Lip makeup is a huge category full of gorgeous goodies, including lip kits, liquid lipsticks and lip liners. These products help transform your look for drab to fab in an instant. But with so many different options to look through, it can be hard to find the perfect lip formula for you.Matte lipsticks are beloved for their rich pigmentation and flawless, red carpet look...the caveat being that they must be properly applied. A matte is not so forgiving if casually whipped on like a gloss or satin lipstick. To become a matte master, there are a few basics you need to know. Below are Mented’s tips for makeup for women of color, specifically meant to help you learn how to apply matte lipstick like a seasoned pro.But before you reach for that lip balm, take note: While you won't get addicted to the actual ingredients in Chapstick, it is possible to get addicted, or at least accustomed to, the feeling of soft, smooth lips — meaning you'll find yourself reaching for that product more and more. That's why some beauty pros and doctors believe that certain balms actually make things worse, leading to a vicious cycle of skin that's dependent on faux moisture to keep itself supple.

And if anything's less attractive than cracked lips, it's cracked lips for the rest of your life. Dun dun DUN.

What, then, are we to do with our sad, sorry, chapped lips if not smother them in Chapstick every hour on the hour? Vicious cycles be damned: Our lips need a solution — and stat.

Luckily, Dr. Jessica Wu, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California's School of Medicine, as well as Dr. Cybele Fishman, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, agreed to help us make sense of all the confusion surrounding one of our favorite handbag staples.

Without further ado, we give you the unofficial do's and don'ts of chapped lips.

Lip Balm vs Lip Gloss

As the name suggests, lip balm is a product that is typically used to get rid of issues like cracks, dry lips, etc. A high-quality lip balm will protect your lips from environmental factors like cold weather and dry wind that can cause your lips to become dry, rough, and flaky. Ideally, lip balms do not contain chemicals and are made from oils and ingredients that are obtained from plants.Both Lip glosses and lip balms moisturize your lips to some extent. However, lip balms are better in doing that as compared to lip glosses because they are formulated to make your lips healthy, moist, and crack-free. A lip gloss can also work as a lip balm but as it is mostly applied after wearing the lipstick, it does not provide the kind of lip care that a lip balm can. Check difference between both lip gloss and lip balm on behalf of their various properties: