Don't try this unless you are somewhat artistic and are confident of a steady hand. I use acrylic paint (or sometimes nail polish) to touch up chips on the lip paint. I try to match the original color almost exactly if I can.

I use a very fine paintbrush to paint the doll's lips. I don't use the nail polish brush, it is not fine enough. I look for the very smallest artist brushes at the craft store. They do not need to be the most expensive brand, the cheap ones will do.

I do make sure to stay INSIDE the original lip line when I am painting. The doll will still have the exact same smile she was born with, when I am finished.

I don't like to do repainting. It's extremely difficult to get the paint or polish smooth enough or the strokes professional enough. I only repaint if there are chips or bad rubs or the lip color is very faded so there is no choice but to fix it.

TOPCOAT with Polyurethane!Nail polish can get gummy over time so if you use nail polish it's a good idea to apply a topcoat of polyurethan sealer. Polyurethane Sealer comes in matte, satin or gloss finish. I like the gloss for some things, satin for others... you can get these in little bottles from craft stores, or in cans at the hardware store. For dolls we need very small quantities. You can use the sealer over acrylic paint too, which is what I've been using for lipcolor lately.

Sometimes all the doll needs is to apply a coat of clear gloss sealer and this might brighten up the original paint enough. I have also learned that if I apply a coat of clear sealer after I have painted a doll's mouth, it sometimes smooths out my brush strokes and makes my handiwork look better.