It seems to be Nicole makes funny faces week here on the blog. Just roll with it, because they’re gonna keep coming.

Matte lipstick is super trendy right now, and I’m a big fan because it’s definitely longer wearing and less messy than it’s glossy counterpart. But whether you reach for a traditional matte lipstick in bullet form or a very dry liquid to matte formula, you might find that some are just so matte that you can apply them nicely. Ironically if it looks like crap when you apply it you’re not going to want it to stick around anyway, so that defeats the purpose.

I find that some particularly dry culprits are the Kat Von D Lipsticks (both the liquid and the bullet ones) and MAC retro mattes. Jeez they are dry. But I wear them comfortably anyway because I’ve learned how to apply dry lipstick in the best way possible, and I’m going to show you how I do it in three simple steps which are conveniently illustrated with close ups of my awkward face.

First things first, apply a bunch of balm. Choose something thick that will really settle into you lips and plump them up. I personally prefer Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. Apply it before you do the rest of your makeup so it has time to soak in before you get to the lipstick.

When It’s time to apply your lipstick, blot off the majority of the balm with a tissue or a paper towel, but don’t wipe it! You want to leave a small amount of the balm on your lips. Just a thin film really. If blotting doesn’t get the job done then gently dab with the tissue and your finger.

Now you can just apply the lipstick as you would apply any old lipstick. For the sake of demonstration I used my NYX slim lip Pencil in Mauve and Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lovecraft. They are both favorites, but they are both super dry. But as you can see, they applied evenly and look creamy, and I know you can feel it through the photo but they are actually pretty comfy on the lips.

You can do this if you are using an especially dry liquid to matt formula too, it works like a charm. 😉