The Fashion Wrap: How to Make Lipstick Last

            When it comes to lipstick I am very picky. It has to be bright, pigmented, non drying, and be able to last at least 6ish hours. There are tons of tricks to make lipstick last for hours and hours.
           1. Prime: About 30 minutes before applying lipstick put on a lip balm. When you're ready to put on the first swipe, wipe all the excess lip balm off.
           2. Base: Urban Decay sells a lipstick primer, but I find that very unnecessary. All you need is a lip liner. They come in many different forms, but my favorite is pencil. You have two options: line your lips or line and fill in your lips. I personally like to line and fill in. This makes it so that the lipstick color doesn't bleed past the lips throughout the day.

As you can see, NYX is my favorite brand.

           3. Apply: Some people like to use a lip brush to apply lipstick. Using a brush lets you be more precise and it also presses the color into your lips acting as a stain. Most of the time I just go straight from the tube, but only because I've become confident that I won't make any mistakes.

The brush on the left is from a craft store, and the brush on the right is a Sigma SS209.

Covergirl Lipperfection in Flame

4. Repeat: After applying the first layer, grab a tissue, fold it in half, and press your lips together. Add another layer of lipstick and repeat the tissue trick. Do this as many times as you want; the more layers the long it will last.

5. Quick tip: Runway and editorial makeup artists like to top the last layer of lipstick with some powder. This can bring lips to a whole new level. Putting a shimmery color on the center of the bottom lip creates the illusion of fuller lips. Putting a matte blush all over the lips creates a really cool look that I really like. Some people like to make their lips look "juicy" with lip gloss. But I happen to hate lip gloss so to me the matte look is ultra cool. Also, the powder put on lips is supposed to absorb all the moisture. This can make people not like it because it makes your lips feel very dry.
6. Clean up: If any color goes outside of the lines, don't use your fingers or a tissue. Instead, use a Q-tip. Also, some people like to use concealer around the mouth to make the lines look sharp and defined.