Read My Lips

It is officially the first day of spring; the spring (vernal) equinox has come and the sun is coming back. So, happy spring!

But, I digress....

Lately, I have been getting quite a few questions about lip color and care. I am unashamedly a lip balm junkie and this is a good thing for soft, healthy lips. For a quality lip balm, I highly, highly recommend Rosebud Lip Salve, $6 at Sephora. It comes in a tin and lasts a very long time. I also enjoy C. O. Bigelow's Favorite Lip Balm with sweet almond oil, about $5.50 at Bath and Body Works and C. O. Bigelow stores. Neutrogena makes good lip balms with SPF 15; these are about $7.50-$8 at your local drugstore. I recommend that you steer clear of Burt's Bees and Carmex lip balm; the amount of beeswax in these items will dry out your lips and make your skin sting over time.

Lip color is something I hold dear to my heart. I vastly prefer lip gloss to lipstick because I can control it better and I find most lipsticks drying, with the exception of Cargo and Clinique's lipsticks. When it comes to lip gloss, or lipstick, have at least one color that is a neutral, one to accentuate your lip color, and one that is bold. The lip glosses I prefer most are anything by Philosophy, especially Pumpkin Spice Muffin; Stila Lip Glaze, particularly Blackberry and Plum; Mac's Lustre Glass in Beaux; Mac's Lip Glass in Gitane; Bare Minerals in Wild Honey; and pretty much anything by Nars and Awake. Lip glosses can be sticky at first but, as they sink into your skin, they will moisturize and stain slightly for hold. I also like lip glosses because they are quick applications that can be done without a mirror, unlike most lipsticks...

Many people also are looking for lip plumping glosses. I can give my stamp of approval to two: Sally Hansen's Lip Plumping Gloss and Bare Minerals' Buxom. These will give your lips a bit of a boost but do not expect collagen results.

On a final note, I recommend that you avoid lip liners. Very, very few people can pull them off well...