How does lipstick work

Thoughts on color changing lipsticks? Did this ruin your conception of magical makeup science? Let me know down in the comments! This post contains PR Samples and affiliate links. This is just one little swipe of a pH responding lip balm onto dry paper. Add a bit of water and BAM the color comes out. Excuse the ring where the paper itself got water damaged, but you get the gist. Tags: science. Allison Allison is a New Orleans based beauty writer and lipstick lover.

You May Also Like. It became clear to me about a month ago that the only person holding me back was myself, so in an effort to overcome these inhibitions I decided to commit to a weeklong challenge of wearing red lipstick all day, every day. I also reached out to a makeup artist for advice—if I was going to do this, I was going to do this right. Ahead, read about all the practical and personal things I learned along the way. A red lip can mean so many things, from a high gloss to a matte finish to sheer tints and stains that are hydrating minus the whole hair-stuck-to-your-lips thing.

I enjoyed playing around with new formulas and textures , including my new favorite, a liquid powder. Have you ever noticed your lipstick bleeding around the contours of your lips? To keep my lips smooth and hydrated, I applied a lip butter before lining my lips the first time, but apparently it was too much, because it made the lining process slippery and sloppy. Another pro tip: If you get excited applying a lot of lip balm like I did, you can always let it set in for several minutes before applying lipstick.

Giglio recommends using a clean spoolie to gently exfoliate and scrub off any dry bits on your lips before starting in with your lip balm or lipstick resist the urge to peel or bite off peeling skin , which can be painful and lead to bleeding. I only used a lip scrub once this week. I scrubbed my lips with the Kopari scrub in the morning and applied the balm quickly after. Is it bad I wanted to lick it off? To create a defined lip line, Giglio suggests going around the outside of your lips with foundation.

You can use your finger to swipe it along the bottom of your lip line, or use a teeny concealer brush with a flat edge. My first day in red lipstick was spent overcompensating for my self-consciousness: eating carefully, drinking with a straw, keeping exactly three Q-tips handy to fix any smudges.

A pointed cotton swab was key for touching up any smudges or lipstick bleeding. I was familiar using the lip liner, which can help you outline the edges of your lips and help keep your lipstick from bleeding. But I learned that a lip brush is a secret weapon experts like Giglio keep in their makeup bags to create a sharply defined lip.

The amount of Red 27, along with the other dyes used, primarily determines the final shade. Does that mean color-change makeup products don't yield the perfect custom shade for you based on your pH? Yes and no. Since practically everyone's skin has a pH of around 5, your chemistry-based shade has more to do with your natural skin tone mixing with the Red 27's bold pink than some technological marvel.