makeup

HOW TO PREVENT LIPSTICK ON YOUR TEETH

TUTORIAL + PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

I was at lunch last week with my girlfriends and was in shock that they didn’t know this trick! I thought everyone’s grandmother taught them it! So let me be your grandmother today LOL and teach you one of the greatest tips out there that you’ll use for the rest of your life. Nothing is worse than rocking a gorgeous bold lip then walking into the bathroom and seeing it all over your teeth! AGH! So annoying. If you choose a matte formula, most likely this won’t happen; but choose a bright satin finish or a liquid lacquer and you’re in trouble. Luckily there’s a little quick thing you can do (and should do) every time you wear lipstick. Simply place your index finger in your mouth, close your lips around it then pull the finger back out. Any lipstick that would have ended up on your teeth is now on your finger instead. I test every lipstick with this trick before I leave the house and maybe a third of the time there is nothing on my finger. The rest of the time, my finger is looks like Magali’s above.

TOOLS:

• Your Favorite Bright Lipstick: Magali is wearing this gorgeous satin finish lipstick in Night Crimson ($$). You can also also try this favorite one in Timeless Crimson ($ and on sale!).
• Your Finger — sorry had to list it and make myself laugh!
• Tissue (optional) — You could also wrap a tissue around your finger if you don’t want to get lipstick on your finger.

STEPS:

1. Apply the lipstick along the top, really coating while following the shape of the cupid’s bow.
2. Apply it along the bottom as well, being sure to coat the inside part so you don’t have bare lip peeking through. This is the area that tends to end up on your teeth, but not an area you want to skip when wearing a bright lip color. Which is why this finger trick is a life saver!
3. Place your finger in your mouth and wrap your lips around it. I tried to take a picture of this step to show you but, let’s just say it doesn’t photograph well! Then pull your finger out and all of the lipstick that would have ended up on your teeth is now on your finger.