Lipstick is perhaps the most powerful makeup tool available in the arsenal of possibilities.  Providing that dramatic statement and transformation that women are seeking in their makeup, it seems to have been around forever.  Well at least since 60 BC, when Cleopatra wore it.  Variations of the pigment, oil and wax formulas have graced our mouths ever since–even surviving periods in history in which it was banned for being “devil paint”!

It’s the role lipstick played in glamorizing the sirens of the silver screen, though, that brought lipstick into the mainstream, where it remains today.  Doesn’t it seem Hollywood always seems to have a role in our beauty trends?  Now some 92 million women (and let’s not leave out the cross-dressing men!) don’t leave home without the little miraculous cylinder.

Lipstick possesses the ability to brighten and define our faces, make us look alive and more polished in a single swoosh of the tube.  My maternal grandmother never wore a single stitch of makeup her entire life, except lipstick.  It was “Zinc Pink” by Revlon and it matched her frosted nails.

Even with all of it’s “rock our world” capabilities, lipstick has some bummer qualities too.  It can be messy, smelly, sticky and fickle.  Some variations seem to wear off before you’ve finished your first cup of morning coffee.  And the ones that claim to last a really long time are often thick and uncomfortable.

So what’s a girl to do?  Here’s a list of some lipsticks that industry experts and top makeup artists consider, hands down, the best for their stay put coverage and comfort.

1. MAC Pro Longwear Lipcolour
This product won’t smudge, run or transfer. It’s got a glamorous wet, glossy shine like you see on magazine cover models., $19.50

2. Clinique Stay the Day Lip Colour
Clinique says part one of this dual-formula lipstick sweeps on full-coverage color while the other part seals it in -- for 10 hours. It has two ends -- one with the color and one with a gloss, $16.50

3.  Stila Twinset Demi Crème + Shine
Stila has a rich, luxurious lip color that lasts and lasts.  We love that the twinset comes in one convenient package to both color and coat, $37

4. Estée Lauder Pure Color Long-Lasting Lipstick
Estée Lauder touts this product as intense, high-shine color in a long-wearing formula that pampers and comforts. The consistency is smooth and creamy, $22

Melissa Sebastien

Editor, www.allingoodface.com