Exclusive Content

The promise was seductive: lipstick that would stay put through breakfast, lunch, dinner and even an evening stroll. The catch: Extended-wear formulas can leave lips parched and peeling. Worse yet, “the formulas erode toward the middle of the lip, leaving a woman looking like a blow-up doll by noon,” says Napoleon Perdis, the Australian make-up artist whose eponymous cosmetics line is sold at Saks Fifth Avenue.

So toss those last-through-the-day lipsticks, Perdis says, and opt for creamy color with lots of moisturizing power. To keep your lipstick lasting reasonably long, Perdis suggests patting a tiny bit of concealer on your mouth, then applying your lipstick and, as a last step, outlining your lips all the way to the corners with a neutral liner. “This creates great definition and adds a pout to your lips,” he says, “but also keeps lips soft and approachable. Your mouth will be in beautiful form without the harshness of a dark lip liner.”

His favorites from his own line: DéVine Goddess Lipstick in Eros ($22; napoleonperdis.com), Satin Lips in Angelene ($20; napoleonperdis.com) and lip pencil in Cameo or Sand ($18; napoleonperdis.com). “Lipstick is empowering, so flaunt it,” says Perdis. “I remember reading that Audrey Hepburn used to say, ‘Pass me my lipstick, dear. A girl can’t think without it.’”