Want to look pucker pretty? Then make sure you pamper your pout. That’s the advice of celebrity make-up artist Pat McGrath, who says moist, smooth lips hold colour best.

Here, the Covergirl make-up maestro shares her tips for creating lovely lips.

Morning:
Give dry, flaky lips the brush-off. Add brushing your lips to your morning ritual using a soft toothbrush or flannel. Then apply lip balm to smooth the way to a lipstick-worthy pout.

Evening:
Turn up the moisture before you turn out the lights. Give your lips a touch of clear, rich moisture each night and you’ll wake up to softer lips in no time. And if you don’t have lip balm, eye cream makes an effective, gentle lip moisturiser. Or why not try coating extremely chapped lips with petroleum jelly or aloe vera overnight.

In the sun:
Avoid over-exposure to the sun, which can dry your lips the way it dries the rest of you. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, we suggest NatureLuxe Gloss Balm with SPF 15. Another speedy healing remedy is to gently rub lips with cucumber slices. Be sure to use a lip balm with sufficient sunscreen before and after soaking up the rays.

And when it comes to matching a lip hue to your skin-tone, Pat says: “Olive skin looks best in light browns with warm tones, or dark brownish-reds. Stay away from pinks or orange-reds.

“Fair complexions fare well with shades that have a warm pink or peachy glow, or dramatic reds with a bluish tint.

“And dark skin is flattered by deep reds with blue or purple tones, or deep reddish-browns. Avoid pinks or orange-reds.” © COVER MEDIA