Bleeding Lipstick

Problem: I like sheer lipsticks, but every one I've tried feathers into the lines around my mouth and looks like a mess! I've tried several of the ultra-matte lipsticks, but they look so hard and dry, and pencils are useless. I'm too young to have this problem. Is there something out there I've missed?

Solution: No, you haven't missed anything; sheer lipsticks (which are just glosses in a stick form), both the expensive and inexpensive ones, are slippery and don't stay put. Pencils are helpful, but they can't contain a creamy, glossy lipstick all day. If you have any lines around your mouth—and that's not necessarily related to age—sheer, creamy lipsticks and lip glosses will follow those pathways. Your only option is to give up the notion of a completely sheer look. Try a semi-matte lipstick such as Elizabeth Arden Semi-Matte, Clinique Long Lasting Soft Matte, M.A.C. Matte, or Revlon Absolutely Fabulous LipCream. Once you apply the lipstick, blot with a tissue until it looks more or less sheer. I know it won't have the sheen you're looking for, but it also won't travel into the lines around your mouth. Don't try to put a gloss over that; it will only encourage the lipstick to bleed. Matte lipstick isn't a shield that's impervious to the effect of the gloss. Gloss creates movement no matter what it goes over. Perhaps the best option is to try Cover Girl's Outlast or Max Factor's LipFinity. These are semi-permanent lip stains that don't move and really do stay on, and on, and on.