Friday, August 26, 2011

Update...and Repairing Dry Lips

I feel like I should check in with an update since I haven't written anything in a while. It's difficult to post anything without being able to take pictures of swatches (as terrible as mine have been). I should stop spending money on makeup so I can afford a camera. Anyway...I've been fine other than the ridiculous insanity that has become the scheduling for my upcoming fall semester of classes. I may just drop a class and take 3 classes if the issues don't resolve themselves. We shall see.

Until I get a new camera my posts shall be photo-less. Since there are plenty of swatches out there, I will tell you that I finally shelled out the money for Deborah Lippmann's "Across the Universe" and I love it. Sort of. The formula on the polish is thin but good. The glitter actually applies pretty decently. The problem is how they apply when combined. You need a good 3-5 coats to get the polish color dark and even. But this means applying more and more glitter which starts to stick together and stack in awkward layers. I recently picked up a bottle of dark blue Essie polish so when the weather gets much colder (I don't like my nails to be too dark during late summer/early fall...I just wanted to test out this new polish) I will try to use that as a base and then only apply one or two coats of Across the Universe and get back to you on how that looks.

So you're probably thinking, "why is she nattering on and on about her life...I came here for a post on repairing dry lips?" Right. Sorry about that. Here it is.

1) You will need Vaseline 2) You will need your favorite moisturizing lip gloss

I have pretty healthy lips but as with the rest of my skin...they are very dry. Summer is bad because all the enclosed spaces, air-conditioning, and sun exposure mean dryness and peeling. Winter is bad because all the enclosed spaces, indoor-heating, and freezing cold winds mean dryness and peeling. I also have the bad habit of licking my lips or worrying them a little with my teeth when I'm nervous. I would like to stress that my lips don't really crack or chap very badly so I'm not sure if my methods work for very damaged lips but if you have dry lips where the top layer of skin peels a bit, keep reading.

Get a small container of Vaseline. I get the 1.75 oz (49g) container. Dip your finger or a q-tip or a lip brush in the Vaseline and apply to lips. Be careful not to get it inside your mouth. Really focus on the where your lips are driest but don't just throw on globs of Vaseline in the hopes that your lips will heal more quickly. You ideally want to smooth on thin layers until you have a nice protective shield (it should be a little thicker than the application of a thick lip gloss). Spread the Vaseline out a little past the outer boundary of your lips (less than a quarter of a centimeter...just enough to make sure your lips are entirely covered). Leave it on as long as desired but remove before eating or drinking. I may leave the layer of Vaseline on my lips for anywhere from an hour to all night while I'm sleeping. Wipe off with a tissue in the morning and marvel at how soft your lips are. This alone will not fix your lips.

Next, apply your favorite moisturizing lip gloss. Note that I did not say lipstick or lip stain or lip balm. Anything waxy, light, or drying is not going to help. You want something thick and moisturizing like petroleum jelly (Vaseline) which will continue to moisturize and protect your lips throughout the day. I like Dior Addict.

Alternate between Vaseline (when you aren't going anywhere or are about to go to bed) and lip gloss during the rest of the day and in a few days your lips should be completely healed.

Note: Vaseline can be used as a lip gloss but I avoid it even though it looks nice because of the danger of ingesting it. It does not taste good and ingesting a lot of it can't be good for you.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert. I'm just telling you what works for me.

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