How to Make Your Lipstick Be Smudge Proof

1.

Gently exfoliate your lips to create a smooth, flake-free base for your lip color. Buy a lip scrub from a beauty store or make your own by mixing together a teaspoon of sugar with a little honey to form a paste that can be massaged into your lips. Alternatively, lightly brush lip balm-coated lips with a toothbrush.

2.

Prime your pout. Primers help lipstick cling better to your lips by absorbing excess oils and filling in tiny creases. Some of the big cosmetics brands have their own primers, but a thin layer of oil-free foundation applied with a cosmetic sponge, followed by a light dusting of loose powder, will do the job just as well.

3.

Carefully outline your lips using a lip liner in a shade that matches your natural lip color. Use short, light strokes while resting your elbow on a flat surface to keep your hand steady. Don’t deviate too far from the lip shape you were born with for a well-defined, yet natural-looking, result.

4.

Swipe a lip brush across the end of your lipstick and line the outer edge of your lips with color, staying within the line created by your lip liner. Start at the corners of your upper and lower lips, before moving on to outline the center.

5.

Load your lip brush with more lippy and fill in the fullest part of your upper and lower lips. Keep your brush moving in a single horizontal direction for smooth, even coverage.

6.

Blot your lips with a tissue or cosmetic blotting paper to lift away excess product so you're left with just a thin layer of long-wearing pigment.

7.

Build up the color by applying another one or two layers of lipstick using the same technique and blotting in between coats.