Lipstick has always been my weakness - it can instantly pull a look together, elevate your makeup from day to night in seconds, and boost your self-confidence. However, prior to meeting my new boyfriend, I had completely forgotten the importance of owning a kiss-proof lipstick. There's nothing worse than being heavy into a makeout session, only to pull away and realize you've both taken on the appearance of the Joker, red smeared beyond the outline of your lips. Not a great impression, especially at the start of a relationship. Luckily, kiss-proof lipstick seems to be the way of the future, with brands furiously creating liquid lipsticks that not only impart bold colour, but stay put for hours on end.

For me, there is a clear winner in this category; the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks ($31). Applied as a gloss, their pigmented formula imparts audacious colour with a single swipe, and dries quickly to reveal a matte finish. The formula, which has been enriched with Vitamin E and avocado oil, features a creamy consistency, and is equipped with a doe-foot applicator, making it easy and difficult to apply all at once; as it requires a tremendous amount of precision and patience. I find that the trick to perfect application is to begin with exfoliated and moisturised lips - this will prevent excessive drying as the day progresses. To apply, begin by removing excess product from the brush before outlining the lips. Once outlined, you can then go back in with additional product to fill them in, creating an opaque and distinctly bold look.  

Although the name eludes to the lipstick 'staying all day', the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick will remain impeccable for approximately 6 hours, surviving bouts of eating, talking, and most importantly, kissing. Anything longer than 6 hours will result in a very dry lip that can feel uncomfortable and becomes flakier as the hours pass. Whenever I plan to wear this product for longer than 6 hours, I will typically remove the lipstick mid-day using a removing wipe, like the Bite Beauty Lush Lip Wipes ($14), before re-hydrating my lips, and re-applying the shade.

MUST HAVE SHADES

Having previously fallen in love with two of the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick's, Como (bright violet) and Fiery (stilleto red), I saw it necessary to add three more shades to my collection; Caramello (neutral nude), Patina (dusty rose) and Ricco (deep red). Caramello and Ricco are two new additions to the Stila line-up, released as part of their Spring '16 Collection, while Patina has been a long-time cult favourite due to it's striking resemblance to Kylie Jenner's signature lip. I've been wearing Caramello for days when I want to play up my eyes, Patina as a daily lipstick, and Ricco for nights out on the town; though all three could alternatively be worn to dress up a pair of ripped denim or white tee.

In my opinion, own these three shades and you'll never need another lipstick.  

THE SWATCHES

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What is your holy grail kiss-proof lipstick?
Let me know your favourites in the comment section below.

XO.BB