How To: Make Your Lipstick Last

No one likes to apply their lipstick only to have it wear off in a couple of hours. We spend so much time applying our makeup the last thing we want to do is reapply lipstick every few hours. And, with holiday parties right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to rock those red lip . So getting the most wear from your favorite shade of lipstick is a must. Apart from trying lipsticks that promise to have more staying power, or drying lip stains, there are alternative ways of extending the time your lip stick last. Below are some quick tips and tricks to get the most from your lipsticks all year round.

Exfoliate – This is the most important thing you can do for your lips as this removes all the dead skin from your lips leaving new skin cells to grow in their place. This will help keeps your lips soft and subtle. This can easily be done by combining equal parts of sugar and honey and using a toothbrush to gently scrub your lips. Do this once or twice a week to keep your lips soft and kissable.

Lip Balm – Before beginning to apply your makeup put on a thin coat of lip balm of your choice. This will get your lips moisturized and keep them from looking dry and cracked. When you are ready to apply your lip products make sure to gently wipe off any excess lip balm. (It’s also a good idea to apply a coat of moisturizing lip balm to your lips before bed each night to help keep your lips smooth and hydrated)

Lipliner – Begin by using your favorite lipliner, here I am using NYX’s Deep Red, and begin at the Cupid’s Bow of the upper lip and trace the outer part of your lips. Once the lips are lined you are going to use the same liner pencil to fill them in. This is extremely important as this will lay the foundation for the lipstick you apply on top. Simply turn the liner onto its side and color in the rest of the lip.

Lipstick – Now it’s time to apply your lipstick. One of the things that will help your lipstick look its best is to use a lip brush to put on the lipstick instead of applying it directly from the tube. As we age we get small crevasses in our lips, when you use the lipstick from the tube the color lays on the top surface of the lips only. Using a brush allows the color to really get into the lip and helps it stay longer. Dip the lip brush into the lipstick, here I am using Makeup Geek’s Elegant, and pack the color onto the lips to get a sort of stained effect. Now take a tissue and blot your lips a couple of times to really press the color into your lips. Now go back in with your lipstick and apply a second coat of color.

Concealer – To help clean up around the lips and give them a clean edge, wipe off your lip brush really well to remove the lipstick and use a concealer like MAC Studio Concealer to clean up the edges.

Having amazing lips with color that will last is easy. Regardless of whether you are wearing the perfect red holiday lip, or just want to get the most wear from your lipstick, these simple steps will make sure your lips stay looking their best all night.

Products used:

  • Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask
  • NYX Lip Liner – “Deep Red”
  • Makeup Geek Lipstick – “Elegant”
  • Mac Studio Finish Concealer – “NC35”  
  • MAC 316 Lip Brush 

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