Top Tips & Tricks For Making Your Lipstick Last

Stop your lipstick transferring and bleeding and make it last with these beauty tips and tricks.

While some lipsticks with chemicals or drier formulations are better at being transfer resistant, we’d rather suck up a little transference than put chemicals on our faces and into our bodies.

If you want to learn more about ingredient and see how your makeup ingredients panel stacks up, check the good and bad alcohol in makeup ingredients to look for.

As long the ingredients are kind to your skin, the color lasts and no animals were harmed, we’re happy. 

Also, the more moisture in a lipstick, the more it’ll transfer. That doesn't necessarily mean you're losing color or that your lipstick won't last as long. If your lipstick is highly pigmented, the color will still last. 

We’d rather have hydrated lips and a little color transfer than crusty, prematurely aged looking lips that are drier than the Sahara desert.

We can't guarantee miracles or zero transfer but these few easy tricks will help minimize transference for cleaner glassware and happier kissing partners:

1. Exfoliate 

Start by gently exfoliating your lips either with a lip scrub, clean damp toothbrush or face cloth/flannel. Don't use a lip balm after this as it'll cause the lipstick to slide rather than adhere.

2. Start with a lip primer before your lipstick

You wouldn’t paint a wall without it so think of your face and lips the same way and start with a smooth canvas. Besides creating a smooth base, the primer will help the lipstick last longer and help prevent transference.

3. When applying foundation, use it on your lips too

If you don't want to use a lip primer at least apply foundation to your lips.Just apply it while you're doing the rest of your face. It’ll give the lipstick a good base to stick to and make the color appear more saturated. 

4. Before applying lip color, fully line your lips with a lip liner

Rather than just lining the outer edge of your lips with a lip liner, an even better trick to make lipstick last and not bleed is to fill in the lips completely with your lip liner. As the slightly dry texture will help your lipstick adhere as well as providing an extra layer of color.

Besides helping prevent it transferring, it also tends to stop lipstick bleeding and feathering and helps to make it last longer. 

This is especially important with hydrating, plant wax based formulas to prevent feathering as the moisture can cause it to slide. 

Self-sharpening lip liners are a super convenient option and means you can ditch your pencil sharpener that explodes in your makeup bag.

Lip Liner Favorite: Self-sharpening, cruelty-free,long lasting, waterproof lip pencil

5. After applying your lipstick, blot lightly with tissue 

Blot your lips lightly enough to take off excess and slightly press the color in without removing it. 

Then dust your lips with a compact or translucent powder to set your lipstick before finally re-applying another layer of the lipstick.

6. Don't reapply lipstick directly before eating or drinking

This is pretty much a complete waste of time. Wait until after, it’s only going to fade during eating and drinking anyway especially if the food or drink you're eating and drinking is oily.

7. If it really bothers you, look for matte formulas

Matte lipsticks, due to their lower moisture content, will transfer less. But all natural formulas with lots of moisturizing ingredients will always transfer some.