THAT SMILE
BY Ruwandi Perera
Many of us wish to retain our youthful looks and focus on exercising, staying fit, eating healthily, and ensuring that our hair and skin are revitalised and glowing. We dread wrinkles and crow’s feet around our eyes, and spend heaps of money on facials and scrubs.
Yet, we often forget that the most beautiful part of our face is that smile! And although we brush and floss daily, we rarely take care of our lips except perhaps for an occasional sugar scrub and regular lip balm.
Smiling, talking, eating and kissing take quite a toll on our lips! And most women have the additional burden of lipstick to deal with.
Over the years, our tired or unhealthy and neglected lips tend to sag, wrinkle, thin out, lose their fullness and elasticity as we age. Luckily, this condition can be avoided by toning our lips with facial exercises.
With facial yoga experts coming up with routines to keep our face muscles fit and supple, the importance placed on the lips is mounting. Apparently, some actresses do regular facial exercises to keep their lips looking youthful and firm! This way, the Botox and plumping treatment can be put on hold, and lips can continue to stay naturally healthy.
Lip and mouth exercises are frequently practised by many speakers, singers and actors. Besides keeping your lip muscles fit, they also help boost your smile and amp up your sexiness!
The best part is that these exercises cost nothing and take up only a few minutes of your time every day. All you need is a mirror!
LIP WORKOUTS
- PRESS LIPS Keep your lips pressed firmly together for five seconds. Rest them for three seconds and repeat four times.
- HIDE TEETH Stretch your lips and hide your teeth. Now make your mouth into an ‘O’ while keeping your lips stretched and the face still. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat four times with five second rests in-between.
- KISSY LIPS Pucker your lips and hold for five seconds. Now move the pucker from left to right and repeat 10 times.
- POUTY LIPS Make a duck face, then rotate it five times clockwise and another five times anticlockwise.
- WIDE SMILE Show those pearly whites – both upper and lower teeth. You can clench your teeth gently without moving the rest of your face. Hold for five seconds and repeat four times with three second rests in-between.