lips.
2. Not Moisturizing The Lips Regularly
It’s really important to regularly hydrate your lips, this is another step that if it’s missed it can contribute to the lips becoming dry again and accentuating texture on the lips.
In order to allow your lipstick to apply better, you need a smooth surface and that would require an extra step of adding hydration to your lips. It’s best to apply a lip balm to your lips after exfoliation. Always allow your lip balm to sink into the lips so that the lips are fully hydrated, this should take about 5-10 minutes.
3. Not Using A Lipliner
Another reason why your lipstick may look bad is that it may require your use a lip liner. Lip liners do make a huge difference in how your overall lipstick look. By not wearing a lip liner before your lipstick you will find that your lipstick will bleed, feather, and fade quicker. Lip liners prevent your lipstick from bleeding outside the natural lip line.
When you don’t apply a lip liner it prevents your lips from looking defined and shaped beautifully, by not using a lip liner your lipstick will fade and look uneven, therefore if you add a lip liner before applying lipstick it will adhere to the lip liner allowing your lipstick to last longer. If a Lipliner allows the texture of your lipstick to appear more even on the lips and not look so blotchy. Lastly, by using a lip liner it will help you define your lip shape making your lipstick appear more clean and crisp looking.
4. Not Using A Concealer
Have you ever worn the same exact lip color as your friend and found that the color didn’t look anything like it did on your friend. One of the main reasons could be because your actual lip color is really pigmented and doesn’t allow the real lip color to come through.
Sometimes this may create a different lip color and perhaps one that you weren’t looking for. The best way to fix this is by applying a concealer to the lips first, this will help create a neutral base. The neutral base will help bring out the true color of the lipstick that you would see in the lipstick tube, by applying concealer on the lips before the lipstick it can also help your it last longer.
5. Try Using A Lip Primer
Another way to prevent your lipstick from bleeding, feather, and wearing off is by using a lip primer. Lip primers usually go on the lips clear and allow your lipstick to adhere to them longer. Lip primers also can help smooth out any fine lines which will help prevent any bleeding or feathering of your lipstick. This is an excellent way to get your lipstick to last longer without having to use a lip liner.
If your not the type of person who wants to define your lips with a lipliner and wants a similar effect, then it’s worth looking at using a lip primer before applying lipstick. To find out about other ways of making your lipstick last longer I have written an article on how to make your lipstick last all day over here.
6. Not Choosing The Correct Lip Color
Why Does Lipstick Look Different On Everyone?
The reason why lipstick will look different on everyone is because it does not go well with our skin’s natural undertone. If you wear a lipstick color that does not compliment your skin’s complexion then the lipstick color can make you look older and even sickly looking. It’s important to know the undertone of our skin because it will help us understand what lipstick colors are complimentary.
There are three main skin undertones they are Cool, Neutral, and Warm.
A Cool undertone can be more on the paler skin tones which burn easier. A way to determine if you have a cool undertone is by looking at your veins, if the veins are on the blue side it means you have a more cool undertone. Certain lip colors will suit cooler undertones that are more on the fair side, they are blue-reds, light peaches, light pinks, and bubble gum pinks, and fuchsia pinks.
For the Neutral undertone, If your skin is more on the deeper side and is still a cooler skin undertone then you will need to look at these colors which are brown-reds, dark apricots, and dark berry, these will compliment them.
For a Warm undertone, it means your skin is more likely to tan in the sun. In order to determine if your skin’s undertone is warm, you will need to look at the veins, and if it’s green then it means you have a warm undertone. The lip colors that suit warm skin are blood-red, peach, and pinks. If your skin complexion is still warm and runs on the more olive side then the colors that would suit the skin complexion are dark red, apricot, and berry.
7. How To Prevent Your Lipstick On Teeth
Another reason lipstick could look horribly wrong is because you may be applying a lot of lipstick to your lips. This can cause the lipstick to get on your teeth. It’s really important to not have this type of embarrassing moment, therefore, there are a few ways to avoid this from happening.
The first way is to make sure you blot any excess lipstick off your lips with some tissue paper. Gently press your lips into the tissue paper to which this should help remove any extra lipstick and prevent it from getting anywhere.
Another way to prevent lipstick from getting on your lipstick is by putting your index finger in the center of your mouth and basically pretending it’s like a lollipop which will remove all the extra lipstick off your lips. The excess lipstick will be all-around your index finger. Trying out these simple hacks will prevent your lipstick from getting on your teeth and even smearing it around your mouth.
8. Applying Too Much Lip Gloss
Another reason why your lipstick may look like a hot mess is that you may be applying too much lip gloss on top of the lipstick. This will make your lipstick look goopy. A good indication that you may have applied too much lip gloss on top of your lipstick is that it will begin to look too thick and stringy.
Lip glosses have a thicker texture than your lipstick so you don’t want to go overboard it can cause the lipstick to smear and even get your hair stuck in it. Instead, look at applying a thin layer of one coat of lip gloss to the lips. Another option in order to get that glossy look is to look at lipsticks that are more on the hydrating side and have more of a gloss or luster finish.
9. Check That Your Lipstick Isn’t Expired
Another reason why your lipstick may look bad is that it may simply be expired. There are a few ways to determine if your lipstick is expired, the first way is that you will find that it has a weird smell. If the smell is not ok the application will be uneven and won’t apply smoothly anymore. The lipstick won’t swatch evenly making the lipstick look weird on the lips.
It’s best to remember the age of your lipstick as most lipsticks have a span of 2 years before they go off and when you start to apply it goes on weird. Always swatch your lipstick on your arm before applying it on your lips and always try to remember when you purchased your lipstick.
10. Always Stay Hydrated
This tip might seem irrelevant but, it does affect how your lipstick will apply to your lips. If we don’t stay hydrated it may cause us to lick our lips constantly which is known to be a common effect of being dehydrated.
The saliva from our mouth will eventually react with the lipstick causing it to turn white on the lips. This is another way in which our lipstick can look horrible. It’s best to stay hydrated for many reasons to maintain a healthy body and to prevent this type of a mess from occurring.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many different reasons as to why your lipstick may look bad and can simply be prevented. It’s important to regularly check your lipstick application throughout the day to determine what is going on.
It’s important to prep your lips before applying the lipstick so that it can apply on a smooth surface. It’s always great to look at applying a base which can be a lip liner, concealer, or primer so that the lipstick can stick too, which will help prevent the lipstick from bleeding, feathering, and fading off.
It’s also important to make sure you don’t apply too much product to the lips so that it doesn’t smear and get all over the place. Lastly, always keep your body hydrated just in general so that your lips are hydrated and supple and prevent your saliva from deteriorating the lipstick.