A bold lip brings attention to your eyes.

I heard that years ago, and I don’t understand the “how”or “why,” but it’s true. There are many lip products – lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss, lip plumper, lip primer, lip stain, lip balm.

Overwhelming is an understatement.

If you were blessed with perfect lips like my husband, we can be friends, but I will be sliiiiiiightly jealous. I don’t wish for Jolie lips, but I wish mine were even. EVEN!

I was doing my makeup one day and whining to my sister about my mouth. Then I applied some lipstick. She looked back at me and gave a double start. Then she laughed.

“What did you do???” she said. “First you only had half a mouth, and I turn around and then you have a lip!”

Lip color.

How to Choose the Right Lip Color

The most important things to remember when you’re picking out a lip color are your skin tone and the size of your lips.

If you are super pale like me, choose lighter shades. If you have darker skin, you can pretty much wear any shade you want, especially bold beautiful colors.

For small lips, add a little shimmer or dab of lip gloss to the center of your lips to make your lips look bigger. If your lips are small and thin, stay away from super dark colors, as it will make your lips look smaller and thinner.

Don’t wear brown lipstick.

Ever.

Uneven lips

Now, the picture I took of my lip in the dim light of my back living room does not show the extent of my crooked lip.

And as I type this, I fully understand that there are people who are born with true mouth deformities like cleft palette. I’m in no way suggesting that my self-proclaimed albino lip is anywhere near as extreme.

I don’t know how else to explain the importance of how the right lip product can make a difference.

Just so we understand each other.

I put on some nude-y pink lipstick in an attempt to fill-in the missing pigment. Nah – didn’t really work out for me. So I tried a darker color that’s “made for all skin tones” that came in a Clinique gift with purchase.

In the picture below, you can see how using a darker color can help even out an uneven lip.

Steps for Kissable Lips

1. Slough off dead skin.

I’m not a Chapstick fan. Coating your lips in wax when your lips feels dry covers the dead skin. It doesn’t get rid of it.

The dead skin on your lips must be removed — it doesn’t “heal back” once it’s white and scaly. I like Mary Kay’s Satin Lips set, which uses an exfoliant to remove dead skin and has a super emollient balm to nourish your lips. Feels amazing.

However, in a pinch, you can use your tooth brush. Just rinse it really well after!

2. Pencil liner. *Optional*

Not everyone needs pencil liner. Obviously, this is a product that I should be using but if you don’t need it, skip it! Please, though, for the love of all things holy, don’t use a dark liner and then not fill in your lips. Looks terrible. I don’t understand it.

3. Lip color, a.k.a. lip stain, lipstick, lip gloss, etc

Pick your poison.

The one product I do hate is the Colorstay crap. Seriously — it’s super drying and awful. I know a handful of people that really like it, and if it’s working for you, girl, work it. If you’ve never tried it, don’t waste your money.

It’s okay if your lip color doesn’t stay on all day. It’s called re-apply-ing. 🙂

CoverGirl has (or had…not sure if it’s still available) a lip gloss that had a minty flavor and smell. Loved it. If you had something to eat and couldn’t brush right away, swipe on some of their gloss. Perfecto.

*If you use a stain or lipstick, apply some lip gloss afterwards!!!

Power of Makeup

Why is makeup powerful?

It’s a form of creativity.

It’s a means of boosting confidence.

It’s a catalyst for expressing your feelings.

I love it.

Even more powerful than makeup, however, is the application of God’s Word to your soul. Makeup can only go so far. An ugly heart eventually shows through a perfectly dolled up face, and can make the most gorgeous woman truly ugly if she is conceited, nasty, and rude.

Conversely, a beautiful heart is the most priceless “product.” When Jesus shines out of your eyes and His words come from your lips…that’s true beauty. Makeup becomes icing on the most delicious cake imaginable.

Even with all the fun we’ve had with makeup, all the makeup in the world won’t make me more attractive to my husband if I snarl and snip at him all the time. And I rarely feel more beautiful than when I look into my children’s eyes and see the unfiltered, pure love for me beaming forth.

Once I was getting ready for a meeting…curling my hair, applying makeup…and I fished for a compliment from my husband.

He said, “You always look pretty when you’re getting ready to go meet someone else.”

Nail file to the heart.

While Justin loves me regardless, his statements made an impact.

Why am I looking my best for people that aren’t as important to me as he is?

I truly didn’t think he cared how I looked when I was home. Then I remembered that I always got ready when we were dating. Always looked my best for him. But slap a veil on my head, a wedding band on my finger, and suddenly I can stop trying to look attractive?

Not anymore.

When I look like a troll, I act like one.

haha!!

Here’s our before and after of our Power of Makeup series:

Showing my bare naked face to the world was a bit intimidating at first, but it’s been freeing in an unexplainable way. However, I much prefer the Bethany on the right. Even though I’m the same inside, the power of makeup makes me feel invincible.

I can talk to the pretty woman who intimidates me.

I can go into any store and not feel like a pariah.

I can feel pretty when I see my husband…who has seen me in every sort of disarray imaginable…and know that he appreciates the time I took to look nice for him.

It’s a confidence booster for me, and I hope it is for you, as well.

[Tweet “The power of makeup is not in the makeup itself… @betjett #powerofmakeupseries”]

So the power of makeup is not in the makeup itself, but the use of it as a tool to enhance the features God blessed us with, correct any imperfections, and express ourselves to the world that we value ourselves enough to spend a little bit of time looking our best. Even if we don’t leave the house for a week.

I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I did!!! I promised a look into my beauty bag and have delivered! It was too long to add to this post, so I’ve included it on the Toilettiquette page. I can’t wait to hear what’s in your beauty bag!

[reminder]Does makeup make you feel more confident? What’s your favorite product? [/reminder]

[callout]Make sure to subscribe (top right corner) and tell your friends! Brand new giveaway happens on Monday!!![/callout]

[callout]In case you missed them: Power of Makeup series, Part One,  Part Two: Foundation,  Part Three: Sculpting,  Part Four: Eyebrows,  Part Five: Eyeshadow, Part Fiveb: Eyeliner and Accent Colors, Part Six: Mascara[/callout]

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