What's more important in lip color: hydration or longevity?

Since I work from home (inside a temperature-controlled environment, not talking 24/7), longevity is lower on my priority list, and I’d rather more comfort (hydration) than something that’s very long-wearing but noticeably drying. I am willing to give up some hydration for longer wear but prefer something that has some hydration.

— Christine

29 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Seraphine Avatar

I actually like retouching my lipstick. I like the fresh feeling of newly applied lipstick. I stopped wearing liquid mattes because I don’t like lipstick that has to be removed to be reapplied. So I’d rather have a comfortable lipstick that may need occasional reapplication than one that stays on a long time, but feels (and maybe looks) dry.

Tara Avatar

I agree with you, Christine. I need a formula that will not dry my lips out as my lips are very prone to cracking. However, sacrificing some moisture for wear time is fine with me. I normally wear bullet lipstick and don’t mind reapplying. I always put a MAC lip primer underneath to protect my lips from anything that may be drying and I think it does somewhat help with that, but it doesn’t magically help it last through eating/stay vibrant all day long like all the reviews say.
I’m interested in all of these balmy-lipsticks I’ve been seeing on the blog lately! ?

Rebecca Avatar

Hydration, for sure.
But then I can’t wear matte lips. I don’t know why, but they dry out my lips to the point that they crack, peel, and ooze.
I can do things to mattify and increase wear time (blot, tissue and powder, etc.), but I’d rather just reapply as needed.

Tessa Avatar

Yet another vote for hydration! And I DO talk all day at my job, but a long wearing, drying lipstick is my idea of hell. I’d much prefer something not TOO opaque, that I can reapply easily, quickly, and comfortably. All lipsticks get gross in the corners of my mouth after all that talking, so I need a lip product that takes kindly to touch-ups.

xamyx Avatar

Neither; the actual color is most important. I remove lip products prior to eating, and lip products take all of 30 seconds to reapply. I’ve never had a lipstick that was so drying it couldn’t be remedied with a bit of lip balm or gloss. However, finding the perfect nude or red can be a daunting process for me, and I’m willing to finagle a bit to make it work…

Deborah S. Avatar

Long wearing is not a priority for me at all. Even when I was working 12 hour shifts at the hospital I would prefer comfort over longevity. To be honest, longevity isn’t even in the running when it comes to lipstick formulas. I prefer those that are comfortable, do not wear off in a weird way and don’t travel into my lip lines and outside my lip margins. If they are hydrating then all the better. I seriously don’t mind reapplying my lipstick multiple times a day.

Alecto Avatar

Hydration, but I seriously dislike glossiness — even a hint of it. So I’m the oddball that wants something hydrating, doesn’t care about reapplying, but wants their lips matte (or pretty darn close). Yeah, not happening.

And FWIW, longevity is dependent on so many factors that I frankly don’t see the point in even trying. With matte liquid lipsticks, you can’t drink anything with creaminess (latte, tea with milk, etc.), or eat anything with even a smidgen of oil, or you still have reapply even if you’re wearing something uber-bullet-proof. At least with a non-“liquid matte” product, it’s generally a lot easier to reapply without creating some weird texture difference on your lips where you reapplied, or (heaven forbid) having to take your lipstick all the way off before reapplying — IME, there’s no such thing as a “touch-up” with liquid mattes.

Mary Avatar

It.s unanimous! Lol… hydration wins !
I love a hydrating lipstick , if a lipstick is drying it’s a deal killer.
However I also don’t like it when a lipstick comes off too quick .I love a full coverage creamy hydrating lipstick , that fades gradually.

Jessica Avatar

Hands down, hydration. My lips are constantly dry (even when I am well-hydrated, though it’s much worse when I don’t drink enough water). I don’t buy or use a lip product if it isn’t hydrating, and I can’t indulge the matte lip trend at all. I also cannot wear any lip product containing citrus oils or mint. They dry out my lips. I adore Bite Beauty’s shade range, but sadly I cannot wear most of it because it contains irritating oils.

Nicole D Avatar

For me, longevity is an important factor. I can’t apply lipstick every hour or every hour and half. But I don’t think that one must choose between hydration and longevity, as there are formulas that fortunately deliver both, al least for me. Guerlain KissKiss Matte Lipstick (I have two, 307 – Crazy Nude and 375 – Flaming Rose) and Dior Lip Tattoo are just a couple.
I want to mention that I always use a lip balm prior to applying a lipstick or gloss (matte or regular), as my lips are dehydrated. Also, I find that applying some regular lipsticks with a brush and using the blotting technique extends their longevity.

Helene Avatar

I’m another who like reapplying my lipstick, and I’d much rather reapply once an hour than have lips looking like raisins. (Yes, that has happned, LOL.)
I can wear a drying lipstick for a day or two, but then I have to take extremely good care of the poor lip before and after. I do prefer comfort though, so hydrating, absolutely.

Emily Avatar

I’m throw in a dissenting voice for longevity. Or, more to the point, I want a lip color to be transfer-proof. I’ve got little kids, so I need to be able to bestow kisses all day without smearing color all over them. (Also the baby thinks bright lip colors are interesting and tries to grab them!) I won’t wear a color that feels drying, but it doesn’t have to be actively moisturizing, either.

Bonnie Avatar

A year ago, I would have said 100% hydration, but since then, I’ve grown to appreciate some of the better longwearing formulae. I really don’t like those super longwearing lipsticks that wear off in an ugly way, getting crumbly and stuck in the lines of your lips, but so long as it can wear off smoothly, I guess I care about longwearing. I take pretty good care of my lips so they should be hydrated.

Anne Avatar

Well, my absolute favorite (Temptalia Grade: A+) does both! But, it’s not cheap. I mix 2 lipsticks frequently — one is more hydrating, the other is longer lasting. All that said, I can’t stand a drying lipstick. You know — one of those ‘nails on a chalk board’ kind of things.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!