From when you’re dressing up for a date night or a house party to when you’re planning to host a cocktail party or attend a wedding, lip color cannot be missed out on. Here are five lip color tips from beauty professionals to step out in style every day:

Prep up

• Preparing your lips is the first step before any kind of makeup routine. Like with the rest of your body, eating nutritious, balanced meals, and keeping yourself well-hydrated is important for a naturally healthy pout.
• Avoid licking your lips constantly, as saliva can dry them out quickly.
• Use a soft toothbrush and a sugar and honey mixture to gently exfoliate your lips at least twice a week. This will help prevent dull, flaky lips and keep them supple.
• A simple yet excellent lip color tip from beauty professionals is to apply lip balm generously, not only over your lips but around them as well, so that the skin is nourished and is not irritated when you use makeup.

Choose the right shade

• Choose the proper shade of lipstick to flatter your skin color and the color of your lips.
• Pick a shade of lipstick closest to your natural skin tone, or something two tones darker. This can never go wrong in bestowing an unmistakably natural look.

Use a lip liner

• Demarcate your lips with a lip liner. Use it to draw the edges and the middle of your lips precisely.
• If you want to make your lips appear more prominent, use the lip liner slightly outside your natural lip line. Alternatively, draw a little inside your lip lines to make them look thinner. For both scenarios, use a lip liner at least one shade darker than your lips.
• When opting for a bold lip color, choose a lip liner in the corresponding shade to enhance the effect.

Start with lip gloss

• Another lip color tip from beauty professionals is to apply lip gloss to add moisture and sheen to dry lips.
• Start at the center of your lips. Lip gloss might not endure a whole day, but if you put it on top of the same shade of lipstick, the color will linger on for longer.

Go pro

• If you’re a novice to using a lipstick, start with applying a sheer/nude shade. It is a great way to not appear over-dressed, yet show some color. For this, you can choose a shade moderately brighter than your skin tone.
• A helpful lip color tip from beauty professionals is to use a good lipstick applicator brush to first put on opaque or matte color. Then, apply regular lipstick in the same shade over it to instantly achieve a beautiful texture.
• Use two lipsticks of the same color, but in varying shades. Apply the lighter shade in the middle of your lips and color the rest of your lips, especially toward the edges, with the deeper shade for a pouty appearance.