Foolproof Ways to Make Your Lipstick Last All Day

Hacks For Long-Lasting Lipstick

1. Try Translucent Powder 

The best thing about this lipstick hack, aside from the all-day wear it gives you, is that you most likely already own everything you need to make it work. First up, apply your lipstick like normal. Once you have the shape and color how you like it, swirl a small fluffy brush into your favorite translucent powder, tap off a bit of the excess, then gently press it over your lips…press being the key word here. Swiping the bristles across your lipstick can cause the pigment to transfer. 

“Doing this allows for a mattified base on the lips and creates the ideal canvas for a long-wearing lip,” says makeup artist Dominique Lerma. “Once the translucent powder is set, you can use your ring finger to blot off any access powder or press more lipstick onto the center of the lips.” 

2. Use a Lip Primer

You probably know all about face primers, and you might even have a holy grail eyeshadow primer in your makeup collection, but did you know that lip primers are a super easy prep step to help make your lipstick last for ages? They function the same way as the other primers you’ve tried. They create the perfect base for lipsticks by adding more grip while still feeling silky smooth. Many formulas also come with hydrating and plumping benefits to keep your lips happy and healthy, so that they look great with or without makeup. Our personal pick? The NUDESTIX Nudescreen Lip Primer SPF 30. It does triple-duty, serving as a primer, SPF, and nourishing treatment all in one.  

3. Line Your Lips First

There’s a reason makeup artists keep a whole stash of lip liners in their kits. They’re incredibly versatile products. You can apply lip liners to even out the shape of your lips or draw outside the lines to help create a fuller-looking lip, but our favorite way to use them is to make our lipstick last for hours. Outline your lips using a pencil similar to the lip color you’ll be using (when in doubt, nude works with everything), then fill in the middle using the same lip pencil. We love the NATASHA DENONA I Need A Nude Lip Crayon in P7 Renee because it’s a neutral deep pink that can blend well with anything. The liner will give your lipstick something to cling to, and it tends to have a waxier texture that stays put even if the color you top it with wears off. 

Depending on the look you’re going for, Lerma suggests a blurring product (to enhance the shape of your lips in a natural-looking way), or a longwear liner if you want your lips to stay popping with pigment the whole day.

4. Stick to Multiple Thin Coats

Think of applying lipstick like painting your nails at home. Any nail artist will tell you the key to a long-lasting manicure is multiple thin coats rather than one thick coat. Thick coats take forever to dry (or in the case of lipstick, set), leaving a ton of room for error. Pat your lipstick color on the center of your lips, and use a lip brush or your finger to spread the pigment out to cover the full surface of your lips. Then swipe on another layer or two.

5. Choose a Long-Wear Formula

Liquid lipsticks are known for their longevity, but they tend to get a bad rap for their overly drying, uncomfortable past. The good news is, liquid lipstick formulas have come a long way. The REALHER Metallic Liquid Lipsticks come in the most beautiful nude shades that are high in pigment but light in weight. They offer full coverage with one swipe, dry down, and set, but leave your lips feeling soft.

6. DIY a Lip Stain

Lip stains are the OG of long-wear lip products, but it can be hard to find the exact shade you’re looking for in a stain formula. Now you can DIY your own lip stain using any long-wear lipstick you already own. Add a few dots of lipstick over your lips, then use a Q-tip to spread out the pigment and create a tint of color across your lips. The color will sink in and stay put, then you can top it with a gloss or lip balm for a bit of healthy-looking shine.

7. Blot, Then Powder

This hack takes the translucent powder trick from above up another notch. Before you go in with the powder, blot off the excess lip color on a tissue. This will remove that surface-level color that is usually the first to wear off anyway, then tap on some powder directly through the tissue using a fluffy powder brush. Applying the powder through the tissue will help you to avoid an overly powdered lip look. 

8. Exfoliate Your Lips

The same way that your foundation applies better and lasts longer on exfoliated, smooth skin, your lipstick will perform at its peak capacity on freshly exfoliated lips. There are a few ways you can get there. First, a lip scrub is never a bad idea (you can even DIY your own lip scrub), or you can use a clean toothbrush or eyebrow spoolie brush to manually slough off rough, dry skin. You’ll never go wrong with the OG classic SARA HAPP The Lip Scrub.

9. Opt for a Velvet Lip Formula

Velvet formulas are a perfect hybrid between matte and satin. They leave a beautiful finish that holds and stays in place like a matte, without the dryness or cakiness. If you haven’t found the right matte for you, we recommend experimenting with a velvet like the KEVYN AUCOIN Velvet Lip Paint or FENTY BEAUTY Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick.

10. Apply a Finishing Spray

As Lerma points out, finishing sprays (setting, fixing, etc.) aren’t just for complexion products. When we want our lips to stay on all day, we give them the extra few spritzes they deserve. Lerma suggests something sweat and water-resistant, personally opting for the HARD CANDY Look on Lock Setting Spray to melt the lipstick into the skin. 

Longwear Lipsticks That Will Actually Last

1. LYS BEAUTY Speak Love Moisture Matte Lipstick

Just because you’re a light nude–lipped girlie doesn’t mean you don’t want your lipstick to last. This pick in the shade Sincere is not only the quintessential pinky-peach, but it’s also made up of a longwear matte formula with chia seed oil and hyaluronic acid to help your lips stay moisturized.

2. UOMA Badass Icon Matte Lipstick

When it comes to classic nudes, no one does it quite like UOMA. In addition to rich, stunning shades, these formulas were built to last with a concentrated yet lightweight silky consistency.

3. LAURA MERCIER Caviar Smoothing Matte Refillable Lipstick

Just one look at these lipsticks and you can tell they’re not going anywhere once the pigment hits. In addition to rich pigment, they offer plumping, smoothing, and hydrating benefits, all with a 16-hour longwear promise. 

4. MISCHO BEAUTY Lipstick

Clean, vegan, and cruelty-free? Sign us up! This universal rosy-nude shade offers a colorful addition to the lips, plus a stunning creamy matte finish. Pair it with pretty much any lip liner or gloss, and your lips are sure to end up looking gorg.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When You Want Your Lipstick to Last

1.  Choosing the Wrong Lip Finish for Your Skin Type

Your lips aren’t exempt from skin-type makeup preferences. “If you’re a bit more on the oily side, maybe reaching for a matte long-wearing lipliner would work best to lock in the outline of your lips,” Lerma says. “And then you can pair it with a matte or semi-matte finish lipstick.” 

2. Applying Too Much Lip Product Altogether

You know how too much skincare on the face can cause pilling? Similar mishaps can also occur when you overdo it with lip products. “Too many lip products in general can cause lip color to transfer onto your teeth or feather and bleed onto your face,” Lerma says.

3. Not Considering the Weather or Activity

Depending on the temperature outside or what you’ll be exposed to in the environment, your lip product selection should take it into consideration. For example, if you’ll be at the beach or near water, a satin finish won’t be your best bet. But if you’re running around during the winter with less humidity, for example, you may not need a matte.

Final Thoughts 

Getting lipstick to last all day isn’t some genius skill only achieved by the pros. The great thing about today’s era of beauty is that a lip formula or secondary product exists for every need. With the right lining, pigment, and setting techniques, there’s no reason for anyone’s lipstick not to last all day—and now, with so many formulas, you’ve got plenty of options to play around with to ace your lipstick game. Ready to find your next favorite lippie? Head to the IPSY Shop to discover just what you need.