Make your lipstick last all day

Sometimes, keeping your lipstick from fading and feathering out can be a challenge.

I usually reach for long-lasting formulas when it comes to lipstick, but even they don’t always deliver as promised. Regardless of what kind of lipstick formula you chose to go for, you can still get that color to last all-day, with adding a few extra steps to your application.

PREP

Your lipstick will last a lot longer if your lips are soft, smooth and flake-free. In the morning, I usually just use a moist washcloth to exfoliate- this totally does the trick. Before going to sleep, however, I do like to use a little lip scrub. I mentioned Borghese’s Conditioning Lip Polish in one of my recent “Lovin’ Lately” posts and I love using in the evening, following with a generous amount of lip balm. This polish exfoliates and the lips and moisturizes them at the same time. After gently exfoliating my lips with a washcloth, I apply a thin layer of a non-greasy balm- I recommend that you go with wax-based formulas and only apply a very thin layer. Anything with an oilier formula will make it difficult to apply an even layer of lipstick.

PRIME

One of the best lip products I’ve tried over the last couple of years, has to be MAC’s Prep+ Prime Lip Primer– it turns any lipstick formula into a very long-lasting one. Right before I apply my lip primer I take my beauty blender (the same one I used to apply foundation) and gently “cancel out” my lips. Then, I apply my lip primer- I find that with MAC Prep+ Prime Lip it has to sit and dry a little bit before applying lipstick- that way it becomes a little sticky and the product adheres a lot better. I’ve tried a few different lip primers, and this one is the best.

LINE

Lining your lips is another must-take step, if you want your lip color to last all day. It’ll create a barrier and prevent the product from feathering out. I have a few colored lip liners that I use with some of my favorite lipsticks, but I also love “clear” liners, because they work with every single color. Two of my favorites are MUFE Lip Line Perfector and Pixi Lip Contour Liner in Invisible Smudge-Stopper. Both work great at helping to keep the lipstick application even.

APPLY

To make sure that the lipstick application is even, I love using a lip brush. This isn’t something that I do all the time- it depends on the product. I definitely find it that I reach for the lip brush a lot more often when using dark colors. One of my favorite lip brushes is actually one that comes with OCC Lip Tars but this one from MUFE is pretty awesome too.

CLEAN-UP

If despite using a lip brush, your application turned out to be less-than-perfect, use concealer to clean up. Thinner concealer formulas definitely work better for this. I also LOVE the 195 Concealer Brush from MAC– it has a perfect shape and helps to get those edges looking nice and sharp.

SET (OPTIONAL)

I love matte formulas and usually find them to be very long-lasting. Sometimes, when I do go for those non-matte, velvety formulas that tend to travel and feather out quite a bit, I use a thin tissue, gently press it against my lips (barely touching them) and lightly dust a small amount of translucent powder over the lips (doing so through the tissue).

Of course, it isn’t every day that I take all these steps, but it’s definitely something that’s a must for me whenever I have a very long day planned ahead, or for special occasions.