How to Keep Lipstick from Bleeding into Lip Lines

Keep your lip color in line by prepping before you apply.

Few things can botch your glamorous look more than your lovely lipstick leaking into those tiny lines that form around your lips. You’ll likely notice this happening when you wear brighter shades of lipstick such reds and berries. The key to preventing your lipstick from feathering is to create a barrier between your lip color and those fine lines, which naturally appear over time. With a little extra prep before applying your lipstick, you can prevent feathering and bleeding and make your lipstick last longer.

Things You'll Need

• Foundation/powder
• Lip balm
• Lip pencil
• Lip brush

Instructions

1. When applying foundation or powder, cover your lips as well as the rest of your face.

2. Outline the entire lip area with a neutral shade of lip pencil or a shade that blends in with your lipstick. Choose a lip pencil that has a waxy finish. The wax will help create a barrier to which any migrating lip color will adhere. This also will define your lips for the rest of the process.

3. Apply lip balm to your lips. Work the balm all the way to the edge of the outline of your lips.

4. Apply your lipstick. Use a lip brush to ensure that lip color stays in place longer.

References

• Oprah: How to Prevent Lipstick Feathering
• Oprah: The Easier Way to ... Keep Your Red Lipstick from Bleeding