What If We Kissed?

Don't waste money on bad lipstick.

I am pretty sure that most makeup-wearing people in this world own more than one lip product. I’m no different. I have balm on the bedside, a drawer full of options in my vanity, and any number of glosses, sticks, and touch-ups bouncing around in the bottom of my bag.

I never feel guilty about buying another, either. They’re like Skittles. I want to taste the rainbow. Or maybe they’re like Lays — you can’t have just one.

A good lip is the finishing touch to any outfit. It’s an accessory, the top coat on the manicure. It pulls the whole thing together. Sometimes, you don’t need any other makeup at all. And if you wear color, you know there are tricks to making it last all day.

Will lipstick change your life? No. But it’s a nice treat. And if you’re going to spend the money, I’ll help you find one that isn’t a waste.

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Step 1: Exfoliate

New York winters have imbued me with a belief in lip scrub. Even swathed in a gooey balm, my lips still get cracked. A grainy exfoliant seems to be the only thing that works to revive them. It’s a good survival practice but an aesthetic decision as well. Have you ever tried to apply matte lipstick to dry, flaky lips? Color application is infinitely better on a smooth surface. You also don’t need a scrub — you can skip it by applying balm and gently scrubbing your lips with a hot towel. But it’s a nice thing to have.

Makeup by Mario Perfecting Lip Scrub: This is an excellent workhorse for winter, particularly given the product’s thicker consistency. I love this for buffing out my kisser and prepping my lips for color in one step. Keep this in your makeup bag.

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator: This is a beauty OG and staple for a reason — I keep it stashed in my bedside drawer and roll it on before applying an overnight balm. It’s finer than the Makeup By Mario version and, better suited as a step in my skincare routine.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner: Okay, not specifically a lip product, but it does the job nonetheless. Dab on a bit with a cotton pad before bed, then gently scrub your lips with a washcloth in the morning.

Step 2: Hydrate

It is arguably the most crucial step and, some days, the only one I take. Lip balm is excellent for healing, moisturizing, prepping your lips for color, or finishing with a little sheen. It’s probably why so many of us have 35 of them. RIP to the soldiers we lost to the washing machine. Pour one out.

Smith’s Rosebud Salve (also in a tin): This stuff has been around forever, and I still love it. While the tin is aesthetically pleasing, it will melt into weird shapes if you leave it in a hot car (ask me how I know). These days, I prefer the tube. For lip application, I like the consistency better than Vaseline or Aquaphor. It smells faintly of roses and also works like a charm on dry cuticles.

Olehenricksen Pout Preserve Hydrating Peptide Lip Treatment: Swoon. This balm somehow sort of… I don’t know how to put it… fills in the lines on your lips? Does that make sense? It plumps them out without that weird, swelling cinnamon sting many other products rely on. It’s thick and shiny and would be great worn alone. It’s lip balm turned up to eleven.

Step 3: Line

There are many methods for lining your lips, but my favorite is from makeup artist Mary Phillips. She says to find a shade that matches your natural lip color and overline just the bottom of your pout and your cupid’s bow, bringing the liner inside the natural outline of your lips elsewhere. Then, tap it in with a bare finger to smudge it out. It looks like your own lips, but better.

Makeup Forever Waterproof Pencil: If you’ve ever seen a makeup tutorial by Katie Jane Hughes, then you know this product already — the Endless Cacao shade is her go-to. It’s an excellent workhorse lip liner that blends easily and stays on all day.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk Pencil: Another classic, Pillowtalk is one of those shades that magically works on every skin tone. This one comes in a set with a companion lipstick, meant to be worn together. It’s a great shade if you don’t know where to start.

Hourglass Shape + Sculpt Lipliner: This is a well-rounded new launch from one of my favorite makeup brands. I love it in a mid-tone pinky beige (fleshy) with just a little wash of gloss on top. It’s transfer-resistant (essential) and long-wearing.

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Step 4: Color

Color is a matter of preference, occasion, and time investment, so I broke products into categories by how they finish. Glossy and satin formulas require less (if any) lip prep but generally wear off faster and need more re-application. I love a gloss on the go because I don’t need a mirror to re-apply.

Some incredible new matte formulas have also dropped this year. They’re creamier and more nourishing than the dry products of yore, gliding on smoothly for a full-pigment color application that stays with you.

And, of course, there are the multis; these are the color products you can apply on cheeks, eyelids, and lips. Indispensable for makeup minimalists.

