February is the month of Love... which, really, is a much better title than the month of No Statutory Holidays, or the month of "Ohmygosh, it's still winter??"

With the chill comes chapped, fever-blistered lips - not quite conducive to romance, n'est-ce pas? We took a gambol through your reviews and found the top-rated pucker pleasers to banish the winter blahs (instead of your lover's lips!):














Best Lip Balm: Burt's Bees



You won't get anywhere if your lips are dry and cracked. Start with anything from Burt's Bees - it's natural and relatively inexpensive. It's taken up permanent residence at the top of our HotList, so it's gotta be worth a try.

Been there, done that? We have a fabulous new Product Review Club offer from Softlips this month. If you haven't signed up for the Club yet, what on earth are you waiting for??

Best Lip Gloss: Juicy Tubes



From barely-there to a deep wet look, lip gloss is right up there with mascara and concealer as your makeup bag non-negotiables. You love Juicy Tubes from Lancôme, and the best part is you can often score them free during their gift-with-purchase promos. Hint: there's one going on right now!

Best Lip Stick: Maybelline SuperStay LipColor



Ever since our Kindergarten days when we secretly tried out Mom's Estée Lauder lipstick while she was downstairs folding laundry, we've been fascinated with the stuff. You have been raving about Maybelline's long lasting lipcolor.

Best Lip Tip: Exfoliating with Vaseline

Smooth on a thin layer of vaseline or lip balm, then exfoliate gently with a clean toothbrush. A sure fix for winter-chapped lips!



For more pucker-perfection advice, we turned to our resident beauty expert, Makeup Junkie's Joy David-Tilberg:

ChickAdvisor:
What is your secret for pouty lips?

Joy:
(1) You can use a lip plumper
(2) Add a clear or shimmery gloss just to the center of your lips
(3) Add a shimmery highlighter just above your "cupid's bow" or the "v" shape to accentuate your shape.

ChickAdvisor:
What are the rules for lip liner?

Joy:
I never like to see lip liner darker than your lip colour. It should match your lip colour perfectly or close to it and if it doesn't make sure you blend the liner really well into your lipstick. If you have trouble matching your colour use an invisible lip liner.

ChickAdvisor:
Would you suggest primer or foundation to help lipstick stay put better?

Joy:
I generally don't like to use a foundation or concealer to prime the lips for colour. I find it can cake and dry out the lips as well as change the actual colour of your lipstick/gloss. There are a few lip primers out there - my favourite is Benefit Lip Plump. It builds the contour of the lip for a fuller pout, fills in fine lines, and makes your colour last longer.

ChickAdvisor:
We've heard that when dabbing gloss over lipstick, you should keep it just in the centre as opposed to layering the gloss all the way over the smile. Is that true?

Joy:
There really isn't a rule about applying gloss over lipstick. It depends on the effect you are going for. Sometimes I like to dab a gloss over a lipstick just to the center as a "highlight" or to give a poutier/sexier effect. Other times I'll apply a lipstick for full colour but will apply gloss all over for high shine. If it is a deeper colour that requires a lip liner like a red lip, I only apply gloss to the center instead of all over to prevent the lipstick from bleeding.

by Claire Rahn