Waxing Your Upper Lip 101: Important Tips and Tricks

Silly hair, why must you grow there? Whether you have a little peach fuzz or a serious shadow, when it comes to the lip, neither should exist! Having a clean, silky-soft upper lip is always a good idea — especially with the possible extra attention of a fresh bold lipstick!

Getting an irresistibly smooth upper lip is as easy as two quick zips! Follow along as I teach you the tips and tricks of how to wax your lip. Ditch the salon and wax your lip at home; it’s quick, easy, and casually convenient!

Do yourself a favor and get an all-purpose waxing kit. It will have just about everything you need, making your waxing experience a pleasant one!

You will need:

• A pair of scissors
• Cotton Balls
• A waxing kit (wax, muslin strips, accu edge applicator spatulas, pre-cleanse lotion, wax-off lotion, and post-wax concealer)

Step 1. Cut Strips

Cut muslin strips to fit the length and width of the area you are waxing — leaving a little extra length so there is enough cloth to pinch and pull!

Step 2. Warm It Up!

Figuring out the right consistency of the wax is probably the hardest part of this whole process. The wax must not be too hot, not too cold, but just right — can you say, Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Your best bet is to follow the instructions on your wax of choice of how to warm it up! To avoid hot spots, use a wax stick/spatula to stir the wax and distribute the heat as evenly as possible.

Step 3. Cleanse Lip Area

Remove your makeup and apply a pre-cleanse lotion to prepare your lip area for waxing!

Note: A pre-cleanse lotion will both cleanse the area AND minimize common inflammation.

Step 4. Test Wax Temperature

It is SO important that you test the temperature of the wax BEFORE you apply it to your face don’t risk burning your skin! Dot a pea-sized amount of wax on the inside of your wrist, and if it is too hot on your wrist, it will definitely be too hot for your precious face! Wait for the wax to cool a bit and test again before waxing.

Note: The wax should feel warm NOT hot!

Step 5. Dip And Slip

With your wax consistency and temperature on point, you are ready to do the dip and slip! Vertically dip your waxing applicator into the center of the wax (coating about an inch-and-a-half of the stick), pull the stick out, and slip one side of the applicator against the edge of your wax container (wiping it clean of any excess wax). Working with only one side of the stick will make your wax application cleaner and more precise.

Step 6. Wax Down

With your applicator ready to rock and roll, apply wax in the direction of the hair growth which in this case is down. Start in the center of your lip, working down to the corner, all while making sure the area you are working on is completely coated in wax. Most of the dark hairs like to hang out around the corners of your mouth (apparently it’s the cool place to be), so make sure you don’t miss those sneaky spots!

Note: Always apply wax in the same direction the hair grows.

Step 7. Pull Up

Take your pre-cut muslin cloth and place it over the wax, leaving enough extra on the end to pull. Gently rub back and forth over the top of the cloth for about 10-15 seconds to allow the wax to set a little and become one with the muslin. Pull the skin taut, pinch the end of the cloth, and swiftly rip up against the grain of the hair growth, immediately putting light pressure on the area to ease the sting.

Repeat steps 6-7 on the other half of your lip, once again waxing down from the middle and ripping up!

Tip: Always remove hair pulling the opposite way it grows.

Step 8. Remove Excess Wax

It is completely normal to have a little extra wax hanging around for the heck of it. Use your wax-off lotion for the skin to easily remove the wax residue. Rub a pea-size amount over the waxed area to loosen up the remaining wax, and wipe away with a cotton ball.

Step 9. Apply Post-Wax Concealer

Now, this step isn’t completely crucial, but if you need to go somewhere and don’t want to have red wax marks all over your face, this will be your best friend by toning and concealing any redness.

There you have it — a completely smooth, silky, irresistible lip! Now go get waxing, ladies!