Blake Lively’s Makeup Artist Spills the Trick for Finding a Flattering Lipstick

Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain

I love the marker format of this Covergirl lip stain. It’s super easy to use, and the precise applicator tip makes putting it on a total breeze. It helped me define my lip shape, which I feel is needed most times I want to wear a lip product because my natural lips don’t really have a defined edge.

The color I snagged was Canyon, and I must say, I am obsessed with it. It’s the perfect balance between a neutral, red, and terra cotta shade that I think is super complimentary to my skin tone.

Now, onto my first impressions wearing it. As I noted, the marker-like application tip was especially helpful for adding color and definition to the outline of my lips. It boasted an even and smooth wash of color once I was done lining. Disappointingly, it was not as smooth on the actual plush part of my lips. The result looked uneven and I felt like the color I had put on my lip line was a lot darker (which was not my desired look).

The texture of this lip stain didn’t stand out much to me. It simply dried down like a regular marker would — that being said, the lack of stickiness impressed me.

The real test, of course, was seeing if it could withstand things like eating and drinking. I wore the Covergirl lip stain to my family’s Christmas dinner, which was chockfull of snacks, apps, main courses, and cocktails.

Unfortunately, the lip stain barely held on through the first round of appetizers. The color had faded mostly from the plush part of my lips, though a few spots around my lip line had completely disappeared. I tried to minimize use of my napkin for the sake of the lip stain test, but there were a few moments I had to reach for it. Every time, I noticed that some of the lip stain had come off along with bits of food and drink. I definitely had to reapply it after dinner.

After a big bout of eating and drinking with it on, I have to rate the Covergirl lip stain a 2/5. While I absolutely loved the color and initial results, it did not keep its promise of being transfer-proof.

e.l.f. Glossy Lip Stain

I was beyond excited to try this lip stain from e.l.f. I had seen several demo videos on social media and loved how smooth the product looked, plus how it stayed on for influencers that put it to the test. A single tube is only $6, too, so the affordability aspect definitely had me hooked.

This pick comes in the unique form of a lip gloss and isn’t meant to dry down at all. While most other lip stains promise a full wash of color, this one is meant to leave a “sheer” and “healthy sheen” on the lips — which, honestly, feels more “me” than anything else, since I love me a natural look!

Upon first application, I loved how satin-y the formula felt on my lips. The applicator tip was familiar to use and made putting it on precisely super easy. I decided to let the gloss sit on my lips for 5 minutes or so before blotting it a bit with some tissue (as many creators I saw online did).

While the glossy aspect was blotted away, the color stain wasn’t — amen! The shade Cinnamon Dreamz left an impressively flattering mauve-brown color on my lips. One thing I didn’t like about the first wear was I noticed the product sunk into dry patches on my lips (caused by my anxious habit of picking them — but that’s all just user error).

I wore the e.l.f. lip stain to a friends’ dinner party to test out if it was really long-wearing. After a couple rounds of cocktails and a big feast, there was still a good amount of color on my lips. What stood out to me the most is that the color that stayed was still as even as if I had just freshly applied it — just sans glossy finish.

I was thoroughly surprised by e.l.f.’s glossy lip stain. The color, formula, and performance all lived up to the hype for me! All things considered, I have to grant it a 4/5.

Palladio Lip Stain

This lip stain by Palladio acted much like the one from Covergirl, thanks to its easy-to-use marker format. I tried the shade Mocha Cream and instantly fell in love with how it looked on my lips.

What I didn’t like, however, was how dry my lips felt after applying it. I knew that to keep the color on, I’d have to put up with drier-than-usual lips (the brand says the product works best alone), but it was a major bother to me in the sensory department.

Much like the Covergirl lip stain, this formula from Palladio seemed to sink into the cracks on my lips and resulted in an uneven wash of color over time.

When it came to wearing this lip stain, I must say I was quite impressed with how long-lasting it was. I applied it right before sipping on my morning coffee on a WFH day, and I did not notice any transferring of the product onto my mug at all. I even tried to blot the lip stain on my hand, but nothing came off – which is so great.

After several hours of wear (including a mildly sweaty morning walk), the Palladio lip stain was noticeably faded, but not as much as the other marker lip stain had. At this point, I'm thinking there's no real way to avoid fading, though maybe I just haven’t found my holy grail yet.

I was definitely surprised by the long-wearing potential of the Palladio lip stain. I loved the shade on my lips, though I wished it had applied and settled into my skin more evenly. I was also bothered by how dry my lips got when wearing it, so much so that I was distracted from my day. For this ,I rate the Palladio lip stain a 3/5.

1. Full Coverage Foundation

There was a time where wearing full-coverage foundation was all the rage. From drugstore to high-end brands, it seems like they were consistently shoved in consumers’ faces to help us achieve a ‘full beat’ without sitting in a makeup artist’s chair. Also, those of us with dark spots or hyperpigmentation may have relied on them when we were in the thick of our skincare woes.

But these days, wearing too much foundation isn’t as popular as natural and skincare makeup are prioritized. If anything, more people are interested in wearing light-to-medium coverage foundation, skin tints, or tinted moisturizers.

2. Too Much Concealer

It wasn’t until I watched this video by makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes that I realized some of us have been too heavy-handed with our concealers. There’s no reason we should be slapping products under the thinnest parts of our face, but we didn’t know any better!

Now that you know you can still get the desired effect with a minimal amount of concealer, don’t revert back to painting your under eyes!

3. 'Baking' Your Setting Powder

Before you throw away your setting powders, step away from your makeup drawer and have a sit-down chat with me. There isn’t anything wrong with applying them to your face to help ‘set’ your foundation and concealer. However, spending over 10 minutes ‘baking’ your powder (AKA letting it sit untouched) doesn’t work for everyone.

