10 best lip primers
Get the perfect, long lasting pout with our roundup of the best lip primers
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Bright red or subtle taupe; midnight blue or pretty pink, whatever colour you wear on your lips you want it to survive anything.
So, just like for the eyes and face, a reliable lip primer is a staple of any makeup bag.
As autumnal weather draws closer, our lips need a little extra help to be their best selves. The key to soft and healthy lips, after drinking lots of water, of course, is preparation.
Lip primers are designed to pamper and protect in order to give your lipstick the best chance of lasting all day and night.
Whether it be drinking without a straw, kissing or devouring a kebab on the way home from a night out – these primers will help your lip makeup outlast it all.
Guerlain Kiss Kiss Smoothing Lipstick Primer: £26, feelunique.com
Like all Guerlain products, this lip primer with its gold casing will make you feel like the belle of the ball.
Ultra-smoothing without drying, Kiss Kiss creates a perfect canvas on which to apply your lipstick, preserves colour intensity and also prevents feathering.
It kept our testers’ lipstick bold for the longest and it smells like jelly babies and parma violets, which she loved.
Apply slightly over the lip contour to redefine your lip shape.
MUA Pout Prime Lip Primer: £3, muastore.co.uk
Don’t be fooled by the thrifty price tag, this primer is the perfect base for those with usually dry lips.
Smoothing and moisturising, this primer works best as a base for matte lipsticks and will ensure colour stays vibrant for hours.
Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base: £18.50, boots.com
Lauded as being both treatment and makeup, Clarins Instant Light contains jojoba, sunflower and shea to nourish the lips, while acacia micro pearls and vegetable waxes help set lip colour for long lasting wear.
It definitely improved the duration of our lip colour, but this base also created a nice, subtle sheen when worn alone.
Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer: £17, boots.com
With a light but nourishing formula, this multi-functional lipstick has primer built in to prepare lips and keep the colour bright.
Great for everyday wear, it’s buttery without being shiny and comes in a wide range of shades.
One layer works for subtle colour, two for something bolder – or use as a base for more pigmented lip colours.
Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge La Base: £25.50, lancome.co.uk
In this lip base, Lancôme has created its first ever “Pro-Xylane” balm.
The patented skincare molecule nourishes lips either on its own or as a primer for long lasting colour.
Super moisturising, this product also contains vitamin E to protect your lips from natural damage.
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick: £4.80 allbeauty.com
The perfect product to have in your handbag, the Rêve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick can be worn alone as a moisturising balm or used as a primer for lip colour.
With honey and sunflower to repair dry, damaged lips and a pleasant citrusy smell, this product is a must-have for cold and windy winters.
Green People Enrich and Enhance Lip Primer: £13, greenpeople.co.uk
Born out of a desire to create gentle, natural skincare, Green People promises to never use aggressive ingredients or synthetic chemicals in its products, making it perfect for those with even the most sensitive skin.
The Lip Primer contains carnauba and beeswax to lock in hydration, nourish lips and anchor the colour of your lipstick for long-lasting wear.
Filorga Nutri Filler Lips: £26, feelunique.com
As the temperature cools down the best way to prime your lips is to keep them soft and healthy, for this Filorga is the ultimate product.
Its lip balm contains oils and shea butter to nourish and repair dryness and chaps, as well as collagen to keep lips plump.
The texture is closer to a gloss than a balm but is still light without being sticky.
Use it throughout the day for a boost or overnight for deep moisturising.
Artdeco Beauty Balm Lip Base: £10.88, parfumdreams.com
The Swiss Army knife of lip primers – this Artdeco liquid lip base primes, cares for and protects lips in one smoothing swish.
Peach in colour, it dries clear to create a light base for lipstick or gloss, while also neutralising your lips’ natural colour. Just make sure it’s completely dry before applying products on top.
This contains SPF to prevent sun damage and vitamin A and corn extract to nourish lips.
MAC Prep and Prime Lip: £14, maccosmetics.co.uk
A good all-rounder, this mid-price primer smooths your pout to reduce feathering, while hydrating your lips to keep them soft and supple.
This works best under matte or liquid matte lipsticks.
The Verdict: Best Lip Primers
Whilst Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss edged to first place, the Artdeco and MAC primers both noticeably improved the longevity of our testers’ lip colour.
In terms of long term lip care, however, Figora and Nuxe are both products we’ll be using again and for a light but long lasting lipstick.