How to Avoid Getting Lipstick on Your Teeth

One of the biggest beauty nightmares is to discover that you’ve been going about your day with lipstick on your teeth. The experience is embarrassing and to be honest, after a particularly bad instance of being caught with your favorite red lipstick on your front tooth, it’s enough to make you want to give up on lip colors altogether. On the other hand, if you love the overall look of a pigmented pout and simply can’t go without, you may find yourself constantly checking your mirror to make sure that your makeup hasn’t moved. Of course, neither reaction is ideal. So, if you’re ready to keep your lip makeup on your pout and not on your teeth, look no further! Below, we’re sharing easy to follow tips to keep your lipstick in place.

1. Blot your lips

After applying your favorite lipstick, it’s always smart to blot your lips with a tissue. Simply place the tissue paper between your lips and smack your lips to remove excess product from your pout. This method is a quick and easy way to avoid having product land on your teeth!

2. Grab your translucent powder

Loose powders are not only great for setting your makeup in place and controlling shine, but this product also works wonders for keeping your lipstick in place. Grab a face powder with a fine, translucent formula such as the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock Loose Powder. Using a makeup blender or fluffy brush, and lightly tap the product on your lips, effectively locking your lipstick into place—and mattifying your lip color in the process.

If you want to set your lipstick without impacting its finish, you can also press the powder on through the veil of a tissue, effectively combining tips one and two for lipstick that definitely isn’t going anywhere.

3. One finger does the trick

This beauty tip has been around for years! Once your lipstick is in place, simply place a finger in between your lips and pull through. This will remove product located on the inside of your lips and prevent it from transferring to your teeth.

4. Pick up a lip liner

It’s natural for some lipsticks to bleed throughout the day. In an effort to keep your product on your lips and not your chin or your teeth, lip liners should be your best friend. Start by grabbing a lip liner that will enhance your lipstick and give your lips a plumped appearance like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lip Liner. Line the outside of your lips, then fill in to create a base of lip liner that will help stop your lipstick—once applied—from moving.

5. Opt for a straw when consuming drinks

Instead of placing your lips on a cup, drinking with a straw will help keep your lip color where it belongs. This tip will help to keep your makeup looks in tip-top shape, and as a bonus, using a straw when drinking dark beverages like coffee and soda can also aid in keeping your teeth pearly white. (Speaking of white teeth, Here’s Teeth Whitening: Your Guide on How to Get White Teeth.)

6. Opt for Long-Lasting Formulas

Creamy lipsticks or ones with sheer finishes can feel great on your lips, but they aren’t always great at staying where you want them to. To be real, they’re often prone to wearing off throughout the day and can—you guessed it—end up on your teeth when they’re moving around. If this is a problem you find yourself running into more often than not, switch to wearing long-lasting lipsticks, like L'Oréal Paris Rouge Signature, Lasting Matte Liquid Lipstick, that stay put.

7. Apply with a lip brush

It’s possible your lipstick transferring issue doesn’t indicate a product problem at all, but rather a problem with how you’re applying your lipstick. If you have trouble coloring inside the lines and tend to get a little messy with your makeup application, it’s easy to see how some product ends up on your teeth. To keep your lipstick exactly where you want it, switch to applying bullet lipsticks with a small lip brush (swipe the product directly onto the brush instead of your lips) that will give you more control.

Now that you’ve officially mastered keeping lipstick off your teeth and on your pout, check out 10 Lip Products Everyone Should Have in Their Makeup Bag.