by Annie Vischer
Anything that makes life that little bit easier beauty wise, is a winner with us. And we have to admit that constantly re-applying lipstick is a bit of a drag. Yes there’s something rather glamorous about that 50’s image of a woman delicately pouting at her pocket mirror, a luscious shade of red lipstick in the other hand, but in reality? We’d rather just pop on the colour, and leave it at that. And with that in mind we’ve cast our eye over the bounty of lippies available to find our favourite five long wearing varieties.
First up? The newly launched Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick (£18.00). I always err on the side of caution with matte lipsticks. To me, matte meant dry, cracked lips. Until I tried this one. It’s incredibly silken and soft on application, and though there’s not a hint of gloss or sheerness, lips feel hydrated. Wear in a bright shade with a tinted moisturiser or BB cream as a base for that ever-sophisticated contrast between dewy skin and a matte statement lip.
For a long time Max Factor held the monopoly on long wearing lip colours. We all remember the advert, the apparent film star model taking a step out of her makeup chair, kissing a rather dashing gent, and showing her smiling lips still perfectly coated in the shade of the moment. Well they’re still going strong and have added 7 new shades to their Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Colour (£10.99) range. We love the bright and rosy ‘Stay Cheerful’.
Glosses aren’t generally renowned for their staying power, but Chanel Extrait de Gloss Long Wear Lip Gloss (£26.00) promises to flout that assumption. The sleek exterior had me at hello, but the colours in the range are truly irresistible. The shine stays for much longer than your everyday gloss, though will fade a little through the night. The colour however, stays well and truly put.
You may have already come across Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick (£24.00) range in our earlier post here, and it’s testament to their quality that we’re writing about them again. Though not pushed as a long-wear product, the vibrant colour does stay, and the fresh new range is awash with beautiful shades for the spring season.
The NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (£17.50) allows for incredibly precision. I lightly line my lips (taking care not to stray outside of my natural lip line) then blend inwards with my fingers. It gives that berry-bitten stain effect that has been storming the runways recently. If you’re keen for a little play in the lip colour department, then this is the one for you. Opt for a natural colour as close to your own lip colour as possible, not any lighter, to shade and plump your lips. It doesn’t always have to be about a statement lip.