Question:
Could you please tell me what makes a lipstick long-wearing? I’m so confused by matt/demi-matt/cream/gloss formulations. Please explain!
Sonia Schwartz, via email.
Answer:
“The longest lasting lipsticks are matte,” says Poppy King, colour designer for Prescriptives and former lipstick creator. “They have a high level of pigment and no shine. Pigments come in a powder form, whereas shine is viscous and slippery. Think of it like this: powder sticks and shine slips. That way, matt [powdery] lipsticks are long-lasting, demi-matt the same, but a little less so because they are not as thick as matt. Cream lipsticks are half-matt, half-shiny, so they have half the staying power, and gloss has the least because it is very shiny.
“The downside for the staying power of matt lipstick is that it can tend to be drying on the lips, so some people sacrifice the staying power for the moisture of a gloss. To find a happy medium, combine a matt base with a slick of gloss.”
The AWW Beauty Team
