kevyn aucoin the sensual lip balm

i have found the best under-lipstick lip balm ever.

you see, my lips are often dry and nothing makes that more apparent than a coat of lipstick. truthfully, i need a solid foundation of lip balm to moisturize and plump my lips before applying color, but anyone who has ever tried to apply lipstick over a moisturizing lip balm knows that it can quickly become a slippery mess – and on top of that, color tends to fade pretty quickly. so, i usually skip it and i’m left with dry, matte lips (whether that’s the look i’m going for or not).

yesterday, i was doing a little pre-photoshoot primping at gorgeous local beauty boutique bellacara. when it came time for lip color, i begrudgingly asked for some lip balm knowing that flaky lips and a long lens would not make a nice pairing. adorable makeup artist allison baird handed me kevyn aucoin’s the sensual lip balm touting it as the perfect thing to go under lipstick because it’s a little waxy.

and she was not wrong! this hydrating, lip enhancing, lip balm is actually masquerading as a primer because while it goes on clear and seals in moisture, it also grips on to lip color for dear life and left me with beautiful, smooth lips for a good two hours of shooting and wine sipping.

so please excuse me while i go purge all of my other lip balms and stock up on this one. if there’s anything i’ve learned over the last four years, it’s that when something works on a life-changing level, you stick with it!