My mother (one of my personal beauty icons) used to say “no matter how bad things get, put on lipstick and you feel better.” Interestingly enough, cosmetics sales statistics historically prove that ‘mother knew best’! Even in challenging economic times, war times, recessions, lipstick sales remain strong… it’s an affordable, feel good, instant gratification, must-have!

Pucker up perfection does require some serious beauty know-how to maximize current lip color trends. This winter’s modern-retro, matte, deep hues look not so fabu-lips when applied to creased, dehydrated lips or when the color creeps into those vertical lip lines (you had no idea you had until you tried dark lip color!) Even lip gloss becomes a beauty-don’t when applied to chapped, flakey lips. While we may not all have Angelina Jolie genes for lip perfection (or the wallet/stomach for injectable lip enhancement), there are ways to lush our lips…

1. Exfoliate – My mother’s old-fashioned tip: apply a coat of petroleum jelly to your smacker, then use a toothbrush to gently slough away the flakey dryness that can make lips look like roof tiles, instead of pillow-y loveliness. Lip color sits better on smooth skin. Bonus: soft, smooth lips are nicer to kiss!

2. Hydrate – Lips are naturally devoid of oil glands. Plus talking, eating, drinking, licking lips all contribute to moisture loss that can leave lips lackluster and dehydrated. To perk up your pout, use a moisturizing lip treatment like Pur~lisse comfort daily lip nourisher with shea and mango butters. Say goodbye to chapped, cracked lips that hurt and make your lip color look icky!

3. Treat – Dark lip color can sneak into vertical lip lines, which is not so fashionable. Thankfully you can diminish those age revealing lines. Proactively – do not smoke or suck on straws when enjoying your favorite cold beverage! Correctively — spiff upper lip plumps up lip lines with moisture and diminished the depth of those upper lip lines with retinol. Revive Lip & Perioral Renewal Cream works wonders to treat vertical lip lines with a plastic surgeon developed formula (I know some former smokers well into middle age that swear by this stuff!)

Lip science… I’m a biology nerd and a googler, so here you go… Because of a high amounts of nerve endings, the lips are an erogenous zone. (Which is why lips play a crucial role in kissing!) A woman’s lips are also a visible expression of her fertility. In human attraction studies, psychologists have found that men find full lips to be more sexually attractive than thinner lips. As such, a woman’s lipstick “tricks” men into thinking that a woman is fertile, attractive and biologically desirable.

And I just thought I was a lipgloss addict…! bliss kisses, Donna