Many of us will now have taken off our masks and put our lips and smiles back on display. No doubt lipstick sales will have gone through the roof, but what is the best way to care for our luscious lips?

Lips
Interestingly, your lips are like your fingers; they have prints that are unique to you. No two pairs of lips are the same, so look after them.
The skin on your lips is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your body. Skin on your face can be up to 16 cell layers thick, whilst our lips our only three to five layers thick. This is why your lips are a pink or red colour, as the blood vessels are more apparent.

As we age, sadly we tend to lose plumpness in our lips, owing to loss of collagen. The sun’s UV rays can accelerate this loss, so a lip balm with SPF is crucial. Personally, I love Ultrasun Lip Protection factor 30 in the winter and 50 in the summer – it lasts for ages and feels great, never leaves your lips dry, and can be used as a balm at night as I do.

Lips are incredibly sensitive as there are millions of nerve endings; that is why generally it is a painful process if you want fillers. If you decide to go down this route, check carefully that the person performing the procedure has all the required qualifications, as it is a very tricky area to reverse if anything goes wrong.

Dry lips
A simple, inexpensive way to resolve this issue is to apply a warm flannel to soften the delicate skin – leave for 30 seconds or so – then apply a layer of petroleum jelly and allow to soak in for three or four minutes. Re-apply a warm flannel, removing the excess petroleum jelly, which will also remove any dry skin, then apply a good lip balm. Exfoliate your lips gently and regularly.

Lipstick
As mentioned, sales are soaring as women are getting back to ‘normal’. According to leading make-up brand No 7. there was a 61% increase in the number of lipsticks sold between April and June!

The top sellers so far are bold, bright shades. Once you have made your colour choice, application is important.

Hydrated lips are the first step in making sure your lipstick lasts (hopefully) all day. Lipstick does tend to dry your lips, as do lip stains, with some brands having more of an effect than others.

It is preferable to wait a few minutes before applying your lipstick because the pigments in the product have a hard time clinging to freshly moisturised lips. If you prefer a lip gloss then apply the same way.

I like to use a lip pencil a shade darker to outline my lips then fill in with lipstick. I find it lasts longer but, just like our lips, everyone is different. More important than any lipstick is a warm smile – and it costs nothing!