Lip pencils are a staple in my cosmetics bag. There is a Cork or Chestnut MAC lip pencil in my purse at all times. Lip pencils give your mouth definition and can be worn with or without lipstick or gloss. There are so many different looks that you can create for your lips with just a lip pencil.
What troubles me Divas, is that I have encountered so many women who refuse to employ such a powerful tool in creating their “look”. They have their reasons and I find that most often they are misguided and misinformed. So today, I want to address these untruths once and for all.
One of the most common arguments I hear for not incorporating a lip pencil into a makeup regimen, is that they once saw a girl in the mall or at a bus stop and she had a black line around her lips. Tsk. Tsk. How many times have you seen someone misapply makeup? When you see someone with clown like blush or spider lashes, do you decide to never ever wear blush or mascara? No. If the girl with the black line around her lips were wearing Jimmy Choo shoes, would you swear those off too?
The fact is that lip pencils, like lipsticks, come in all colors. For a natural look, you want to choose a shade that is flesh tone. So that will vary from person to person. I love Cork and Chestnut by MAC, because that most closely matches my skin tone. Choose a color that is close to your skin tone or the tone of your lipstick. Remember beauty is about the individual.
The other reason that I’ve heard—and I don’t know who started this untruth—is that women with full lips don’t need to use a lip pencil. This is a complete falsehood! While lip pencils can be used to shape lips, they define your lips and act as a base for your lipstick or gloss.
So what is the best way to apply a lip pencil? Start with outlining your lips. Stay with me. Then, holding the pencil at a slight angle, shade the inner rim of your lips leaving the center of your lips unshaded. Add gloss or lipstick and then press your lips together…Presto! You’ve got the look.