Ombré Lipstick From Start to Finish

Glossary

Lip balm refers to a preparation applied to the lips to moisturize the skin. Some examples include Chapstick, Burt’s Bees lip balm, and Carmex lip balm.

Lip scrub refers to the lip exfoliator described in the Required Materials list.

Ombré refers to color that shades into each other, graduating from light to dark or vice versa.

Outer surface of your lips refers to the skin on your lips that is visible when your mouth is closed and the lips are touching.

Pigmentation refers to the coloring of a person’s skin. Here it specifically the difference between the color of the lips and the color of the rest of the face.

Required Materials

Clock or timer

Cotton rounds and Cotton swabs

Lip liner, brown

Lip scrub (lip exfoliator)

• 1 TBSP brown sugar,
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• Optional: add a dash of vanilla extract for scent

Lipstick (2 colors, one darker than the other)

Lipstick brush

Clear lip gloss

Lip balm

Mirror

Paper towel(s)

Water

PICTURE NOTE: Photos read in order from top to bottom, left to right.

WARNING: Users with an allergy to brown sugar, olive oil, and/or vanilla extract should NOT use the lip scrub in the Required Materials list. See “Troubleshooting” at the end of this Instructable for alternative lip scrub suggestions.

NOTE: Do not use lip scrub more than twice a week. Skip this section and move onto “Applying Lip Liner” if you have already used lip scrub twice this week.

1. Gather your supplies: lip scrub, paper towels, cotton rounds, water, a clock or timer, and lip balm.

2. Wipe your lips with a damp cotton round to make sure they’re clean.

3. Open the container of lip scrub (Photo 1)

4. Dip your index finger into the lip scrub and make sure a small amount (about the size of a pea) sticks to your finger. NOTE: place something in your lap to catch any scrub (e.g., paper towel). (Photo 2)

5. Looking in the mirror, apply the lip scrub to your closed lips and scrub vigorously for about 30 seconds. (Photo 3)

NOTE: if you rub your lips together, the scrub will likely enter your mouth.

6. Make sure you have scrubbed the full outer surface of your lips. (Photo 4)

7. Stop scrubbing. Let the lip scrub sit for approximately 1 minute.

8. Dampen one of the cotton rounds in water.

9. Wipe the lip scrub off your lips with the damp cotton round. This may take multiple swipes. (Photo 5)

10. Throw the cotton round in trash.

11. Rinse your mouth and/or finger at a sink to remove any excess scrub if necessary.

12. Dab your lips with a paper towel to make sure they’re dry.

13. Open your lip balm and apply a thin coat to your lips.

14. Let the lip balm sit for about 30 seconds.

15. Put a paper towel between your lips and rub your lips together for about 10 seconds to remove excess balm. Excess balm may interfere with lip liner and lipstick application later. (Photo 6)

NOTE: If you smear the liner at any point, dampen a cotton swab with water and wipe away the smeared section. Dab the section with a paper towel to make sure it is dry, then try to line the section again.

16. Make sure your lips are clean before starting this section. There should be no lip scrub left on the lips. There should be as little lip balm left on the lips as possible.

17. Make sure lips are not in a pucker.

18. With the sharpened edge of the pencil, apply liner to the outermost part of your upper lip (where the pigmentation changes). (Photo 1)

• Note: Notice in the picture the liner follows all the way to the crease (smile line) of the end of both lips.

19. Fill in the top half of your upper lip with liner.

20. Leave the bottom half of the upper lip untouched by liner.

21. With the sharpened edge of the pencil, apply liner to the outermost part of your bottom lip (where the pigmentation changes). (Photo 2)

22. Fill in the bottom half of your bottom lip with liner.

23. Leave the top half of the bottom lip untouched by liner. (Photo 3)

Note: Always clean off your lip brush after each step that requires the use of a lip brush. Clean the brush by wiping off excess lipstick onto a paper towel in a swiping motion. Never rub your lips together during any of these steps or the process must be started over. If you mess up when applying the lipstick or gloss, you can use a cotton swab to dab the makeup off.

24. Apply the light lipstick onto the area of the bottom and upper lip where no lip liner has been applied. (Photo 1)

25. Apply the light lipstick about 2cm out onto the lip liner on bottom lip.

26. Apply the light lipstick about 1cm out onto the lip liner of the upper lip.

27. On the bottom lip, blend together the area of lip liner and light lipstick with a lip brush in a dabbing motion until it is a mixed shade of the liner and the light lipstick.

28. On the upper lip, blend together the area of lip liner and light lipstick with a lip brush in a dabbing motion until it is a mixed shade of the liner and the lipstick. (Photo 2)

29. Apply the dark lipstick onto the outer area of the bottom and upper lip, where the lip liner is, but not area that is the mixture of the light lipstick and the lip liner.

30. Starting in the middle of where the light lipstick and the liner have been mixed on both the bottom and upper lip, brush towards the edge of the lips with a lip brush so the mixture blends with the dark lipstick. (Photo 3)

31. Grabbing the lip gloss, dab a pea size of lip gloss onto the back of your hand.

32. Dip the lip brush into the gloss.

33. Place three dabs of gloss onto the center middle, center middle left, and center middle right of the bottom and upper lip with the lip brush.

34. Very lightly brush the lip gloss towards the outside of the lip lines with the lip brush.

35. Pouring a pea size amount of foundation onto your palm, dip the contour brush lightly into the foundation.

36. Starting from the outside of your lip line’s crease, place the foundation on your skin, and drag the contour brush along the outside of your lip line to the other outside crease of your lip line.

37. Blend the foundation by dragging the contour brush down from the start of the outside of your lip line to your chin, without touching the lipstick at all.

38. If the foundation is not fully blended or is streaky, use the contour brush in a smudging/dabbing motion over the foundation to blend it in.

MAINTENANCE
Lip Scrub

The lip scrub may be reused if it is stored in an airtight container. It should be refrigerated when not being used. Remove from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature for at least an hour before use.

Lip Liner & Lipstick

Both lipsticks and gloss can be reapplied if the ombre is starting to wear off, but for the same look you must follow the instruction in the same order when reapplying. Reapplying the lip liner requires that you start over the whole process from step 1.

TROUBLESHOOTING
NOTE: Call your healthcare provider immediately if you are having an allergic reaction.

Alternative Lip Scrubs

Brown sugar allergy alternative: replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar in the recommended lip scrub from “Required Materials.”

Olive oil allergy alternative: replace the olive oil with honey in the recommended lip scrub from “Required Materials.”

Vanilla extract allergy alternative: do not add vanilla extract to the recommended lip scrub from “Required Materials.” It is an optional ingredient.

Multiple allergies alternative: Vaseline and toothbrush method, found on Instructables.com. Link: https://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-and-Easy-Li...

Lip Liner

If you smear the liner at any point during the lip liner instructions, dampen a cotton swab with water and wipe away the smeared section. Dab the section with a paper towel to make sure it is dry, then try to line the section again.

Lipstick

When checking the ingredients within your chosen lipsticks and gloss, check the makeup brands’ online site for information on ingredients, allergy precautions, and contact information for questions and concerns.

Choosing the Right Shade

If you are having difficulties with your lipstick staying true to its advertised color, apply a lip primer before starting the lip liner step. For more details on how to determine which lipstick shades will work best for your skin tone, this article may be helpful: http://www.bustle.com/articles/17962-how-to-choose...