I’ve never tried long-wear lip color, mostly because I always kind of thought it was a big lie. I’m a gloss girl, and companies claiming that lip color would last for an entire workday seemed too far from my experience to qualify as even a half-truth. But after trying out some color-and-topcoat varieties of the stuff, I can say that yes, they do last for hours on end. With that in mind, I learned some other things about using this magical mutant strain of lip gloss in my week with a perpetually pigmented mouth:
1. Make sure you like the color before it’s on your lips; it stays on forever and is tough to get off with just tissues and water. I learned this the hard way when testing out a shade that looked subtle in the tube, but was in fact sparkly hot pink. I spent the whole day explaining the product-testing thing to friends and acquaintances who were staring awkwardly at my mouth.
2. For the longest-lasting results, wait until the lip color dries before applying the clear topcoat. It also adds moisture and shine, so re-apply throughout the day to add moisture or gloss – it won’t make the color fade.
3. Remember to apply color to the corners of your mouth – this stuff is more intense than gloss, so gaps of naked lip are more noticeable. To apply, open wide as though you’re yawning, and dab a bit of color onto the corners of your lips.
Below are three great options that combine color and topcoat into ingenious little packages: the L’Oreal case, a bit bigger than a matchbox, even doubles as a mirror.
Lorac Co-Stars Long Wearing Lip Color and Ultra Glossy Top Coat ($19)
L’Oreal Infallible LipColour (was $11.99, now $8.99)
Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor and Gloss ($9.49)
