Dear Madame Patriot,

What is the proper way to apply lipstick? Whenever I try to wear it, the lipstick ends up coming off before I even leave the house, or I put too much on and look like a clown. Help!

Sincerely,

Pining for a Perfect Pout

Dear Pining,

Lipstick can be very intimidating for first-time users, so don’t feel bad about not knowing the right way to do it. First off, you should always start with a good base when applying any type of makeup product. This means that you should remove all dead skin on and around your lips with a scrub or exfoliator. It’s pretty disgusting to think about, but cracking or flaky lips do not create an ideal base for a smooth lip color. After exfoliating, make sure that your lips are moisturized. Try to find balms that include beeswax, coconut oil or cocoa butter. Personally, I like to slather some good old fashioned Vaseline on before I go to bed each night, but do whatever works for you. After all of that preparation, your lips will be ready! Always start with a lip primer. I cannot stress how important this is! There is nothing worse than looking at someone whose lipstick has feathered outside of their natural lip line. This breaks my heart. So please, use a primer. My favorite is MAC Prep and Prime Lip, but whatever you can find will work. Let the primer dry for about 30 seconds, and then line lips with a lip pencil that is around the same shade as the lipstick you will be wearing. Liner provides yet another barrier that will make the lipstick stay put. Finally, apply the lipstick as you normally would. If you are going out, make sure to bring the lipstick with you for reapplications! You might think that this is a lot of work for a little lipstick, but taking the proper steps will ensure you the perfect pout that you are so desperately searching for.

Xoxo,

Madame Patriot