Nidhi Kapoor Sahgal: 8 tips for perfect lips

From a jewellery designer and certified gemmologist to a makeover artist, Nidhi Kapoor Sahgal has a penchant for the beautiful things in life. As a young girl, she was always crazy about makeup and would ransack her mother’s and elder cousins’ vanity cases for the latest products. After graduation, however, she set off to New York to complete a course in gemmology and jewellery design in order to join her father in his jewellery business in Delhi. Now, years later, having recently completed an extensive course in bridal makeup and hair, the 33-year-old mother of two is all set for a new innings in her career.

As someone whose lipstick is always immaculate even hours into a party and even long after the dessert course is done with, we were curious about the magical secrets to applying lipstick she appears to possess. She generously shares a few tips.

Before you start applying lipstick on your lips, you need to be sure that your lips are soft and smooth. Lips that are very dry or are cracked are not suitable for applying lipstick. Keep your body well hydrated and while at home keep applying lip balm on your lips. You can also apply olive oil or coconut oil on your lips to make them soft.
Before applying lipstick, exfoliate the flaky lips from your lips with a gentle washcloth. This will help in removing the dead skin cells and will make the skin of your lips soft.
Add a thin coat of lip primer to give your lips a little moisture before applying lipstick so that your lips do not become dry easily and the colour of your lipstick does not fade away soon. In place of primer, you can even use a coat of foundation. This step is applicable to those who need to apply lipstick more than once to keep it in good shape.
Now it is time to line your lips with the help of a neutral lip pencil. Try to use a lip pencil in a shade that is closest to your natural lip colour. It is better not to use lip liners that are too dark. While applying lip liner, try to outline your natural lip line only.
Next apply your favourite shade of lipstick. It is important to consider your skin tone for selecting the right lipstick shade. For instance, those having pale skin must use light shades and glossy lipsticks, while those having darker complexions must use lipstick in golden brown, cherry red or nude pink shades. You can ask a beauty expert to help you find the right lipstick shade.
For better results, apply lipstick with the help of a lip brush. Make sure you have applied lipstick to the corner of your lips as well and your lipstick must remain within the lips’ edges. Blot with the back of your hand or a tissue to remove any excess colour and to even out the texture.
Finally, apply a little gloss on top of your lipstick for some extra shine. Put some gloss at the centre of your bottom lip and then smack your lips together to spread the gloss across your lips. In case you do not prefer the glossy look, you can skip this step.
Now you need to clean up any mistakes with a tissue paper and re-apply the lip liner if needed. Make sure to wipe lipstick marks from your teeth.