The point of so many {lip} products. (Your lipstick has potential.) #2

Previous post:
What's the point of all that make-up?

If you've ever played a round of "What's in my handbag?" with your girl friends, you'll know that very often even the most low maintenance of women carry at least two lip products with them. It is usually a lip balm and a lipstick but if you were to scratch in the lipstick drawer of a make-up junkie, you will find lip primers, lip scrubs and too many lip pencils and might think that it is a bit excessive. Here is why you might want so many lip products too.

The uses of all the different lip products.

Preparation

• Lip exfoliator - To scrub the dead and dry skin off your lips for a smooth base. Exfoliating your lips  will also stimulate blood flow to make your lips extra pink and plump.
• Lip balm - To soften and moisturise. A tinted balm will add colour to your lips if wearing lipstick is not your thing.
• Lip primer - Although not essential, a lip primer can extend the wear of your lipstick and prevent  it  from bleeding. You thought that is what lip liner is for, right? Right, but a lip primer is colourless and won't change the colour of your lipstick which, if it doesn't match your lipstick  perfectly, your  lip liner will do. Depending on the kind of lip primer you use, it can also plump your lips up to make you look like you've had lip injections or as if your lip exfoliator  contains cinnamon.

Colour

• Lip liner - Making your lipstick last and preventing it from bleeding are two solid reasons why you should be using lip liner (and might be why you want to cut on the lip primer). If you have the lip primer and want to give the lip liner the slip, you can but unless you apply your lipstick with a brush or a doe-foot applicator, chances are that you won't be able to get that clean crisp line around your lips without a lip liner. If you're using a bullet lipstick, lip liner offers precise base colour application too. 

A quick way to just touch up your lips without all of this jazz, is of course to just line your lips and put a gloss over. It means that you have the bare minimum of products on your lips for maximum impact.

• Lipstick - Whether you like a satin, sheer, matte, glossy, cream or liquid finish, a lipstick has the potential to brighten your lips and your day, for the duration of your day. Even if you wear no other make-up, wearing lipstick can make you feel beautiful. Once you have found your favourite colour in a magical formula that works for you, prepping your lips with the above products will help your lipstick last all day.

Finish

• Lip gloss - when your lipstick alone is just not enough or lipstick is just too much. Lip gloss can offer a sheer wash of colour or just some glossiness when you want to go for a minimal look or it can vamp up your lipstick. A little bit of gloss in the middle of your lips make it look bigger and if you are tired of your matte lipstick but don't have a satin one on hand, you lip gloss can fix it.

So maybe you do need all of these products or maybe not. Decide for yourself or try something new but in the end a simple smile is all you really need to be your gorgeous self.

What's the point of all that make-up? #1

Whether you have to explain the amount of money you spend on (seemingly all the same) make-up products to your other half each month or you have wondered what the point is of carrying 5 different lip products in your handbag, there is a different function for each one of these products and I'm here to defend them.

So many pretty colours.

Over the next few weeks, I'll break it down for you in the following categories: lips, face, cheeks, eyes, lashes and eyebrows.

With these posts you can make the decision whether a certain product will enhance your current make-up routine (oh, I need eyeshadow primer to stop my eyeshadow from creasing!) or you can skip on it because it is not practical or suitable for your make-up routine and lifestyle (so it is my primer that is making my foundation look so oily?).

Sometimes you need a make-up collection that takes up more space in your vanity than your underwear does but often we can streamline it to one medium cosmetics bag to create even the most glamourous looks. The key is to know why you own the make-up you do and how to use it.

Follow me on Google+ or Facebook if you would like to read this series and please feel free to comment on your favourite products.