APPLYING LIPSTICK… & making it last

How to keep your colour in place.

PREP MATTERS Colour can cling to dry patches or settle in to lined lips. The night before you wear a bold shade, apply a rich lip balm at bedtime (try Kiehl’s Buttermask For Lips, £22). The next morning, buff with a warm, damp flannel then apply more balm five minutes before doing your make-up. GREASE ISN’T THE WORD Well-prepped lips are soft and smooth, but not greasy. When you apply your balm, work it in well, then tissue off the excess (but if you’re wearing gloss, skip balm altogether – it’s more likely to ‘feather’). PRIME TIME For extra sticking power, try a primer. These create a smooth finish by hydrating lips and filling in ridges before colour goes on. MAC Prep & Prime Lip,

£14, is a make-up artist’s favourite.

A FINE LINE Apply lipstick straight from the tube (modern, well-shaped tips make this easy, so you shouldn’t need a brush). If it looks wonky, use a lip pencil to tidy the edges. Don’t worry about the pencil matching your lipstick exactly – it just needs to be roughly the same shade. Try

Maybelline Colorsensational Shaping Lip Liner, £3.99.

LAYER UP Blot and apply a second coat – but with gloss, don’t use tissue or you’ll end up with tiny white shreds stuck to your lips. ‘Kiss’ a piece of paper instead.

THE FINAL TOUCH Once your lipstick is done, add a dot of balm to the centre of your lower lip and purse gently to disperse the balm without dislodging your lipstick.