There is nothing worse than trying to apply lipstick or lip gloss over chapped lips. Even the most vibrant lip colors can appear dull or faded when your lips aren't properly moisturized. No matter how sexy you might think it is, licking your lips does not help (no offense, LL). Though it may temporarily relieve dryness, in the long run, it can dry your lips out even faster. Here at Black Voices, we have a few suggestions that will help you break the cycle of chapped lips and have you rocking your hottest lip colors without fear!

First things first, you need to exfoliate. The easiest way to do so is by applying an ample amount of petroleum jelly to your lips. Allow your lips to absorb the ointment for a few minutes and then brush them gently with a toothbrush to get rid of dead skin.

Now that you've shed all that dry skin, you want to make sure that you're keeping your lips moisturized. It's important to get a moisturizer that contains ingredients such as beeswax, shea butter, Vitamin E or emollient oils (like jojoba).

Your arms, legs and face aren't the only parts of your body that need protection from the sun. The skin on your lips is extremely sensitive and vulnerable to the sun's UV rays, so be sure to look for lip balms that contain SPF in them as well.

Here are a few lip balms we suggest you try: