Finding longer lasting lip color is like happening upon a pasture full of unicorns. It just doesn’t happen. Everyone talks about it like it’s no big thing,
“Oh my amazing lipstick? My girl at the {muffled muffled, garble garble} counter just keeps it in stock for me. I don’t even know what it’s called! *giggle*”
Liar.
If girlfriend has perfect lipstick all through dinner, she’s got a secret up her sleeve she doesn’t want you to know about. Especially if you’re frenemies. Swapping that kind of secret is a thing for insiders only, best friends and sisters. After that, it’s every woman for herself.
You know I’m always looking out for you though. You can feel it in your blood, I always have your back. I wouldn’t want you to {gasp!} go out in public with crackly uneven lip color. *shudder*
I have a cheap solution for you: Revlon Lip Stain. This stuff is available at the drugstore, your supermarket, probably the gas station on the corner. It’s between $5-8 and is worth sacrificing your daily cappuccino. It’s not meant to replace the hardcore stuff in your purse, but I really like it for day-to-day business.
And I do mean business.
If you want to get really technical about it I can kiss my husband, business like, eat, drink, and be merry without a single smudge. It’s a quick solution for keeping a bit of color on your face without the fear of lipstick on your teeth {the worst} or color smearing down your chin {just kidding, that’s the worst}.
Problem solved: longer lasting lip color for under $10. Boom goes the dynamite.
*p.s. let’s not comment on the wrinkles and laugh lines, they’re worth more than $10 a pop.
Allison
Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!
i love the stuff (mostly because i’m not ladylike enough for real lipstick). if i was doing a “what’s in my purse” you’d find two of ’em. plus you get the lip balm on the other end. score.
Whatever Robyn, everyone is ladylike enough for lipstick. Serious. But also, riiiight? I have one in each purse, my desk, car.
But now you know my lipstick secret (purchased in bulk when the drug store had a BOGO). But they do dry out faster than I would have liked.
They do dry out faster than I’d like, but I still get enough use out of them to feel okay about the $5 purchase. Good for what I pay.
You’re so funny. And you have really nice lips that look great with that punchy color. Since my firstborn came around nearly 9 years ago, I stopped using full-on lipstick and started wearing lipgloss because I got tired of having him grab a lip and pullllll the lipstick down to my chin. Now I’m 40, my skin and hair and everything else has changed and I’m looking to go back to lipstick but this perma-lipstick (ha) stuff scares me. Is it the cakey matte lipglue that everyone wore in the 90s? What shade are you wearing? Do you have a variety of colors? You and I have similar coloring so I bet what works on you would work on me.
You and your darling readers inspired me to buy some new Mabelline mascara last week. I lerve it and it was $4 cheaper than my normal L’Oreal mascara. Score. I love a quick and cheap pick-me-up or as my Mom says “a little lift.” And speaking of lift, too bad bras aren’t that cheap…
This stuff isn’t cakey at all, not even a little. It’s like you’re coloring your lips with a marker {because you are, really}. I wear a lip gloss on top to make it pop, once in a while.
I’ve used: midnight, crave, gothic.
Way to go on the mascara!
Hey, I remember those things from the 90’s…they looked blue and then would change to your “ideal” color (always BRIGHT pink). Three days later I’d still be trying to cover the hideous pink with lighter lipstick. (the Revlon and Cover Girl stains are nothing like that)
My little ones have an even cheaper solution…crayola markers. They are quite budget friendly and tres fashion forward! An added bonus, they are readily accessible (in between sofa cushions, under the kitchen table, sometimes even in the washing machine). Just grab and go…fancy in a flash! :) I just came across your blog through stalkerish means on instagram. You are one witty gal. Can’t wait to read more :)
Hmmm maybe this would work–but my kids always immediately use up the good colors and we’re stuck with all these unused black and brown markers.
Am I allowed to borrow the phrase
Boom goes the dynamite.
cause I love it. I promise only to use it around the house.
Think about it.
Go forth and boom. Make it good.
Love this stuff! I’ve had mine from Avon for a while and it’s great as a base under lipstick as well.
Avon has some good ones too, you’re so right. Good call under the lipstick, love that.
Every time I’ve try a long-lasting lip color, it dries out my lips. Is the Revlon one drying?
This Revlon one has a lip balm on the lid, and Cover Girl makes a decent one too. The thing about lip stain is that it’s inherently drying but putting some lip gloss or chap-stick on top solves the whole problem.
dgm try using lip gloss or lipstick over it. That really helps.
totally.
I might have to try this. My two problems are a) finding the right color and b) my lips always seem to get really dry when I’ve used similar products.
Try this one. I also have a couple of Cover Girl stains too and I don’t really notice drying {and I live in Utah}. But some lip balm on top and problem solved.
Also, I’m pretty sure Walgreens will let you try on products to test colors.
You write the best posts.
And give the best tips! Lovely laugh lines and all. :)
Oh thank you Kathleen! I sure think you’re great. And the laugh lines, oh mercy, there’s nothing to be done with those.
I love the lip stains also. I recently tried the NYC 16 hour lipstain (2.99) at CVS and was surprised at how nice it is for a cheap lip stain. I bought the forever fuchsia and it went on really nice and stayed all day long through meals, snacks, coffee, everything.
I love NYC cosmetics! They’re so inexpensive, but they’re decent. I’m going to have to pick one of those up and check it out. Thank you!
I’ve been meaning to try lip stain! Glad to know their is a good drugstore version that I can experiment with! =)
Totally! Go check out some colors and see what works, I’m betting you’ll like at least one.
I have a couple of these, but I find that the colour tends to fade really quickly on the upper part of my bottom lip. (It also stays really dark on my top lip, so it’s extra noticeable.) I don’t think I do any excessive licking/chewing or anything, but I’m a total newbie to make-up and I keep thinking I’m doing something wrong.
I wonder if your lips are exfoliated well enough? If they’re dry at all to start with, you might need to use some chap stick and let it sink in first.
Good luck!