Do you love the dramatic red lipstick, but find that halfway through dinner that the drama has become a comedy? Is your favorite orangey shade a lemon after an hour or two? Does your salmon color go belly-up in the time it takes to walk out the door? There are long-wearing lipstick formulas on the market, but many are drying or have a limited color range. There is a way to wear your favorite shades and keep them where they belong all evening.
Always begin with a clean canvas. After your bath or shower, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or non-minty lip balm to your lips; this seals in the moisture from all that steam and plumps your lips naturally. Rub off with a dampened washcloth to exfoliate your lips and leave them smooth. Apply the rest of your makeup as usual.
When painting a wall a rich, deep hue, painters often use a tinted base coat. The same philosophy applies to lipstick — the brightest colors require building, not just one quick slick. Building your color will not only enhance its wear, but will also give your lipstick shade vibrancy and depth.
Many guides recommend using foundation on the lips and this works beautifully for neutral shades, but this season’s brilliant tones may be muddied or bleached by the paler pigments in foundation, especially if your favorite lip color is sheer. Another solution that works well for darker or brighter shades is applying a base coat of pencil. Lip pencils contain the same pigments as lipsticks, but in a waxier, stiffer base. They stand up well to liquids and friction, so applying pencil beneath lipstick will give the top layer something to grab to prevent it from smudging or wearing off.
Starting at the center of the lower lip, fill in the entire surface of both lips. By starting here, you’ll avoid the possibility of “VPL” — Visible Pencil Line. Pencils sometimes get an unjustly bad reputation because of that aging “ring around the lips” effect, but by using a shade of pencil slightly lighter than your lipstick, you’ll ensure that you’re a perfect match all night.
Now that you have an adhesive base coat of pencil, you’re ready to move on to enhancing the depth of your color. Using your chosen shade of lipstick, pick up a little on your fingertip and press it to your lips. Really press that lipstick in; you’re building up the depth of your color, and by pressing the color into your skin, you’re getting more of the pigment and less of the lipstick’s creamy binder onto your lips. That higher percentage of pigment will keep your color on longer. Let everything set for a few minutes, then brush on a final coat of lipstick.
Step back and check to make sure that your lips are just the shape you want. If they need a little reshaping, go back in with your lip pencil and make sure everything’s symmetrical. Using a pencil rather than lipstick to correct your lipline pushes your existing lipstick into place without adding more of the emollient ingredients that keep lipstick creamy, thus keeping color where you want it longer.
Your lipstick will now last through hours of eating, drinking, and being merry!
