Isobel is a skincare obsessed Piscean hailing from Byron Bay. She studied law and journalism in Brisbane before moving to Sydney where she’s now living by the beach in Bondi. She’s worked as a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, a Digital Content Editor for Marie Claire and InStyle, and her words have appeared in Vogue, Gritty Pretty, ELLE, Women’s Health - and of course here - at Adore Beauty.
Ever wondered what you’re doing wrong when your lipstick cracks after a couple of hours? Is it possible your lips are too dry for lipstick?
Or—after what feels like hundreds of applications—have you questioned whether lip balm *really* helps dry lips?
Well, we cover all these questions and more in this ultimate lippie guide.
It’s your all-inclusive cheat sheet to everything there is to know about lipstick and lip balm.
Plus, we’ll be doling out all our top recommendations on good lipsticks for dry lips as well as the best lip balms for dry lips.
Start with clean, smooth lips (try a lip scrub).
Apply a hydrating lip balm and blot away the excess with a tissue.
Starting at the centre of your upper lip, use your lipstick to trace a line outwards along the edge to one corner. Repeat on the other side.
Trace your lower lip in the same way.
To fill in, blend colour towards the centre of your mouth with a brush or your finger. In a hurry? Simply rub your lips together.
If you find your lipstick starts to crack or flake during the day, dry lips could be the culprit.
Try upping the ante on your lip hydration and exfoliation routine.
If these efforts don't fix the issue, consider switching to a more moisturising lipstick with ingredients like shea butter.
For recs on the best lipstick for dry lips, keep reading to find our suggestions below.
The secret to lip colour longevity mostly lies in the application (follow the above steps).
But there are a few other things you can do if you prefer even more endurance.
Follow one or all tips as you like...
Apply a lip primer before lipstick.
Line your lips with lip liner.
Set your lipstick with translucent powder.
Amelia shares her tips on how to make red lipstick last longer in the YouTube video below...
Hunting for a better-than-good lipstick for dry lips? We’ve got you. Try these moisturising lipsticks we love.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - Those who love colour will be spoilt for choice with YSL’s dizzying array of shades. Pomegranate and rosemary extracts make this formula feel lovely on the lips as it delivers long-lasting moisture.
Nude by Nature Moisture Shine Lipstick - Just as you’d expect from its name, Moisture Shine Lipstick is here to treat your lips to a serious hydration hit. Shea butter and jojoba oil feature in the list of 100% natural ingredients list. Plus, the formula is PETA-certified cruelty-free.
Inika Vegan Natural Lipstick - This Australian-made lipstick is heavy on natural, plant-based oils to keep lips nourished throughout the day. And Inika isn’t just a good lipstick for dry lips; it’s also certified organic, cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, and halal. Impressive.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your lips are too dry for lipstick, these tips will get you sorted.
Hydrate and exfoliate your lips regularly.
Use lip balm before applying lip colour.
Steer clear of drying lipstick formulas.
Choose moisturising lipsticks with added hydrators.
As gorgeous as matte lipstick looks, it’s not the easiest formula to master.
If you love wearing matte lip colours, you’ll want to keep your pout in tip-top condition with heaps of hydrating products and regular exfoliation.
One of the best lip balms for matte lipstick wearers is ultra-nourishing Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm 8ml
And choose a matte-finish moisturising lipstick (yes, they do exist!) like M.A.C Cosmetics Powder Kiss Lipstick
When it comes to lipstick, everyone wants a colour that rocks hard from morning to night without 17 reapplications throughout the day. The only downside to said long-lasting lipstick... How on earth do you remove long-lasting lipstick at the end of the day!? There really is nothing worse than having stained skin around your lips that makes you resemble a clown. Unless that's your vibe, then you keep doing you boo! But let's get back to business. Here are our tips for removing long-lasting lipstick, and just incase you need it, how to get lipstick off of skin.
Oil based or balm cleansers are best when it comes to removing long-lasting lipstick.
Take a pump or small swipe of cleansing balm and massage it into your lips (and the surrounding area if needed.
Remove the cleanser with a cotton pad or reusable makeup cloth to ensure no residue is left behind.
For oils make sure you use a little bit of water to emulsify the product
If your lipstick is particularly stubborn, rinse and repeat! Go through the same process but massage slightly longer.
If your lipstick is STILL refusing to budge, try a lip scrub treatment and buff the lipstick off gently. Don't forget to hydrate afterwards with a lip balm or lip mask.
There’s an age-old beauty fallacy that lip balm dries out your lips.
