Modeling tips: care for your lips

Lips are important to models. Well-shaped and well-groomed lips can make a lasting impression and add to your sex-appeal. At the same time, lips are among the most exposed areas of your skin and very vulnerable at the same time. Your lips need good care, and it’s you who should provide it. The good thing is, it does not have to be expensive to be good.

Protect them
Lips need protection from the world around them, especially from heat, cold, sunburn and dry air. Petroleum jelly or Vaseline is a great and inexpensive protector and healer of dry skin in general and lips in particular. Use an old toothbrush to gently rub in the Vaseline a couple of times a day if you want to heal dried lips. You may want to mix the Vaseline with one or two tablespoons of a tasty (sweet or fresh) sauce, to enhance the flavor. For summer holidays or winter sports, use a lip balm with a high sun protection factor, as lips tend to burn badly in the sun.

Caress them
Want to give your lips a good time? Mash a quarter of a ripe papaya to a juicy paste. Lie down on a towel and apply a generous amount to the lips and the skin around the lips. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Next rinse the paste off and apply Vaseline or lip balm. The exfoliating enzymes in papaya help to soften and refine lip lines.

Make them work for you
When applying lipstick, use a brush. It provides a more even distribution and will reduce the amount of lipstick used. Before applying your lipstick, apply foundation on the lips or use a lip liner. This prevents the lipstick from 'bleeding'.

If you have big lips, colors like purple, brown and bronze will look good on you. If you want to make them look smaller, make use of deep colors. They make the lips recede. Shiny lipstick on the other hand will accentuate the size of your lips. If your lips are small, apply a bit of lip gloss or Vaseline on the middle part of the bottom lip, and use light colors. This make your lips look bigger.

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