In days of old – or pre-2015 – if you wanted your lip colour to last all day you had to commit to regular touch-ups. It meant that it was often easier to wear a balm or translucent gloss, which is why we all have so many of them tucked away in our makeup bags, than commit to a strong lip.
Makeup is never slow with a solution to a problem though and long-lasting lipsticks were born. Not the claggy, drying formulas that’d sting lips and feel tight and uncomfortable to wear, but smooth, highly pigmented formulas that, if applied the right way, could actually add volume as well as colour to lips.
Here are ten of the best if all you want is a lipstick that won’t quit…
We’re obsessed with this pink-red hue from Estee Lauder, and even more in love with the fact it stays put all day long. Apply straight from the bullet or with a brush and expect minimal touch-ups. What’s more, if you opt for a nude pink shade from the range, the pros at Estee Lauder suggest putting Double Wear Concealer as a base under it for longer wear!
Estee Lauder All Day Lipstick, £22
The lipstick version of Tilbury’s hugely popular and effortlessly wearable Lip Cheat Lip Liner, a nude-pink that mimics the natural hues of your lips for a flattering and long-lasting nude.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillowtalk, £24
With possibly the broadest range of colours available in a long-wear formula, Urban Decay’s lipsticks are famed for being the best formula around for no-budge, high pigment lips.
Urban Decay Lipstick, £15.50
Considering all their makeup is created under the glare of studio lighting you can guarantee pigments that really deliver. Never a brand to play safe their slate grey liquid lip is remarkably wearable and bizarrely flattering.
Smashbox Always on Matte Liquid Lipstick in Chill Zone, £19
Going for a nude lip is a great style choice, but not when the colour bleeds or fades. for a colour that really stays true, you can have the utmost confidence in Barry M’s new range of liquid formulas. What’s more, there are two clever ways to apply it. Use the applicator for a precise finish, or push the colour into lips with your ring finger for a more stain-like effect.
Barry M Matte Me Up, £xx
A two-step lip colour for all-day wear. The trick to perfect application is to apply the colour, wait 60 seconds, then seal with the top coat. Manages to create long-wear without the tightness of dryness of long-lasting formulas.
Rimmel Provocalips 16HR Kissproof Lipstick, £7.99
If you’re all about the colour pay off and like the soft matte finish, then this is the range for you. A rainbow of shades from cool to warm, all in a formula that won’t dry out lips but will stay put.
NYX Cosmetics Matte lipstick, £6.50
A long-wearing lipstick that doesn’t just rely on deep, dark or intense shades to get that all-day wear. If you prefer a natural hue or more wearable tones too, it’s worth exploring their palette of shades.
Ciaté London Pretty Stix Lipstick, £12
The finish here is describe as ‘liquid-suede’ and the effect is smooth, but more voluptuous looking lips. Quite the Standout is a great addition to any makeup bag if you want you-can’t-miss-this lips.
MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour, £17.50
