I can leave the house without a lot of things but I’m never without a lipstick, lip gloss and a lip balm. All 3 are forever in my handbags and I constantly use them all. This lippy overload is simply because chapped lips are sad lonely looking lips and I am too happy for sad lips. Smooth and moisturised lips gleam with vitality and make for a beautiful base to apply lipstick on.

Smooth smooch:

To fix already chapped lips, exfoliation is the magic word.  Kiss your lip’s dead skin cells goodbye with a moist towel cloth or an old toothbrush. My favourite method is rubbing my lips with sugar mixed with a bit of olive oil. Use a cloth or your fingers to apply the mixture and voila, instant smooth soft lips. A long term solution is still to keep knocking back those glasses of water. That is the only ultimate holistic approach to hydration.

Pout pigmentation:

Dramatic and uneven lip pigmentation is prevalent in black women. A dark upper lip with a light bottom lip is not uncommon, dark coloured lips and bi-coloured lips are just as common. My lips are the latter. It is alleged that I was kicked out of heaven because I could not shut up long enough for the angels to finish doing my makeup; hence I landed on Mother Earth with no lipstick on. I know without needing facts that this accusation came from those in my family who envied my gift of the gab.

Whatever your lip pigmentation story is, a dab of foundation and a translucent powder to blot, you can finish off where the angels left off. May it be a nude lip or a pretty pink pout better yet sizzling red, black women can own them all with the right prep work. Top off your lipstick with an SPF lip gloss to keep that colour blazing and your lips protected from the sun.

Article Written By: Meka Mpofu