You found the perfect New Year’s dress, your hair is recently colored, your nails recently done. You are all set to usher in the New Year looking and feeling fabulous. But what about your smacker?

Make it a
New Year’s to remember

It’s winter! Are those lips ready for a New Year’s kiss you won’t soon forget?
Probably not. Let’s fix that…

Lip repair

All that cold air combined with heated air blowing on you in your home or car dries your lips out until they resemble lizard skin. That’s not really the look we’re going for. The first step to get your smacker in shape is to fix it! Try a lip repair like First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Lip Therapy ($12). This first aid kit for your lips will restore moisture and protect your lips from the elements.

Lip maintenance

Now that your pout is in better shape, let’s keep it that way. You’re probably going to eat light and exercise to look your best in that cocktail dress — you have to apply that same attitude to your lips. Before New Year’s, maintain your repaired mouth with Burt’s Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm ($5). As the name suggests, this contains pomegranate oil, an antioxidant. Not only will it hydrate your lips, it is also alcohol free and 100 percent natural.

Lip mask

As you’re getting ready on New Year’s Eve, make sure your kisser is in its softest shape by using a lip mask. If you’ve not tried one of these, you are missing out. As much fun as it is to bite those little pieces of skin off your lips (eww), a lip mask exfoliates them for you! Smooth on Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask ($10), and scrub off with a washcloth. Bye-bye lip funk.

Lip plumper

The Big Guy Upstairs wasn’t overly generous to some of us when it came to the perfectly plump pucker. But thanks to a makeup industry that has something to counteract all our genetic flaws, we now have lip plumper ($18). Test this a few days prior to New Year’s to make sure you’re not allergic to it or that it doesn’t work too well. The idea is to plump up your lips a bit, but without making you look like you walked into a wall several times.

Lip concealer (primer)

If you are one of those lucky gals who struggle with lipstick turning orange once it’s applied, you are not alone. You bring home a beautiful shade from the drug store, put it on and end up looking like Aunt Maude. While it’s unclear why this happens (some say it’s due to pH balance in the skin, others blame it on UV rays), there is an answer. Applying lip concealer like this one from Urban Decay ($20) helps the color of your lipstick stay true. It also will make your color last longer which, on New Year’s Eve, is a must!

Lip liner

Now that your lips are to “dye” for, let’s get to the fun part of all this lip business. Lip liners like this one from Cover Girl ($6) are a great way to get the perfect pucker. Some apply lip liner before lipstick, some apply it after to rope lipstick in. It doesn’t matter much — just make sure you press your lips together when you’re done applying everything to blend the line. Lip liner that is not blended puts you on the same playing field as Courtney Stodden, which may leave you making out with the couch pillow at midnight. Try blending your lipstick and lip liner with…

Lip brush

If you like to play makeup artist at home, a lip brush (like this one from e.l.f., $3) is a must have. Not only does it help to blend lip liner and lipstick, but you can swipe it across your lipstick and apply lip color that way. This alleviates all those funky angles on your lipstick, but more importantly, it can help you blend colors! Take a few swipes from a deep shade of lipstick, a swipe or two from a lighter shade and presto! You’ve just created a lip color that is perfect for you.

Lip gloss

Nothing says, “Plant ‘er there baby,” like a glossy pout. You can add clear gloss to your favorite lip color, buy color glosses (we like these ones from Bobbi Brown, $23) or wear a clear, shiny gloss all by itself. There really is no wrong way to wear lip gloss, other than too much. You want to look as if you have just wet your lips, which is sexy, not like you’ve been attacked by a tub of Vaseline, which is not sexy.

Lipstick

Clinique’s Almost Lipstick, $15, is the perfect choice for gals who aren’t comfortable with the look or feel of regular lipstick. This product is pigmented but transparent, so it sort of blends with your natural lip color without being heavy.

More lipstick

There are almost as many choices in lipstick (MAC, $15) as there are lips! Experimenting can be fun, but it can also be frustrating. If you have a knack for picking out drugstore lipsticks that work for you, go with that. If you keep buying shades that you can’t try on first only to get them home and find that you don’t like them, it’s time to call in the professionals. Any cosmetic guru at a department store can help you find a formula you’ll love. Now you’re ready for a New Year’s kiss that will start your New Year right!

More holiday beauty

Holly jolly hair: 3 Hair ideas for holiday parties
How to create a candy nail design
Holiday makeup: Fresh, flirty, flush