How To: Create A Valentine's Day Kissproof Lip

I am not generally a fan of Valentine's Day. Call me a cynic, but I prefer to refer to it as VD Day, as in the day that people are most likely to contract some communicable disease in their efforts to not be so alone on the 14th.

Don't get me wrong - it's not that I'm single and bitter. In fact, shockingly, I am neither. I do enjoy roses and chocolate, and despite what you might think am not completely unromantic. I just have a problem with the grand gestures and one day aspect of Valentine's Day. Wouldn't it be far better if your hunny-bunny sent you roses at work on some completely random day like April 27th or brought home a box with lavender ribbon from MoRoCo Chocolat on September 19th just because they felt like it, and not because a bunch of greeting cards and store displays told them that they must?

Okay so before I go off on yet another one of my rants about society as a whole let's get back on topic, shall we? You came here to learn how to make your carefully applied lipstick withstand the full-on assault of a chocolate-and-roses fueled makeout session.

This particular how-to comes from my experience as a salon makeup artist working in Bridal Makeup Hell. One summer, I think I counted about 80 brides that had come though my chair? I say Hell because that's what it can be, but mercifully I did not have many Bridezillas. All of mine were rather sweet and very nice, if slightly frazzled and neurotic.

The first thing you need to know is that loose powder is your key to success. If you do not have loose powder, you can fake it with a large powder or blush brush and a compact of pressed or powder foundation. It also works better if you're using a more neutral lipstick colour, so you may want to forego that hot red shade that matches your shoes perfectly if you thinking about getting lucky. Beauty is sacrifice, you know.


1. Apply a light lip balm before you start with the rest of your makeup so that when it comes time to do your lips - which should always be at the end as you would the icing on a cake - they will be perfectly moisturized and ready to receive colour. Trust me, there is nothing worse than trying to put lipstick on dry, chapped lips.

2. Carefully apply your chosen shade of lipstick to the surface of your lips. This works best if done with a brush, which allows for a far more precise application than straight from the bullet. But sometimes you just have to work with what you have.

3. Blot your lips with tissue, then lightly dust powder over your lips with the brush. The powder, in addition to that lipbalm you had so ingeniously remembered to apply earlier, will help to better fuse the colour into your lips so that it won't wear off or smudge all over the place.

4. Repeat the apply then blot and powder sequence from steps two and three at least two more times - more if you've decided to throw caution to the wind and go with that red lipstick after all - until you have built up the colour to the desired intensity.

5. Finish with a final application of lip colour, smushing your lips to blend. Blow your reflection a quick kiss before you head out the door.

Sadly, this will not be your end result. Lip gloss is not conducive to kissing.

Now go forth and conquer, my friends, secure in the knowledge that your lips will not let you down.

Do you have beauty questions? The quest for the perfect smokey eye or that elusive shade of red that will work with your skin tone? Feel free to pass them along to beautyapothekerri@gmail.com and I will do my best to provide the answers that you seek.