How To: Kiss-Proof Lips

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought this tutorial might be just right to share. It works well for any occasion you're wearing lipstick and don't want it to come off (especially on the one you're kissing). I've seen it happen! Perfect for dates and, of course, the wedding day! Oh, and it's baby-proof! More about that later!

1--Exfoliate
No brainer here, but making sure you have a clean, soft lip to begin with will help with lipstick application. Use a warm, wet washcloth to gently exfoliate lips. Better yet, use this diy lip scrub that takes a minute to make.

2--Moisturize
Keep those lips soft by adding a lip balm of choice. Let it soak in while you apply your makeup and do your hair. Just leaving it on at least 5 minutes will help.

3--Apply Long-Wearing Liquid Lipstick
I wanted to keep this process as easy as possible. And instead of liners, powders, tissues, etc, I'm going with a long-wearing liquid lipstick. There are lots on the market, but the one I'm using today is from Rimmel. These are Provocalips--they can be found in drugstores, and come in many colors. They don't give me the 16 hours they claim, but I've really been liking them. It has color on one end and a gloss on the other. I've got a big review of all the drugstore ones like this coming soon (just let me know if you're interested).

Wipe off the lip balm and then make a fake smile. This will allow you to make sure to get all the lines in your lips when applying the color.  This is pretty easy to apply using the doe foot applicator, but if you still feel intimidated, use a lip brush or a small brush to brush on. Don't paint on a thick coat. A thin, even coat is all you need--just like when painting your nails.

Allow to dry. I usually just hold that fake smile for a few seconds.

4--Apply lip gloss (or balm)
Once dry, apply the lip gloss provided. You'll need a balm or gloss of some sort to keep your lips hydrated. Every brand I've ever tried of these long-wearing lipsticks are matte. Luckily, these come with a gloss that's not sticky at all--it really just makes it shiny, but others have a clear balm. You will need to apply the lip gloss as needed throughout the day/night but do not reapply the color.

For this demo, I forgot to bring the Provocalips with me for work but made it through eating, drinking, and an entire work day with 2 little ones, including a 10 month old who was perplexed that she couldn't take the color off my lips with her fingers pawing at me. Baby proof!

To remove: Use an oil-based makeup remover. It's the fastest way.

Extra Elle:

• Getting my hair done (begone, evil roots!) today!! Expect a pic (a hairfie?? hehe, jk) on Instagram. Do you like getting your hair done?
• Speaking of Instagram, I posted a pic referencing that 1-31 was the 95th anniversary of my great-grandfather bringing his family from Lake Como, Italy to America! I never knew him, but got to visit Lake Como 10 years ago. My mom still has the immigration papers! Are you a genealogy fan like me?