Today I learned how to apply lipstick that stays on for a long time...and that it might cause cancer

Did you know that five percent of lipstick (or whatever else you apply to your lips) ends up in your stomach?  Good thing there aren't any harmful chemicals in  it such as lead, D4 and D5 siloxanes, Methylparabens, and other ingredients that have been known to cause health problems and even Cancer.  Oh wait, those ingredients ARE in lipstick and other cosmetics!!   Scientists and cosmetic companies are still debating whether or not the chemicals in cosmetics are in high enough amounts to cause harm.  Apparently we're making progress though; in the middle ages, people used to slather a paste rich in lead on their skin to cover blemishes.  Others slowly poisoned themselves with the high levels of Mercury compound in their lip stains, or blinded themselves by using Belladonna extract to dilate their pupils. 

In this day and age, lipstick is far too much trouble for people to bother with it on a regular basis.  Even so, it's fun to wear every once in a while or on special occasions, particularly a bright and saturated shade.  Ladies (and gentlemen), I have found the secret of long lasting lipstick (from the lady at the cosmetics counter)!  Here is what you will need: 

1. A tube of red lipstick.  I used the very popular Russian Red by MAC.  It's a good colour because it is flattering on many different skin tones and is a true red.
2.  A red lip liner.  I used Brick by MAC.
3. A lipstick brush
4.  Baby powder
5. Kleenex for blotting
6. Petroleum jelly, which is one of the best moisturisers, or your favourite lip balm

The process, goes thusly:  First you need to properly exfoliate your lips.  There are many different ways to do this.  For example you could simply rub your lips with a damp toothbrush.  After that, apply the lip balm so that your lips are very moisturised.  Wait until it sinks into your lips, but don't wait until your lips are dry all over again!  The goal here is to have moisturised lips that aren't slippery with lip balm.  The lip colour must stick to your lip.  Begin by filling in your ENTIRE lip using the sharpened lip pencil.  This prevents bleeding and helps the lipstick adhere to your lip for a longer period of time.  It also defines the edges of your lip.  Refrain from trying to make your lips appear fuller by colouring outside the lines; it will look obvious. 

The next step is to use the lipstick brush to apply your red lipstick of choice.  The key is to use the brush to really press the lipstick onto your lip.  After that, blot with the Kleenex, and then re-apply the lipstick straight from the tube rather than using the lip brush.  Blot again lightly.  This should keep your lipstick on for a long time!!  If you want your lipstick to stay on for an even longer period of time, you should also apply some baby powder onto your lips before adding the final coat of lipstick.  Warning: only apply a TINY bit of baby powder, or it will eliminate any of the moisture on your lips.  If that happens, your lipstick will look terrible, and your lips will feel dry and uncomfortable.

The end result should look something like the following:



If you're still worried about the ingredients in your cosmetics, mosey on over to the following cosmetic database.  It lists all the ingredients for thousands of cosmetics and other toiletries.  Unfortunately Canada doesn't have very good laws regarding ingredient lists or contents for cosmetics, and it's hard to know if the harmful ingredients in them are actually harmful because they are present in small amounts.  Here is the link:  http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ .  I just found out that Baby Powder (talcum powder) is a known carcinogen.  Does one ingest enough of it in a lifetime to get cancer from it?  Scientists are still debating it so we don't know yet.