It can lead to creased makeup which can derail your look, plus it’s a pain to correct when you’re halfway through your routine!

4. Overlining Lips

I love a good lip liner, especially if it mirrors my favorite ‘90s makeup look. But, there’s such a thing as overdoing it. The key to lining your lips is following the natural flow of them. Going out of your way to draw above and under your lips’ lines comes off as comical and exaggerated. If anything, use a lip plumping gloss to help your lips look fuller.

5. Overtweezing Your Eyebrows

I don’t even have the words for this outdated makeup look besides wanting to say “no” 20 times in a row. But, I’ll bite and say why this shouldn’t be on your 2025 beauty moodboard.

Some people naturally have thinner eyebrows which is A-okay! However, purposely tweezing your eyebrows to smithereens is cringey. If you truly want to wear this look, here’s what you can do instead of tweezing:

• Create a faux bleached look by applying a skin tone colored setting powder all over your brows.
• Once they’ve ‘disappeared,’ take an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner to draw a thin line over them.

I’m…wondering what the ramifications of telling you how to do this will be, but only use go for this look if it’s a part of a themed party…like Halloween.

6. Exaggerated Highlighter On Cheeks

The shimmery look is in since it’s winter, but please don’t make it look like you dipped your cheeks into a vat of glitter. You can lightly dust highlighter onto your cheeks for a more natural glow that flows with the rest of your look. Otherwise you’ll look like a walking disco ball which could be the opposite of what you were going for.

7. Heavy Contour Or Bronzer

I know the ‘sculpted’ look is popular, but too much contour or bronzer can overpower the rest of your makeup and face. While it’s not impossible to fix if you do it by mistake, using the wrong shade of contour or bronzer may still peep through no matter how much you try to buff it out.

When in doubt, be gentle with your contour or bronzer application!

8. Incredibly Matte Makeup

Matte makeup that didn’t budge was the ‘It Girl’ look for oily and combination skin girls! We thought it was the answer to our skin’s incessant need to hydrate our faces instead of actually using skincare products that focused on combatting that issue (psst…Vitamin C serums help!).

But now’s the time to break up with this look for good for one reason: dewy skin looks healthier.

Anthropologie Love Notes Juice Glass

This sweet lettered glass will remind them of your love every time they go to sip their water, coffee, tea, or juice!

Glossier Black Cherry Balm Dotcom

This new lip balm shade from Glossier is V-Day's perfect match. It's like a hybrid between a lip balm and a lip gloss, since it's subtly pigmented.

Target Valentine's Day Cozy Crew Socks

Cozy socks will always be a reliable gift idea, especially when they've got cute little hearts on 'em!

Compartés Strawberry Champagne Chocolate Bar

This luxe chocolate bar includes notes of strawberries and champagne for a fully fitting Valentine's snack. They'll wanna down it in a single sitting!

PaintLab Heart Press-On Nails

Help them complete their Valentine's date night look with these adorable press-on nails!

Life Is Good Ma Cherie Boxy Crusher Tee

This boxy t-shirt with a very-V-Day design on the front is also just super adorable for year-round wear.

Folkulture Incense Sticks

If they're into incense, they're gonna love winding down with these earthy (and aesthetically-pleasing!) scents.

Flewd Ache-Erasing Bath Soak

This bath soak for achy muscles makes yet another fantastic addition to their next self-care night.

Seeing Stars Book

This playful zodiac book is tailored towards each of the star signs, helping them understand their specific sign and how it plays within the astrological universe.

Room Essentials Printed Plush Throw

This cozy throw blanket would be so cute in a V-Day gift basket alongside some rom-com DVDs and movie candy to set the scene for a romantic at-home movie night!

Anthropologie Heart-Shaped Stoneware Ramekin

Got a baker in your life? They'll def make use of this adorable heart-shaped ramekin, just in time for Valentine's Day celebrations!

Naturium The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Hydrating Body Wash

This nourishing body wash will feel like a major step-up from their typical shower routine. It gives a nice luxury feel without the luxury price tag.

Nordstrom Apres Skis Crew Socks

With the proper shoe, these knit socks will show the reason for the V-Day season: hearts on hearts!

Versed Sweet Relief Night Mask + Face Balm

This thick night mask swarms the skin in moisture and also helps build a solid barrier to keep the moisture from escaping overnight, letting your giftee wake up to healthy, hydrated skin in the AM every time.

Baggu Standard Reusable Bag

Baggu bags are beloved for a reason. If they've got stuff to tote around like heavy Trader Joe's hauls, thrift store finds, and crafting goodies, these make the perfect stylish carrier!

Threshold 'You Are Loved' Mug

This cute $5 striped mug makes the ultimate loving reminder for your BFF, significant other, or parent.

Astor Chocolate Moodibars Gourmet Chocolate Tiles Sampler

This chocolate sampler comes ready with lots of different flavors to suit your giftee's multiple moods, like Dark Strawberry Champagne, Milk Caramel, Milk Toffee Crunch, and Dark Espresso. Yum!

Lush Love Letter Bath Bomb

What better way to help them relax and unwind on V-Day than a luscious Lush bath bomb?! This one's shaped like a love letter and smells just like a "sweet and creamy" strawberry sundae.

Copper Cow Classic Black Ground Coffee

For the coffee fiend, this classic black ground coffee creates the perfect cup that they can easily sip on its own or customize to their liking.

e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil

Gift the perfect glowy pout with this cult-fave lip oil – it's just $8!