Drugstore deal: Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor

image via maybelline.com

Whether glossy, sheer, or high-pigmented matte, lipstick has a way of lifting our spirits, putting a little spring in our step, and making us feel just a little bit sexier with one simple swipe. But with the seemingly-never ending recession, who has the cash to drop $25+ a tube for the department store brands when in need of a little pick me up? 

Not us, and we are guessing you don't either. So we've scoured the  mass-market counters to find the best-less-than-$10-cosmetics out there for our new shop series Drugstore deal.

First find: Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor,#725 Flame

For fall 2009 red is all the rage, but finding a shade that actually compliments the skin and strikes that delicate balance between orange and blue undertones can be tricky.  That is why Flame, with its lovely rosy but not too pink, warm but not too orange hue caught our eye, and stole our hearts when many hours after application the color stayed true, instead of going orange/blue like many of the pricer brand reds do. 

In addition to the great color, our testers loved the moisturizing top coat that comes with the color. Soft and smooth, it toned down the super-matte look of the lipstick and kept testers from the dreaded sticky-lip look of most other long-wearing brands on the market.

As far as lasting, superstay is true to it's name, almost frighteningly so, as one of our testers discovered the morning after application her lips were still strawberry stained despite scrubbing the night before. Which brings us to a note on application. Like all 'longwearing' lipsticks there are a few tricks to getting your pout done right:

1. Start with soft, well moisturized lips. In order for long-wearing brands to work there is a 'drying' effect which can be managed with the new conditioning formulas, but users must NOT have chapped lips before application or you will end up with a clumpy, peeling mess.  Smooth lips with a wash cloth and a moisturizing treatment at least 10 minutes BEFORE applying superstay, and make sure you are 100% free of flakes.

2. Follow the instructions. The superstay package tells you to let the highly-pigmented color DRY before applying the moisturizing top coat. Don't rush this step or you will be smearing the color before it sets. 

3. Use a gentle make-up remover  to remove. As our tester found out a sleepy splash of water and a quick later of cleanser will not remove superstay lipcolor, which can lead to dry cracked lips the next day. So be sure color is completely gone, and follow with an overnight lip balm.

Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor #725 Flame is available at stores nationwide and online at Drugstore.com.