Welcome to Do It Better. While we love all things skin care here at The Klog, we also adore makeup. In this new weekly series, we’ll break down the most popular makeup techniques, how you can execute them better, as well as the best products for achieving your perfect look. This week, we’re walking you through how to make your lipstick last longer.
Consider lipstick the makeup world’s answer to a dress; putting it on is easy, and yet there’s something about it that instantly says “I tried.” Having a blah day? Lipstick will make you look perkier in ten seconds flat. Missed the “business” part of the “business casual” dress code? A red lip turns your ripped jeans into a fashion statement. When it comes to beauty there may be no single product that can change up your look so much, which makes it extra frustrating to catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror after lunch and realize that your glam-ifying has gone down with your grain bowl.
It doesn’t have to be this way. A full day with a bright, beautiful pout is possible, without having to reapply every ten minutes. Let us show you the way.
Step 1: Exfoliate and hydrate
You’ll never get lip color that lasts through lunch if you don’t start with a strong base. Dry, chapped lips can cause color to flake off, so give your lips a mini spa day. Exfoliate away any flaky patches with a gentle scrub (we like versions featuring naturally humectant sugar, like the Lush Chocolate Lip Scrub), and then hydrate like crazy with a soothing balm, like the Skinfood Honeypot Lip Balm (make sure to give it time to soak in before you move on to the next step). Or you could go for full-tilt plumping with a lip mask like Skinfood Pomegranate Collagen Lip Mask.
Step 2: Pencil it in
Ever notice how those classic movie stars’ lipstick always looked flawless? That’s because they (or their makeup artist) took the time to get their lines right. Lip pencils are a staple of pro makeup artists’ kits for a reason; the waxier formulas have more staying power on the mouth than lipstick alone and help to create a barrier that keeps color from fuzzing out after your morning coffee.
Pick a color close to your lipstick shade and fully fill in the lip, not just the edges. Want a little extra insurance? Try a clear lip liner, like the Sephora Beauty Amplifier and draw it around the outside of your mouth, overliner-style. Trust us, no feathering is slipping past that.
Step 3: Color matters
Here’s where being bold really pays off. The hard truth is that even the best soft nude lipstick isn’t likely to hang around until happy hour; the pigments in neutral colors just don’t soak in the way that electric pinks and rich bordeaux’s do. You see, the shades in statement lip colors like reds, merlots, and daring pinks (not to mention purples, blues, and oranges) are deeply saturated, allowing them to stain the skin underneath so that even if every other precaution falls short, there will still be a pretty wash of color keeping your lips company.
So when you’re craving color that lasts all day, make sure you’re investing your time in a shade that can go the distance; we favor light-textured, potent colors, like in the Son & Park Air Tint Lip Cubes.
Step 4: Blot and powder
The final foray into keep your lipstick on all day is in application. Swipe on your color (straight from the tube will give you the punchiest payout) and then take a page from your grandmother’s book and blot.
Tuck a tissue between your lips and lightly press down for several seconds, letting the tissue sop up some of the oils that can make lipstick slip-and-slide. Now add another coat of color, and for the coup de grace, migrate to another section of your vanity for translucent powder. If powdery lips sound like a nightmare to you, don’t worry, you only need the very lightest dusting; just like with your foundation and concealer, powder helps keep your color on lockdown.