Celebrate National Lipstick Day even while wearing a face mask
It’s National Lipstick Day, an annual excuse to dress up your lips, though this year, it’s an undercover celebration with the increasing usage of face masks. And according to makeup artists, the added accessory shouldn’t persuade you from rocking your best lip.
National Lipstick Day on July 29 was named an unofficial holiday in 2016 after beauty blogger Huda Kattan, the founder of Huda Beauty, pitched it to National Day Calendar, a website that tracks and declares offbeat observances.
“I initially purchased the rights to National Lipstick Day to celebrate the launch of our Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks but since then, lipstick has become so much more to us giving us a new meaning for celebrating this big day,” Kattan tells Yahoo Life. “For us, lipstick is symbolic of power, confidence and femininity which we decided to outwardly communicate with the launch....that established the role that lipstick plays in our lives! We continue to celebrate National Lipstick Day every year with a lipstick launch or a promotion to remind the world just how powerful a bold lip can be.”
Amy LaVallie of National Day Calendar tells Yahoo Life that people are celebrating this year by posting selfies of their colorful lips or lipstick collections and wearing masks with lip designs. LaVallie even observed one woman applying lipstick to the exterior of her face mask.
Lipstick is a popular purchase— in 2001, Leonard A. Lauder, the heir to the Estee Lauder Companies, created “the lipstick index” to describe how the product sells more in a downward market, as women search for affordable ways to feel good. However, Lauder told WWD that the coronavirus pandemic has changed that.
“We’re dealing with unprecedented times,” he told the publication. “In previous economic recessions, most people’s everyday lives were impacted, but the overall way they interacted with others and led their lives didn’t change fundamentally. We’re now in a situation where we are being advised about staying away, being careful about shopping. It is difficult to say when or what our habits will be when it comes to the new normal and what that new normal will be.”
However, if wearing lipstick still gives you a reason to smile, follow these makeup artist tips for rocking a pop of color behind your mask.
Prime your lips. “If your mouth is exfoliated and smooth, lipstick will lay like a glove,” Chicago-based makeup artist Janae' Wesby tells Yahoo Life. She suggests using a toothbrush to lightly scrub lips with a mixture of olive oil and white sugar, then moisturizing with petroleum jelly or lip balm.
Opt for paper masks for lasting lip color. According to Florida makeup artist Savannah St. Jean, the founder of Savannah Rae Beauty, cloth masks break down lipstick faster than paper masks. “The added texture of cloth masks grabs pigment, dirt and product more easily,” she tells Yahoo Life. “Think of it as the difference between a textured microfiber mop and a tissue. The texture has grabbing power.”
Apply liquid lipstick. Don’t let the name confuse you — liquid lipstick goes on like a gloss, but dries in a matte texture. “It’s kiss-proof,” says St. Jean. If matte isn’t your best look, she says, pick a lipstick sealer in the brand of your choice to prevent smudging.
Wear a properly-fitted mask. Whether it’s cloth or paper, a face mask should cover your nose and lips, snugly but not tightly, experts recently told Today. A correct fit that doesn’t need adjusting will keep your lipstick preserved, makeup artist D'angelo Thompson tells Yahoo Life.
Play up your eye makeup. “Now is the time to rock some dramatic falsies or perfect your winged liner!” says St. Jean.
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