Lip glosses invoke images of childhood experiments, youthful sessions of trial and error, and lots and lots of sparkles. Lipsticks bring to mind the old folks with bright red circles around the lips, and spidery veins of deep red radiating away from the lips of that teacher no one really liked anyway. So what are you to do if you seek to accentuate the lips while still looking with it and trendy…?
Lip glosses often come in more sheer, natural hues, making it easier to match to your skin tones, and much simpler to match to any eyeshadow pallet you might want to pick up. Lip glosses tint your natural lip color, and are therefore almost guaranteed to go with any look. They also moisturize your lips, which helps to keep the product from getting That Flaky Feel so easy to achieve with dry lips and lipstick.
A lip gloss is better if you want to add more color to your cheeks or your eyes, as accentuating the lips with a bright color might be too over the top. A favorite is to pair rock chic, Courtney Love-esque smokey eyes with a pale pink gloss.
Lip gloss has less staying power than a lipstick, but often it comes off at a more gradual and less noticeable pace, and wears off more evenly than a lipstick. The shine of a lip gloss also makes the lips look fuller, and when combined with a little highlighter on the cupid’s bow, can turn thin lips into luscious ones. Lip glosses are perfect for summer time, when bright colors are more common for nails and eyes. Lip glosses are also good for occasions when you have an elaborate up-do, both to keep the attention on your ‘do, and to make sure that hair doesn’t get stuck in your lip gloss.
Lipsticks are opaque and full of color. If you are going with a more natural eye pallet, and subdued cheek color, add a bright red lipstick and your look is set (but don’t forget the matching lip liner, or your lipstick will run). Lipstick is often seen as more professional, especially when in shades similar to your natural lip color. It’s seen as the mature older sister to lip gloss.
If you are going for the “I totally have my life in order” look, lipstick is for you. Lipsticks come in a few different finishes, and right now the matte finish is in. Matte finishes bleed less and stay on longer, to boot.
Lipstick is a better choice if you want to dry attention to your lips, perhaps away from the “I-stayed-out-partying” baggy eyes. Lipsticks come a wide array of colors, from the traditional (and currently in style) deep reds, to nudes, corals, browns, and if you really are adventurous, purples and blues. Similarly, while gloss can look a little adolescent, a lipstick a few shades darker than your natural lip tone is a soft finish to an otherwise bare face.
You can always combine the two, though. Put on the lipstick, and with a lighter, sheer gloss, add just a dab to the center of your bottom lip for a full pout!
