Did you know that red lipstick can help provide a more youthful appearance? This is because of the distinct contrast it provides between the lips and the face. We tend to associate this look with vitality, which is why you may notice you get a few compliments when you wear a bold lip! Sporting your favourite lip look can also help uplift your mood and boost confidence. So celebrate your lips on July 29—National Lipstick Day—with a gorgeous lip look!

Here are some lip hacks that’ll make your lips look their best:

Prep and Prime

Lips contain less melanin than other areas of the face. The skin is also thinner and therefore more fragile, and without sweat or sebaceous glands to provide lubrication, the lips can be susceptible to harsh weather and environmental aggressors. Using a product like Beekman 1802’s Lip Balm can help keep your lips moisturized. You can apply this balm right before lip products, or use it as a part of a nighttime skin-care regimen so your lips will prepped and ready for your favourite lip products.

Customize It

Sometimes you want to tone down or brighten up a lip look for a special occasion. Or sometimes a matte may be too matte, or a glossy texture may not have enough staying power to last all day. Don’t be afraid to mix and match colours and textures. Ready-to-Wear has a specially curated high-pigment collection any lip lover will adore. The 10-Piece Luscious Lipstick Collection has a well-rounded assortment of mattes and shiny colours that work well together or individually. Try applying a matte colour, then add some dimension by layering one of the high-lustre lipsticks on top. You can walk into a party knowing no one else will be wearing the same shade as you!

Keep Your Liners Sharp

A well-defined lip starts with the perfect pencil tip. Creating definition along the Cupid’s bow with a dull pencil can cause a feathered or blurry look… and let’s face it, it’s all too easy to lose a sharpener at the bottom of a cosmetic bag. That’s why we’re especially loving Elizabeth Grant’s Beautiful Colours Lipliner—it has a built-in sharpener on the liner’s cap so you’ll always be ready to sharpen up!

Fill it In

Lip liners can help prevent the bleeding and feathering of lipsticks and glosses. However, instead of simply lining the outer edges of the lips, many makeup artists often outline and then fill in the lips entirely before adding a lipstick. Once this lip liner sets, it can drastically increase the staying power of a lipstick. This trick works especially well with satiny and matte textured lipsticks or lip liquids. If you’re not sure what colour shade of liner to pair with what lipstick, consider a set like Doucce’s Lip Kit; its rich formulas offer a winning combination for everyday wear.

Clean it Up

Getting perfectly symmetrical lips can be a challenge some days, and sometimes there’s no need to use a remover to clean up the edges of the lip or an overdrawn Cupid’s bow. Negate the risk of disturbing the rest of your makeup by using a concealer in your skin tone. You’ll want to use a product with a natural-looking colour payoff such as Benefit Cosmetics’ Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer. Dab the product on a flat brush like the brand’s Concealer Brush and lightly drag the product along edges you’d like to tidy up.

There’s a lip look for everyone. Pucker up and have fun!