Looking beautiful

Dazzling color: Once your lips are smooth and defined, it’s time to add some color. Fashionable shades change from season to season, but a good rule of thumb to follow is to stick to a natural shade during the day, and go a bit darker at night. You may want to choose a totally dramatic shade of lipstick to highlight a special outfit or for a special occasion, but remember that the color appears to change under different lighting conditions.

That daring shade of lipstick that looked so good under the mellow lights of home may take on a more garish look under sunlight or stark florescent lighting often found in retail outlets or office buildings. On the other hand, it may be the perfect touch to draw attention to your lips in a softly lit restaurant. Keep your destination in mind when choosing a lip color. Again, there is a huge selection of lipsticks and lip glosses from which to choose. Generally, lipstick has more staying power than gloss but choose whichever you prefer. If you’re just starting out in the world of lipsticks, several companies offer a number of quality lipsticks designed for moisturizing, volume-boosting and durability.

Final touch — plumping: Remember those magazine pictures? Look closely. Nearly every model appears to have plump lips. Again, there is a wide selection of lip-plumping products available on the market, but you may prefer a simple and more inexpensive trick to achieve fuller-looking lips. Once you’ve applied your lip color of choice, add a dot of shimmering white eye shadow (or eyebrow highlighter) to the center of your lips and blend it carefully toward the edges. Having a subtly lighter area where your mouth opens will give you the look of fuller lips.