If you've ever tried a lipstick with sparkles and glitter, you might have not-so-dazzling memories of discomfort. Most times it's coarse, and can irritate the skin on your lips, causing inflammation, which is especially uncomfortable in winter temperatures when lips are already chapped and windburned.
Even though these less-than-ideal conditions could deter you from shining under the glow of the disco ball (or, perhaps, your office's fluorescent lighting), don't be dismayed. TZR asked Lucy Halperin, a makeup artist who works with Emma Roberts, and Kaia Gerber; makeup artist Autumn Moultrie who works with Viola Davis and Kerry Washington; and Rachel Toledo, who works with Mariah Carey, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, and Olivia Palermo how to get these sparkle shades to stay on throughout a night of passed appetizers and cocktails.
“Wearing glitter can be hard and messy. I would advise lining the lips in a pigment or lipstick first, so you have a real depth of color on your lips,” says Halperin. “Another thing when doing glitter is to slightly smile, so you add an extra amount of product, and that will guarantee full coverage.”
In terms of lining, Moultrie suggests using "a coordinating liner color, then fill in the lipstick and press the glitter onto the lip with your finger. You can outline the lip with concealer on a lip brush for precision."
As for your selection of lipsticks, Toledo recommends using a matte or long-wearing, solid color lipstick as a base, such as Urban Decay Cosmetics Matte Revolution Lipstick, or MAC Matte Lipstick. Top off with some Smith's Rosebud Salve, per Toledo's recommendation, or a very sticky clear gloss, like one from Glossier.
After properly applying your favorite shade, making sure that it lasts for a substantial amount of time is vital. “If you're wearing a sparkly creamy lipstick, you can always add a drop of extra loose glitter on top — the smaller grained glitter usually works easier,” Toledo says. Try using a metallic glitter from NYX, or the newly-launched loose glitter from Anastasia Beverly Hills.
If you don't want to create your own glitter lip, there are still plenty of shimmery metallic formulas and glosses that do the trick. Shop them ahead.