Glossy

Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm: If you like drama, she’s your girl. It offers a big color payoff, a megawatt shine, and a visible plump in one stick. Swipe and go, baby.

YSL Candy Glaze: My sister turned me onto this, a gloss/stick hybrid that leaves behind the most beautiful, healthy-looking shine. You only need a teeny bit and can apply it with your eyes closed.

Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm: My favorite around-town gloss, for when I want a little color touch-up in three seconds flat. It’s not terribly high-shine and leaves an opaque wash of color behind.

Satin

Westman Atelier Lip Suede Palette: God, would you just look at her? She is sexy! The gratification of pulling this palette out of your bag for a touch-up at the dinner table is a moment. Inside, five different nude shades to dab on with fingers (or a brush, for the precise) at varying levels of commitment.

Ilia Colorblock High-Impact Lipstick: Ilia is an excellent brand if you like to spend less than five minutes on your face. Everything they make is straightforward, hydrating, and easy to apply. People love this lipstick for its weightlessness and elasticity. Cinnabar is the shade to start with.

Hourglass Unlocked Satin Creme Lipstick: THE red. The end.

Matte

Prada Soft Matte Refillable Lipstick: Formula-wise, this is a textbook matte lipstick; beautiful, soft, and pigmented. But if you like to produce a tube from your bag that other women eye-fuck, then look no further. And she’s refillable!

Westman Atelier Lip Suede Hydrating Matte Lipstick: This is the new cool girl in town who everyone wants to be friends with. As with everything Westman, the packaging is substantive and expensive-looking and the product is loaded with skin care. It’s beautiful on and doesn’t feather or bleed. “Wow,” says one review. “I now understand why people pay more for lipstick.”

Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Matte Lipstick: I think of Merit as another brand for the “five-minute face” girl, but the one who front-loads her maintenance with lasers and a drop of filler here or there. Expensive-looking, but minimal. This is the matte for that girl. The shade Equestrian is a chic, warm brown that would look incredible on an otherwise bare face.

Nars Long-Lasting Powermatte Pencil: If you like to (literally) color in between the lines, I love these chunky pencils for precise application. You can use them as a liner or fill in your whole lip with color.

Multi

Ami Cole Desert Date Cream Multistick: Ami Cole makes products for melanated skin, but this multistick suits just about anyone. If you’re a finger painter and like a few quick dabs on the lids, cheeks, and lips, this is a great one to keep in your stash.

Goop Colorblur Tinted Glow Lip + Cheek Balm: This might be my favorite color product of the last year. You get a ton of product for the money; the color payoff is huge, you can apply it equally as well with your fingers, a brush, or a Beautyblender, and the shade range is a slam-dunk.

Westman Atelier Babycheeks Lip + Cheek Color: This multi-stick (in the shade Bichette) is, without a doubt, the most used and replaced product in my rotation. It is the product I have in triplicate in my purse, makeup bag, and vanity. I use it on my cheeks and lips for that perfect natural flush I’m always chasing — it’s impossible to screw up. I have turned friends onto it in droves of many skin types and tones, and everyone raves. I will never be without it.

Step 5: Cleanup + Finish

Adding gloss can be the perfect way to complete a full-color makeup application or used alone for a simple look. There are no wrong answers.

If you're using a highly pigmented color, you might find yourself chasing cleaner edges, which can be easily achieved with the correct technique. Apply a small amount of concealer on a clean detailing brush (I recommend this one) and use it to sharpen any messy areas.

iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Get Glazed Duo: Two shades of the buzzy brand’s gloss/oil hybrid in barely-there shades that would look great atop any product. They’re fun and youthful, and the fragrances are nostalgic.

Ami Cole Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil: Everyone is crazy about this, especially the fashion girls. Given the product's popularity, the brand has expanded the shade range into some beautiful new colors. The consistency is rich, so you only need a bit. One tube will last you a long time… but you’ll be back for another before then.

Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil: I think this product broke TikTok. It’s a lightweight oil with a shiny finish that gives lips a healthy look.

Saie Glossybounce High-Shine Lip Gloss: This gloss has a skinny slip, which is great if you aren’t into thick and gooey. It’s hydrating as hell, too — I was impressed with how it didn’t pill on my lips. I have the shade Kiss.

Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer: This is my favorite concealer on the market, full-stop. But I’m including it because it’s excellent for cleaning up around the lips if you’re committing to color application. Try it; you’ll see how great it is.