4 Brilliant Lip Tips, Straight From Kate Moss's Makeup Artist

Updated on 7/2/2016 at 9:00 AM

Kate Moss rang in her 15th anniversary as the face of Rimmel London this week and launched a celebratory collection of six limited-edition red and nude lipstick shades. Kirstin Piggott, who is the global ambassador for the brand (and works with Kate), was on hand for the event in London — and we got a chance to chat with her about one of her favorite topics: lips! Kirstin let us in on a few secrets, from the best way to prep your lips for color to a genius hack for swatching shades in a store.

Treat your lips like you would the rest of your skin. "If you want the maximum amount of your lipstick, you need to have good preparation," Kirstin told us. "Whatever you do for your skin, the same applies for your lips, especially when the seasons change." Soak them first with a warm towel before exfoliating — Kristin is fond of a brown sugar, honey, and lemon lip scrub, which you can make in your own kitchen and do once a week.
To help your lip color last longer, prep them with a base. Kirstin recommends using a bit of foundation to even out the natural color of your lips, then using a lip pencil to correct, shape, and make the lips symmetrical. "Once you're happy with the shape and symmetry, fill in the entire lip with a pencil, then start applying your lipstick." Kirstin adds that while you don't have to wear lip liner, it can give you more color payoff. "You want your lipstick to last and be flawless," she says.
When faking fuller lips, focus on formula instead of following color rules. "If you have small lips, the general rule is to stay away from dark shades because they'll make lips appear smaller," Kirstin says, "but the finish has a lot to do with it as well." She admits that "there are no real rules," but advises instead to focus on lipsticks made with "a satin, gloss, or cream" finish that will reflect light and create the illusion of fuller lips.
Use your finger to find your ideal lipstick shade. We've all found ourselves completely overwhelmed in Sephora, but Kirstin has a foolproof hack for finding your best shade: apply a swatch to your fingertip and hold it up to your lips. "The skin on your fingertip is much closer to your lips than the back of your hand," she says. Brilliant.