There is nothing more annoying than lips that refuse to stay moist. Dry, chapped, peeling lips are unsightly and uncomfortable here are a few quick tips to help keep this situation at bay:

1. Just like applying moisturizer on top of dead skin on the face is not very effective, so is putting lip balm on top of flaky skin on the lips. Use a lip exfoliator to remove dead skin and minimize the appearance of lines, before applying your lip balm.

2. Don’t be hit and miss with your lip balm. Consistency is the key to smooth soft lips. Especially before you go to sleep–it’s like a night cream for your lips.

3. Look for ingredients in lip balm such as vitamin E and jojoba oil for maximum moisture.

Over the past decade lip gloss has dominated over lipstick, and therefore the lip liner has been somewhat forgotten. As we start a new year and new season lipstick’s making a major comeback. Precisely applied lipstick requires well executed lip liner. The benefits of using a liner are that it creates definition for lips, helps lipstick stay on longer, and prevents lipstick from feathering or bleeding. Here are our tips for lining lips:

1. Apply a lip conditioner or primer to lips before applying lip liner for smooth application.

2. Dab a small amount of concealer along the lip line with your finger to create a blank canvas for lip lining.

3. Choose a lip pencil colour that matches or is slightly darker than your lipstick.

4. When lining follow the shape of your lips as a guide, making adjustments to balance.

5. Hold the pencil at an angle when applying rather than straight on with the tip. This will give a softer line that blends in easily with the lipstick instead of leaving a hard edge.

6. Rest your pinky on your chin when drawing your liner to stabilize your hand.

7. Fill in your entire lip with liner and apply lipstick over the top for increased wearability of the lipstick.

8. For fuller looking lips extend the lip liner just past the natural lip line. Use a light to medium shade lip pencil.

9. To decrease the size of lips line within the natural lip line using a medium to dark shade of lip pencil.

Image from trendland.com

When it comes to cosmetics I love my prestige brands-Dior, Chanel, YSL, and then the make-up artist brands MAC, NARS, Make Up Forever. But every once in awhile I’ll come across something, for a fraction of the price of the other brands, that meets my high standards. Currently the above four products are in my make up bag.

Rosebud Salve is a no brainer everyone knows this is one of the best on the market it’s been around for over a century. It smells and feels fantastic. Not to mention it’s multi purpose features, soothes burns, moisturizers dry skin anywhere on the body, and looks great on the lips.

I just tried the Revlon Colourstay Liquid Liner Pen recently. What I like the best about it is that it really does stay on. The smudge proof claim is for real. The felt tip pen makes for really easy and precise application. I just had to give it a shake to keep the product flowing during application. Honestly, I have to do that with my MAC one which costs three times the price.

L’oreal Lash Explosion I picked up in London because it’s not available in Canada right now. The hype around the spiky ball shaped applicator pulled me in. The shape of the applicator gives you easier access to those short inner lashes, it also separates and fans the lashes out quite nicely.

Joe Fresh Lip Gloss which is of course Canadian, and available at Real Canadian Superstore is probably my favourite budget buy. I love the clear dual vial packaging which makes it look more expensive, and I love that there is no frost or sparkle in it. Just a creamy glossy look, which I feel is the most modern fashion forward way to wear gloss. And the smooth non sticky feel is ever so comfortable. The colours are really straight forward and have very clean undertones.

You can buy all four of those and it will only set you back about $40-now that’s credit crunch pricing.