Knowing how to apply lipstick is one of those essential beauty skills worth mastering, alongside nailing how to apply cream blush and perfecting your base. It might seem fairly intuitive, but everything from the tool you use to the way you layer your color can make a difference to the final finish.
Straight from the bullet is quick and gives you plenty of color payoff, while a lip brush offers greater precision. Prefer something softer? Pressing color onto the lips with your fingertip can create that diffused effect. “The good thing about lipstick today is that it’s not about perfection,” Bobbi Brown, makeup guru and founder of Jones Road, tells us. “When I was starting my first company, it was all about perfection—and now it’s a little more relaxed.”
With 2026 serving up no shortage of excellent lip combos, it feels like a good time to brush up on the basics. Ahead, we asked makeup artists to share their best lipstick application tips, from finding your most flattering shade to minimizing feathering.
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What is the best way to apply lipstick?
“The best way to apply lipstick is straight from the bullet, generally,” says global makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis. With so many formulas and cleverly shaped applicators now available, she assures us that achieving an even application doesn’t need to involve a lengthy process. For something softer and more diffused, “apply by dabbing with your finger instead.”
Whichever application method you favor, prep is key—especially if longevity is the goal. “For long-wearing lipstick, ensure the lips are exfoliated and smooth before,” says Nguyen-Grealis. Gently buff away any flaky skin and apply a hydrating lip balm, allowing it to absorb before going in with color. Next, she recommends lining the lips and shading them in with pencil, before applying lipstick from the center of the lips outwards. “Blot your lips with a tissue, reapply a second layer for more intensity, and tidy up any edges with a cotton bud or a little concealer.”
For a more relaxed approach, Brown has another technique up her sleeve. “I like to apply lipstick directly to my lips—apply first to your bottom lip and smack your lips together,” she says. “Then use your fingers to blend on top.” It plays into the more lived-in way we’re wearing lipstick now, though Brown notes that “bold colors will need more attention and precise application.”
How to get the perfect shade of lipstick?
There are no hard rules when it comes to finding your perfect lipstick shade. “If you are someone who loves a bold lip, it doesn’t matter if it works with your skin or not, that’s your color,” says Brown. Rather than focusing solely on skin tone, she suggests paying attention to the natural color of your lips. “Personally, I like a lipstick that matches your lip exactly. The color of your skin matters a little bit, but it’s not as important as your lip color.”
