Masks Off: 10 Women Share Their Favorite Neutral Lip Combinations
Very early, at the beginning of a statewide mask mandate, I realized my go-to lipstick would simply not cut it. I was on a beautiful outdoor dinner date and by the time we said hello, walked to our table and sat down, I realized my lipstick was all over my mask and my face. Quickly excusing myself to the ladies' room, I learned very quickly that my beloved 'Lady Danger' lipstick was too much of a hassle, prompting me to seek mask-friendly smudge-proof lipstick alternatives.
While most are abandoning makeup altogether these days in favor of a more natural look, traditional lipsticks have been on a steady decline yet subtly stained lips in neural tones are on the rise. It's no secret that beauty evolves over time aligning with current events which, in 2021, brightly pigmented lipsticks are last on the list of essential beauty needs. With there being no end in sight to protecting ourselves and others by wearing the newly required facial accessories a.k.a masks, natural-looking lips have seen a recent surge in popularity. Although some would suggest a brightly-colored matte lipstick as an option, the winter season already increases dry cracked lips, so a matte lipstick would do anything but help with the much-needed moisture our lips crave in the cold winter months.
Since wearing your favorite pigmented lipsticks underneath a mask can get extremely messy, I've found the neutral lip replacements that won't fail you. With nudes, it's subtle differences that determine specific shades flattering a range of different skin tones. Easy to quickly and discreetly reapply for an effortless and natural lip, scroll to find 9 shades of nude created with inexpensive color options, beauty tips and product breakdowns from young women online.
From barely-there to soft and subtle, these are the lip colors setting the tone now until the foreseeable future:
Kaela Randolph
"I used Morphe Creme lipstick in the shade 'Whipped' and then I used Maybelline Lifter Gloss in the shade 'Stone'! It has been my go-to combination lately!"
Hanna
"The lip liner is Morphe 'Trendsetter'; it's actually not listed as a lip liner, just a regular liner but many use it as such and it works perfectly. The lipgloss is KIKO in the color 02. I also add a little bit of Morphe lip liner in 'Sweetheart'."
The products she used to achieve this look:
Line outside lip contour with Morphe in "Trendsetter"'
Line inside lip contour with Morphe in "Sweetheart"
Finish with KIKO Hydra Gloss in "02: Natural Beige"
Angelica
The products she used to achieve this look:
MAC Lustre Lipstick in "Fresh Brew"
MAC Lipglass in "Oyster Girl"Taylor Marie
"It's a Sephora Rouge gel lip liner in 'Brown' (#17 Molasses) and Fenty Beauty 'Fenty Glow' Lip Gloss."
Khalila Schneider
The products she used to achieve look:
Kianna
The products she used to achieve this look:
Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in "Contour Beige Brown"
Topped w/
Brittany Davis
"The first step is Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in 'Fenty Glow'. The second step is Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in 'Glass Slipper'."
Kandi Joseph
The products she used to achieve look:
NYX Professional Makeup Lip Liner in "Intimidate"
Cynthia Perez
"I was using NYX Cosmetics Eye and Eyebrow Pencil in the color 'SPE 902 BROWN' (I was wearing it as a lip liner) and it's no longer available. I applied the brown lip pencil over most of my lips then added the gloss on top until they became one. Then I clean it up with a concealer to perfect it!"
The products she used to achieve this look:
NYX Professional Makeup Slim Eye Pencil in "Brown" (Formerly "SPE 902 BROWN")
Dior Addict Stellar Lip Gloss in "Color 354 Diorsolight"
Shahirah Ahmed
"As for me, I'm loving Astra Beauty lip gloss, a black-owned luxury cosmetic company offering vegan, cruelty-free and clean beauty products energized with crystals to positively impact your mood. Line lips with MAC lip pencil then apply Maybelline Super Stay Matte ink to inner lips. Finally, adding Astra Beauty Natal Nude to complete the look."
The products she used to achieve this look:
Astra Beauty in "Natal Nude"
Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in "55 Driver"
MAC Lip Pencil in "Cork"
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Featured image courtesy of Taylor Marie
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Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
We all have a dream life that we spend our free time daydreaming about. You know, the one with a loving partner, high-rise apartment, thriving career, and endless abundance. But as much as we can dream about it, there has to be a little extra sprinkle of “magic” to make it become a reality, and that’s when manifestation comes in.
The uptick in manifestation techniques is nothing new to the internet. Since The Secret and the Law of Attraction became available on YouTube in the early 2010s and fast forward to today, where #manifestationtok and #spiritualtok surging in popularity, it’s clear that there are a number of different ways to get what you want out of life with the right action, affirmation, and visualization.
Still, with so many ways to manifest, from scripting to the 3-6-9 Method, it can be hard to know which one to lean into. But there’s one new technique that’s promising to yield “instant results,” and we’re curious about it.
The "I Am Sure" Manifestation
@hothighpriestess Replying to @A I M E E 🖤 lG: hothighpriestess 🤍 this is the “I am sure” method #iamsuremethod
The “I Am Sure” manifestation gained traction this summer by TikTok creator Sara Perl of @hothighpriestess, who initially introduced the method.
In her original video breaking down the concept, she detailed the steps to use the technique for those looking to “manifest overnight.” To do so, start by stating “I am sure,” followed by “your desired manifestation in the present tense.” If there’s a job, promotion, or text from a crush that you want, then you’d say, “I am sure that I got X job,” or “I am sure that I make a $100K salary.” Repeat this out loud 10 times, or for faster results, write them down on a piece of paper and say it back to yourself whenever the desire comes up.
Using your words and speaking in the present tense, affirmatively, “puts you in the frequency that has that desire,” as Perl states. “We know our thoughts create our reality, but our words create our reality even faster.”
No matter how you choose to manifest your dream life, there’s nothing like channeling a powerful affirmation and some faith to get what you desire. In every instance, though, allow yourself to dismiss any doubt that may try to cloud your hopes in good things coming into your life, and don’t hold too tightly onto the “how” or “when.” Trust the process and know that the “thing” that you desire is just waiting for the perfect time to enter your life.
Happy manifesting.
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