In truth, a quality lip balm will keep your pout smooth, soft, and perfectly primed for flawless lipstick application.
The right lip balm makes it easy to keep dry lips away for good. These are some of our favourites.
Aveda Lip Saver Lip Balm SPF 15 - Protect your lips with this deliciously hydrating botanical balm. It’s waterproof, vegan-friendly, and cruelty-free.
Aspect Hydrating Lip Balm - Think of this as a lavish, hydrating skincare treatment for your lips. Jojoba esters, shea butter, and coconut oil deeply nourish without any icky stickiness.
Dr. Bronner's Organic Lip Balm - This certified organic choice is made with beeswax, avocado oil, and hemp oil. Plus, it contains no parabens or artificial fragrances.
Trying to use up a lip balm you don’t love?
Besides the obvious, there are loads of ways to repurpose lip balm.
Tame eyebrows.
Nourish cuticles.
Hydrate dry heels or elbows.
Keen to find your new favourite lippie product? Take a look through the guides below...
Brand and product inclusions are at the sole discretion of Adore Beauty. We do not seek or accept payment from brands or individuals listed in our guides.
Irina Webb
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4 min read
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Feb 16, 2023
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Do you know how safe your lip color is? Did you know that lipsticks can have many concerning ingredients? My team reviewed 50 lipsticks to help you find the safest, cleanest options!
When we research lipsticks, we dig deep for the best information! First, we looked into the lipstick industry, and how lipsticks are made. Next, we reviewed the ingredients of lipsticks in chemical databases around the world. Finally, we talked to some manufacturers to ask more questions. This has given us a great understanding of what to watch out for when buying a lipstick! If you would like to know more about me, visit my blog Start Here.
Below are our top 3 things to know before buying lipstick.
Unfortunately, our research has shown that there are many potentially toxic chemicals in lipsticks. It is easy to think that all harmful chemicals have been banned, but this is not the case. Governments are slow to make new safety laws. In addition, new chemicals are made all of the time.
In some cases, new chemicals (ingredients) are used in makeup before any safety studies have been done on them. This means brands use ingredients that might be harmful.
In addition, when we put chemicals near our mouth, like lipstick, some of it is likely to be swallowed. This makes it even more critical to find safe lipstick.
Some of the worst ingredients in lipsticks are synthetic dyes, artificial fragrances, preservatives, and unknown flavors. In fact, brands are legally allowed to hide many of their ingredients to keep their recipes secret. Unfortunately, these types of chemicals can be cancer-causing, irritating, cause allergic reactions, disrupt our hormones, and more! You can learn more about how concerning fragrances are in my blog post Is Nature Fragrance Safe?
An example is Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). BHT is being tested as a chemical that may disrupt hormones in the body. It is also believed to increase the risk of cancer, yet is allowed in lipsticks!
Some ingredients may also be contaminated with other dangerous chemicals (not listed!). To learn more about one form of contamination, heavy metals, check out my blog post Lead in Lipstick.
Sadly, there are many forms of contamination, and even though it is often accidental, it can be harmful nonetheless!
To learn more about the worst ingredients in lipsticks, as well as other contaminants, read my blog post Are You Using a Safe Lip Color?
The good news is that there are safe brands of lipstick available! We have contacted more brands than we could possibly list, and many ignore or do not fully respond to questions. There are, however, brands that impress us!
We have spoken to CEOs, and product formulators, and can confirm that some brands have nothing to hide.
In our opinion, some of the criteria for the best brands are companies that:
My favorite lip products can be found here. I have researched this company extensively and use its products every day.
If you are vegan and have been wondering if a safe vegan lip product exists, the answer is Yes! Read my post The Best Vegan Lip Gloss
To see a breakdown of the worst-bad-better-best lip color we reviewed, read Non-Toxic Lipstick You’ll Love
You can rest assured that safe lipsticks do exist! As a bonus, when you choose to buy safer products, you are telling manufacturers that you value safe ingredients. As you tell your friends about safer lipsticks, we all work together in changing and shaping our world.
We can avoid harmful ingredients when we know what to look for. You can make simple swaps to choose safer products for you and your family. We are here to help!
To read even more, visit my in-depth blog post Are You Using a Safe Lip Color?
You can also subscribe to my weekly emails where I give readers exclusive content, discount codes, and a free guide with things you can do today to make your home non-toxic!
I also share helpful product swaps, product rankings, and more on Instagram @irina_ireadlabelsforyou
Thank you for your concern and interest in making better choices for your family. You can visit my shop to find even more recommendations for your home!