My biggest pet peeve when it comes to makeup is lip colour that fades. Don’t you just hate it when your makeup looks picture perfect when you leave the house, and an hour later your lips don’t even resemble the colour that you applied?

For this reason, I usually stick with long lasting lipsticks. Many brands have these, but to be honest, they hardly ever stay on for quite as long as promised. But they are still a good bet when it comes to longevity. The biggest problem with these are that the formulas tend to be very drying. So when wearing a long lasting product, always make sure to have a balm or gloss nearby to keep your lips moisturised.

Another tip is to make sure that your lips are soft and smooth before you apply the product – these lippies have a tendency to cling to dry patches. Now your pretty pout is perfect for your big night out. My favourite long lasting products are from the Revlon ColorStay range.

Another great alternative is a lip stain. These products stain your lips with colour and also have great staying power. Liquid lip stains also tend to be a bit drying, so keep that lip balm close by once again. Great combo products have also been introduced in the market – lip stain combined with a balm. These stain and moisturise your lips. Revlon’s Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm is a great example.

But what to do if your favourite lippie doesn’t come in a long lasting version… or you just don’t like those formulas? Here are some tips on how to get your lippie to last longer:

•After you apply your lipstick, blot your lips with a tissue, and then dab your lips with translucent powder until they are completely ‘mattified’. Now add another layer of your lip colour. The more layers, the longer it will last. This works great with red.

•If you have a lip liner in the same shade as your lip colour, first fill in your entire lip with the liner and then apply your lipstick. This gives your lipstick something to cling to and it will last longer.

•You can also try dabbing some foundation over your lips before adding the colour. Once again, your colour has something to cling to and it won’t rub off as quick.

 Always keep in mind that the more moisturising or glossy the formula, the faster it will fade. Matte and darker shades usually last longer on your lips.

The best tip to keep your lips looking great: exfoliate! A quick lip scrub before colour application will keep your lips looking smooth and the colour will be even.

Oh, and the most important tip for beautiful lips with makeup… SMILE!

Article by: Charlene http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/pretty-please-charlie