Lasting Power — Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick and Lip Pencil

My mom has a very peculiar problem with lipstick: whenever she takes a sip out of a glass (be it a wine glass, a regular plastic cup, a tumbler or a champagne flute), she manages to get a blotch of color right at the midway point between her chin and her bottom lip. None of knows exactly how this manages to happen (including my mom herself), but it inevitably does. Whenever she’s dining out or enjoying herself at a party, then, she finds herself scanning the room for any available mirrors so she can check her reflection at regular intervals (because, really, a streak of red lipstick right above your chin is about as subtle and attractive as a razor-sharp, spiked piercing). But wouldn’t it be nice if she could just apply some lipstick that would stay put (rather than scatter about like some runaway train)? Enter Estée Lauder’s new Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick.

While other brands have released “long-lasting” and “color fast” lipsticks over the years, most of these products have fallen short of consumers’ expectations, with many drying lips, fading away much faster than anticipated, or leaving color unevenly distributed. Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick, however, yields all-day coverage thanks to its patent-pending polymeric technology (which also delivers constant hydration so that lips don’t chap and crack). The lipstick promises to deliver a satiny finish that lasts up to 12 hours — and, from my experience, the claims are pretty accurate (they’ve lasted me about 6-8 hours, even making it through meals and coffee breaks). The color does fade a bit as the day unfolds (after all, it’s not like someone tattooed the color onto your pout!), but it does so in a very slow-burning, gradual manner. If you drink a glass of water, for example, you might find a lipstick mark on the rim of your cup — and yet, when you look in the mirror, your pout will still look vibrant.

But what makes this such a great addition to your makeup case isn’t just its longevity — the Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick feels and looks creamy and rich (unlike most long-lasting lipsticks which leave your mouth looking like it was colored in using a felt-tip marker, producing very matte, dull hues). It’s the type of lip color that makes mouths look yummy — and, in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?

The lipstick is available in 12 hues: Stay Pinkberry, Stay Raspberry, Stay Mauve, Stay Coral, Stay Scarlet, Stay Cranberry, Stay Mocha, Stay Ginger, Stay Rose, Stay Pink, Stay Plumberry and Stay Ruby.

In the below image, you’ll find swatches of the following shades (from top to bottom): Stay Ginger (an earthy pink), Stay Mauve (a frosted, cool, purple-tinged pink) , Stay Pink (a funky, extra girly, bright pink) and Stay Scarlet (a Valentino-esque red). Don’t they just look creamy?

And, of course, if you want to complete your look, line your lips with one of Estée Lauder’s new Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencils, which include ingredients like moisturizing hyaluronic acid and soothing vegetal filling spheres. The lip pencils are also available in 12 shades: Pink, Fuchsia, Rose, Wine, Plummy, Tearose, Red, Russet,Mocha, Chocolate, Tawny, Coral and Apple Cordial. I find the Pink lip pencil goes beautifully with the Stay Pink lipstick while the Tearose lip pencil hue really works wonders with the Stay Mauve lipstick, so I’d definitely recommend trying those pairings.

Now, you can add some color to your lips and go about your day, sipping water, eating meals, and smooching your loved ones without fear of a makeup fracas. Who said it couldn’t last?

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick, $22, and Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencil, $19, Visit EsteeLauder.com