Like makeup on the rest of your face, lipstick adheres better when the skin surface is smooth. To soften chapped lips, use a lip scrub like Too Faced Exfoliating Peach Sugar Lip Scrub, $25 (below, right), to slough away dead skin cells before applying a generous amount of lip balm and leaving it on for a few minutes. We like Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy, $39, plumps and smooths lip. You can do this prior to applying makeup on the rest of your face so that the lip balm has some time to take effect. When you’re ready to move on to your lipstick, simply tissue off the excess lip balm.

Needless to say, a matte lipstick is going to less likely slide around and fade away compared to one that’s creamy and emollient. Which is why you should opt for a lip colour in a matte finish to further prolong its wear. Try Fenty Beauty’s Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick, $28, which applies like a creamy lipstick but offers a velvety matte finish.

If you don’t have a matte lip colour on hand, go ahead and apply your regular creamy lipstick. All you have to do to ensure that it lasts longer is to blot away any moisture on the surface of the lips. Or you can go the extra mile and place one ply of tissue paper over your lips, then dust loose powder—many pros swear by Laura Mercier’s Invisible Loose Setting Powder, $70 (left) or Tarte’s Finishing powder, $49 —over your lip colour to set. Reapply your lip colour, blot and dust loose powder again to build intensity.

One tip that makeup artists swear by is lining your lips to prevent lipstick from feathering and “bleeding” beyond the edges. But don’t stop there just yet. After lining your lips, use your lip liner to fill in the rest of your lips to create a base for lipstick to cling onto as this also helps prolong its wear. Try Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencil, $32, which goes on smoothly and has a waterproof formula so it stays put all day (and night).

Turn to Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Seal, $46, which forms a waterproof layer over eye and lip makeup. All you have to do is apply a thin layer over your lip colour and let it sit for a while as it sets. It is also made without alcohol so it won’t strip your skin of essential moisture.

A great trick to make your lipstick lasts all day is to apply concealer (such as these Concealer pencils, $37, from NUDESTIX) before you put on your lip colour. This creates a non-oil canvas so your colour can last longer. 

The oil in lip balm can make your lipstick “slip” so opt for a formula that doesn’t leave an oily after feel.  Alternatively, apply lip balm before you even start your skincare routine, and wipe off the excess before you apply your lip colour. 

A lip primer works just like your regular primer – it makes your makeup (in this case, lipstick) lasts longer without feathering. Most lip primers come with moisturising ingredients, allowing you to skip out on lip balms, such as this MAC Lip Primer. 

If you want lipstick to last longer, you should want to maintain softness and smoothness all the time which means being conscientious about drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, exfoliating and then keeping them moisturised.

When your lips are softer and smooth, your lip colours glide on better, look more even, and don’t settle into dry patches.

When you want your lipstick to last an entire day, it’s important that you avoid getting oil on your lips as much as possible. That could mean pizza, salad with an olive oil dressing, fried foods, or even rich soups. While most parties will have finger foods that shouldn’t mess with your lipstick, it’s a good idea to keep in mind what you’re eating, and how that could affect your makeup.

If you’ve eaten something and notice that lot of lip colour is transferring onto your napkin, you’ll probably have to reapply it. But hey, having to reapply your lipstick is worth it if it means you get to enjoy some pizza.

If you truly want your lip colour to last all day, a lip pencil is going to make a huge difference. For one, it helps keep your lipstick from bleeding or feathering out into the fine lines around your lips; and secondly, it gives your lipstick something to adhere to and essentially reinforces the coverage of your lipstick.

Lip pencils also allow you to tweak the outline of your lips, which will come in handy if, for example, your lips are asymmetrical or have a somewhat messy outline naturally. A lip pencil lets you neaten everything up so your lips look more polished!

READ MORE:
Kim Lim Shows How To Wear The Perfect Bold Red Lip
The Best Long-Wearing Lipsticks Under $35 You Can Find In Singapore
Tinted Lip Balms That Are Perfect For Korean-Inspired Looks

Text: Joyce Cheo, Hidayah Idris/CLEO and Alyssa Dhaliwal/HerWorldPlus
Photos: 123RF