Using Lipstick As Waterproof Skin Makeup

Hello! I’m going to show you a very easy way to have a waterproof contour, blush, and highlighter substitute. It's about as straightforward as you could imagine, and lets you have sweatproof makeup, and matching lips and cheeks! I use this trick a lot, especially when running or travelling, so I don’t have to carry multiple makeup products. I usually have tube of brown lipstick for contour in my backpack, along with the normal red stuff. Lipstick is very good at sticking to skin, especially moist skin, like that on our lips! Since all our faces are different, I won’t tell you exactly where to put the makeup (eg what part of your cheek to put blush on). This is also because there are many techniques people use.

Just a note going into the Instructable: it doesn't look like I'm always smiling, but I am!

Lipstick- wax based lipsticks stay in place the longest. Glossy ones are horrible for this purpose. You can use a stain for really long last results, but those are hard to wash off. You could use a liquid lipstick that dries on the lips, although wax based ones are easier to blend.

A blending tool- Your hand is the best one! Most sponges and brushes aren’t made to blend thick, sticky substances like lipstick, so you’ll have the best results if you use your finger.

As always, you should wash your face before applying makeup so it can stick in place best. Don’t put down foundation, because the wax and oils in lipstick adhere to skin, not the powder or creams which are designed to hold more powder.

The application process is straightforward. Just draw a line of brown, matte lipstick where you would put contour (pic 1), then smear it into place with your finger (pic 2 and 3), so there are no sharp edges (pic 4). When using liquid-based lipsticks, so have a limited amount of time for blending before it dries, so be quick. As you blend, the lipstick becomes thinner and dries faster. To help make your skin taut while blending, it helps to smile or open your mouth as wide as possible.

Don’t use the same hand to blend both sides, or you will carry lipstick from one cheek to the other, and end up with one cheek darker than the other.

Here I’m applying a very dark line for demonstrative purposes, then wiped off the excess with my palm. Of course, you can apply less for a lighter, more natural contour (pics 5 and 6).

With the matte, rouge coloured lipstick of your choice, draw a couple dots where your blush goes. You get to be creative with the colours here. While I only use the same brown for contour, I vary the colour of the blush, going from orange to pink to purple, depending on what I want for the day. You have to add small amounts when using colours that stand out, and blend them over a large area gradually. Here we’re using an orange.

This time use a transparent and sparkly lipstick. I wouldn’t recommend gloss because those catch dust and lose their shine slowly.

Why stop at your cheeks? Lipstick is even more versatile! Dab a couple spots on the eyelid and massage it gently into a smooth gradient, like in photos 1-3. You can use multiple colours here too! Often I put an extra line in the crease of the eyelid, then blend it up and down. As you blink, the lipstick will slowly migrate into the fold of the eyelid, making that very prominent. To avoid this, apply a thin layer, and skip that extra line.

At the end of the night, we all just want to get home and crash. Before you even think of touching a pillow to

your face, remove the lipstick with warm water and soap. Makeup remover is better for liquid-based lipsticks than wax based ones.

Thank you for reading this entire Instructable. I hope you are inspired to try this and share the results! Have a great day :)