The Transforming Power of Makeup (Part 3)

Way back in 2016 I posted PART 2 in which I showed how I transform my lips almost every day from woe to wow. Well not quite wow, but a whole heap better than they are naturally. Since then I've had heaps more practice so my technique has improved, and so have the available products, although I'm still using three of the six items that were in my original post. While you are probably (hopefully!) not dealing with the same issues I am, some of the hints below might be helpful, especially when applying darker colours which sure need extra attention to get them looking good ♥...

Having had cold sores since puberty, my poor old lips have taken a beating, plus they've been freckled for as long as I can remember. Add to this the accelerated pigmentation issues that come with ageing, well they've sure seen better days. But no need to despair kats - makeup and a few little tricks can fix all that! And so here we go - beware though, some of these closeups are pretty gruesome ha ha ♥...

 So here are my bare lips (and complexion)...

I start the transformation with a face primer (current fave is DB Pore Minimising Primer) and then apply my foundation with an Ecotools Wonder Cover Complexion brush. My foundation for this post was a blend of IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness and Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in the shade Sandy Beige. I cover the entire outline of my lips, and immediately there's a major improvement lol...

Next up is concealer all around the outside of my lips to completely disguise the pigmentation. I use Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer in the shade Light Natural. It has a sponge does foot applicator, and it's the best concealer ever - total coverage, easy to blend and it doesn't crease...

Below is the result after I blend it with my middle finger...

Next up I reverse outline my lips with an NYX Wonder Pencil in the shade Light. I take the pencil way above my top lip to where I plan to draw on a new top lip, and a picture-worthy cupids bow. My top lip has always been way thinner than my bottom lip, but we'll fix that later...

And here I've blended the crayon (again with my finger) and pressed on Australis HD Translucent Loose Setting Powder with a powder puff. This is a revamp of their Ready Set Go Finishing Powder - it's just as good, just has a wee bit of shimmer. As you can see this has camouflaged my enlarged pores and significantly reduced the appearance of the vertical lines above my top lip (this powder is a kats-can't-live-without)...

Now that I have my canvas prepared, it's time to start the artistry! Here I've used an OXX Lip Liner (from Kmart) in the shade Aria - it's the perfect match for the lipstick I'm going to add in a mo'. The application isn't perfect at this stage, but I don't let that worry me - everything is fixable, so long as I have the basic outline correct. Incidentally, if my lip liner isn't precisely the same colour as my lipstick, then I apply it all over my lips, but no need to here...

And below I've slicked on Maybelline Made For All Lipstick in my latest shade passion, Plum For Me. Again the application isn't perfect - trust me the camera shows up any and all flaws, so I recommend taking photos if you want to practice your technique, or when you desire the perfect lip for a special occasion...

So we've made it at last. I've used the above photo to point out the areas that need a tidy up (if you're wondering, I do this every time I take a photo for my Instagram LOTD's, which is almost every day). I've filled in the gaps on the left side of both lips using the lip liner, also the right side needed a bit of attention for symmetry, plus a cleanup on the skin with the flat end of a Swisspers Dual Cosmetic Tip dipped in concealer. I also used the pointy end (with concealer) to carefully tweak the cupids bow shape, and then applied another layer of lip liner and lipstick. Voila!...

Here's what I used ...

All this to say there's quite a bit of effort involved in getting my lips to look good, but the result is well worth it, and because I do it at least five days out of seven, it all happens in less than five minutes. By putting a lot of effort into my base preparation, I find I only need to reapply the liner and lipstick after eating. Just as well lol! ♥...

I was thinking about doing another face transformation post - any interest?

Take care of you,
kats xxx