Long-wear
Long-wear describes lip formulas designed to keep their colour for many hours with little or no reapplication.
Most long-wear lip products work by setting: after application, part of the formula evaporates and leaves a flexible film of pigment that resists rubbing off. Liquid lipsticks and lip stains are the most common long-wear types, and some bullet lipsticks use similar film-forming ingredients. Wear times printed on packaging are the maker’s own claims, measured under its own test conditions.
Long-wear and transfer-proof are related but not the same. A long-wear formula keeps its colour on the lips; a transfer-proof one also avoids leaving colour on cups and skin. Many products are both.
Long-wear formulas are often matte, since a dry, set film holds colour better than a creamy one, and they can feel drier than a satin bullet. For ordinary lipsticks, a lip liner underneath and blotting between layers help the colour last longer too.
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