I love long-wear lip color as much as the next gal but I hate how drying they can sometimes be. So while the formula can vary from brand to brand, once you find a long-wear lip color that you like, the key to making it last as long as possible is how you prep your lips before application!
A step that is often forgotten about is exfoliating your lips! While this doesn’t often need to be done as much as a face or body exfoliation, it helps create the smoothest surface possible for lipstick.
After exfoliation, make sure to apply a deeply hydrating lip balm, like Carmex. My husband is a Carmex fanatic. He has a tube by his bed, in his suitcase, and in his backpack for when he travels. He likes Cherry, and I’m more of a strawberry kind-of-gal. In desperately dry conditions, like skiing out in Utah, Carmex can help provide great relief from dry, chapped lips. And for a night out on the town, it’s deeply hydrating to keep your lips soft. If you are planning on wearing a bold lip, apply Carmex when you are doing your make up so it has plenty of time to soak in.

Next, line your lips with a liner as close to, if not identical to, the lip color you are planning to wear!

Then apply the lip color! I like to do one thin coat, let it it set, and then apply a second coat focusing on the middle part of my lips.

Then apply the lip color! I like to do one thin coat, let it set, and then apply a second coat focusing on the middle part of my lips. I also love to use my Car...