The majority of the population will be wearing face masks for some time it seems. Apart from the inconvenience of it, wearing makeup is really a challenge. When you’re “on the mask” half your face is covered anyway so no one can see your lips or your expression. However, when you remove that face-covering to expose your unadorned skin and especially your lips, “bare” just looks like you don’t care. If you are the kind of person who can’t even imagine leaving home without lipstick, here are some tips from the experts to keep the lipstick on, while wearing a mask.
Lip Products & Tips that Work:
Award-Winning Makeup Artist Andrew Sotomayor:
*The photo above features all of Andrew’s recommendations:
Andrew: I suggest Covergirl Melting Pout Matte – The lip paint has a powdery soft feel as you put it on. Once it dries, it’s super transfer resistant. It’s also cruelty-free.
Cai Para Mi 2-in-One in Fuchsia – One side is a traditional lipstick, the other is a lip paint with a wand. I suggest using the lipstick side for the initial application, then use the paint side for touchups. Once it’s dry, it’s transfer-resistant. This is the long wearing formula I chose for the women in West Side Story on Broadway to wear on stage every night. It’s not sticky, so their hair doesn’t stick while they’re dancing, and they don’t need to worry about it smudging.
Hard Candy Matte-aholic in Dahlia – Long wear. The perfect amount of plum. Apply it per usual, then dab most of it off with a tissue to leave a stained effect. Used full strength, I’ve used Hard Candy Lip Paint on celebrities like Sasheer Zamata when she’s been on the red carpet.
Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 004 – This is a great soft pink shade that also works all by itself. If you have thinner lips, you can use it to draw them out a bit, or you can use it instead as an easier way to get a precise lip look without getting it all over.
Nars Powermatte Lip Paint in Don’t Stop – This is a great shade of red that works on lots of different people. It’s that classic shade of red that woman have been wearing since World War Two as a sign of solidarity for the soldiers.
Beauty by Pop Sugar – Be Racy Liquid Velvet Lip in Wild Life. This lip formula has a ton of pigment but doesn’t get chalky lip some others do. For a non-transfer effect, apply it with the built-in wand, let it sit for a few moments, then dab off the excess with a sponge, blotting paper, or a tissue. It really stains the lips and makes it look like they’re just naturally bright.
About Andrew: Emmy winning makeup artist Andrew is known for working with all types of women from Academy Award-winning actors, to women wearing makeup for everyday life. Facebook: @andrew.sotomayor Instagram: @AndrewSotomayor.
Beauty Blogger Melissa Osborn – Maybelline Longwear:
My go-to (for a LONG time) is Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink! I’m a HUGE fan of bold shades, so this is my top pick because they stay on through EVERYTHING! I can personally verify that even my boldest shade stays on behind my mask!
*editor’s note: Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayons also last a long time, if you prepare your lips they’ll be mask-worthy (see the advicesisters.com review)
About Melissa: Melissa Osburn is the Editor of the Daily Nail Blog Instagram: @thedailynail
Beauty Vlogger Miranda Mendelson – Rimmel Provocalips:
About Miranda: Miranda Mendelson is the vlogger of Slashed Beauty with two new videos every week. Instagram: slashedbeauty
Fashionista-Entrepreneur Anuja:
Try a healthy colored lip balm like Burts Bees tinted balm (see advicesisters.com review). You have to apply a lot for it get off on the mask.
Another tip is to stain lips, not apply lipstick. I recommend using a matte lipstick. Touch or dab the lipstick on your lips in dots as you would with concealer. Then purse your lips and rub them together gently.
Advicesisters: NuSkin Liquid Lipstick:
Advicesisters.com has reviewed dozens and dozens of longwear lip products over the years. One that we tried for the first time for this story is The Nu Skin PowerLips Fluid collection of matte lipsticks are ultra-long-lasting. They have some skin-nourishing ingredients to prevent dry out over time including Vitamin E, Beeswax, Avocado Oil, Kaolin, and Silicones.
Even better, there are 18 different colors. The ones I tried are Fearless”hot pink” and “Roar” (really nice bold red). If you apply the color as-is it will smudge. However, if you generously blot the color (sponge, blotting paper/tissue) you’ll still be left with an opaque matte stain that lasts and won’t’ mess up your mask. Get these $25/each on the Nu Skin Website
Beauty Experts Agree On These Tips:
Many of the beauty experts who weighed in about keeping lipstick on your lips, not on your face or mask, had the same advice:
WEAR A LIP LINER
Wearing a lip liner as a lipstick, it prevents transferring of your lipstick. To your mask. The lip liner formula is generally slightly dry in texture and holds up the creamy formula of your lipstick, preventing transferring. A lip liner keeps your lip color in place to give you transfer-proof and long-lasting lip makeup.
TRY A LIP PRIMER
If you want your paint to stick on the wall flawlessly you need to prime it first. The components in the lip primer formula also increase the longevity of your lipsticks as well as prevent transferring to collars and glasses and masks. This one is from Mary Kay.
BLOT
Use a clean tissue paper and blot your lips. Then, follow it with another layer of your lipstick to finish sealing the formula.
POWDER UP:
After applying your lipstick, take your favorite compact or translucent powder in a large brush and dust it all over your lips to set your lipstick. The products I’m showing here are from La Bella Donna. Then re-apply another layer of the lipstick and you are done.
Make powder blush into a setting tool for your lipstick by patting it on top of your lip products. The powder formula helps in reducing excess moisture from the lipstick, which is the sole reason for feathering and transferring from your lip line.
USE FOUNDATION:
Just like a lip liner helps in holding lipstick in place, applying foundation and setting it with compact powder helps in preparing your lips for lipstick application. This prevents transferring of the lipsticks from the lip onto masks.
This one is Outlast Foundation from Covergirl. If you wear a foundation with your mask, you’ll find that this one is very long-wearing.
TRY SUGAR:
We also heard from people who suggested wearing lipstick, dusting lips with sugar, yes, plain sugar. Wait 2 minutes and then lick the sugar off. Supposedly, the moisture will be absorbed by the sugar, leaving only the tint.