The key to healthy lips

Lipstick is my favorite beauty product and accessory (clearly). I wear it almost daily, and I'm always on the hunt for new colors and brands. The key to getting your lipstick to look just right is...

...having a smooth surface to put it on. But — especially in the winter months — dry, chapped lips can make wearing lipstick a nightmare. The trick to solving this problem: exfoliating. 

I've found that some gentle scrubbing can go such a long way in making your lipstick look better and stay on longer. It's been a necessity for me this winter, especially with all of my darker shades. I've never bought lip scrub before, but I just ordered this set, and I've also read good things about this one and this one. 

So how do I exfoliate my lips without buying lip scrubs? I make my own. I found a recipe a couple years ago on Pinterest (where else?), and it's so simple. Just mix a little bit of brown sugar, honey and olive oil — and voila! Homemade lip scrub.

It's best to use it fresh, but I get tired of making it every other day, so I usually make up about a teaspoon of it to last throughout the week. The measurements aren't exact, so I just start with about half a teaspoon of brown sugar and add a tiny bit of honey and olive oil. It's really up to you how much of each you want to use. 

After it sets for a day, it tends to get a little harder to put on — which is why I'm ordering the scrub — but it's a total lip-saver (get it?) when you're in a bind. And the sweet taste isn't bad either :)

Have you ever made your own exfoliant? Do you have any good lip scrubs that you'd recommend? I'd love to hear...

(Image via Beauty High)