How to Wear It: Matte Lipstick

Matte lips, from NARS (for Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011)

Matte Lipstick has been a big beauty trend for a while now.  And for good reason: super shiny (and super sticky!) lips can look a bit too...much at times.  Too much gloss has a tendency to look juvenile at best, cheap and oddly "blow-up doll" at worst. 

Matte lipsticks provide a nice alternative.  They give color without distracting shine, but those who have been known to overdo it on the gloss may have a hard time transitioning towards this trend.  There are ton of matte lipsticks on the market at all different price points, so there's no good excuse not to try them out.  The color also lasts longer, so you won't have to touch up quite so much. 

Here are some tips to pulling off matte lips this season:

1. Prep your lips!  Matte lipstick can be "chalky" to some users and it's a bit less forgiving then glossier offerings.  Exfoliate your lips daily--just gently run your toothbrush over your lips to remove dead skin cells.  You can also use a lip scrub, but why waste the money?  A little honey and sugar also help slough off dead skin, leaving your lips softer and not cracked.
2. Apply a light coat of moisturizer (note: not lip balm!) to your lips.  Or...try for a lip primer.  I'm not typically a fan of primers, but for matte lipsticks, they just might help.
3. Take your time and apply the matte lipcolor with care.  Use a lip brush for more precision.

What do you think of matte lipstick?  Is it something you can wear or do you find it too drying? Leave me a comment and let me know!