15 Best Lip Primers That Prevent Smudging (2024), As Per A Makeup Expert

A face primer fills your pores and ensures that your base is flawless. Just like that, lip primers set the base for lipstick by filling the creases and cracks present, so your lip product glides effortlessly. The best lip primers are all you need to ensure your lipstick is applied evenly and stays that way all day long. It also provides a smoother appearance and helps prevent smudging, feathering, or creasing.

Many people make the mistake of just applying lipstick or tint without a primer, and they soon repent as the lip product doesn’t apply too well, nor does it stay on too long. If you don’t want to commit this blunder and want a photo-ready pout wherever you go, you’re at the right place. We’ve searched far and wide and compiled a list of the best lip primers on the market. These options on our list will ensure that you and your lips are the talks of the town wherever you’ll go. Also, your lipstick will stay on regardless of the activity, and they are soft, plump, as well as luscious! So, what are you waiting for? Go on, and check them out!

What Is A Lip Primer And What Does It Do?

A lip primer, just like a face primer, is a base for your lips that increases the longevity of your lip color. It creates a smooth base for your lipstick so that it lies evenly on your lips and lasts for the long haul. A lip primer may be in the form of a lip primer pencil, lipstick, or crayons, all of which are meant to be layered under your lip color.

A lip primer basically increases the staying power of your lipstick on your lips and keeps it in place without fading. Be it any type of lipstick, a primer saves the day in case you are prone to feathered lips with your lipstick ending up in the fine cracks and lines around your pout. A lip primer also fixes any creasing of your lipstick, giving you that perfectly applied look through the day. Lip products have a nasty way of clinging to dry skin on your lips and looking patchy, but a lip primer preps and primes your lips and makes them smooth so that they look perfect till the end of the day.

15 Best Lip Primers Of 2024 That Prevent Smudging And Fading

Best Vegan:NYX Professional Makeup Lip Primer - Deep Nude

4

Image: Nyx Professional Makeup

BUY ON AMAZON | $6.99

This lipstick primer promises instant gratification for your lips and creates the perfect base for lip color. It ensures that your lip color lasts and does not go outside the lines as there is no smudging or feathering. It doesn’t require sharpening as it’s a twist up pencil which makes it all the more convenient. It’s not the least bit drying and in fact is slightly moisturizing, and glides on like a high end lipstick, giving just enough coverage to appreciate your lipstick’s true pigment. It’s more on the sheer side, thus bringing your lips to a uniform shade. If you are still unsure about purchasing, you can check out a review of this product on YouTube to know more about it as per an honest reviewer’s experience.

Skin Type: AllColor: Deep Nude

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

More than 2,520 customers have given the product positive reviews on Amazon.

Best Hypoallergenic:Shany Eye & Lip Primer/Base - Peach

3.8

Image: Shany

BUY ON AMAZON | $14.32

There’s nothing more annoying than having your carefully applied makeup fade out on you. Save yourself that annoyance by using one of the best lip primers that is infused with nourishing vitamins and essential ingredients. This long lasting solution prevents your makeup from smudging and fading and its duality works on both your lips and eyes, while highlighting your natural beauty. This formula is paraben-free, talc-free, and hypoallergenic to ensure safety for even the most sensitive skin. This primer will make your beloved eye shadows and lip products appear true to color and prevent creasing. Its waterproof formulation is perfect for everyone and the primer blends in perfectly with every skin tone and skin type. The product is also not tested on animals, making it ideal for those pursuing a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Skin Type: Oily, Combination, Sensitive, Dry, Normal | Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches | Weight: 0.8 Ounces

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

There are more than 1,240 Amazon reviews attesting to the quality of the product and endorsing its value.

Best Non-Greasy:Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Primer

4.2

Image: Anastasia

BUY ON AMAZON | $16

Tired of expensive lipsticks that just don’t stay on long enough? This moisturizing lip primer is colorless and lightweight and effectively hydrates, smoothes, and preps your lips to create a perfect and smooth base for any lipstick. Just 1 swipe of this lip primer on your lips is enough for your glossy or matte lipstick. It also prevents pigment from fading, flaking, or bleeding. It is neither greasy or waxy and feels smooth on the lips. It is like a lipstick with good coverage, and doesn’t require pressure as it’s quite smooth. Many reviewers have lauded its smooth wax formula and non-sticky nature.

Product Dimensions: 3.6 x 0.8 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 0.64 Ounces

Pro Tip

Apply this lip primer, then press some eyeshadow onto the center of your lips to create a stained and muted lip look.

	Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Primer Best Vegan	Shany Eye & Lip Primer/Base - Peach Best Hypoallergenic	NYX Professional Makeup Lip Primer - Deep Nude Best Non-Greasy
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Skin Type	AllColor	Oily, Combination, Sensitive, Dry, Normal	-
Dimensions	-	1 x 1 x 1 inches	3.6 x 0.8 x 0.7 inches
Weight	-	0.8 Ounces	0.64 Ounces
Rating
Reviews	2,520	1,240	945
Price	$6.99	$14.32	$16

Best Matte Finish:FACESCANADA Ultime ProHD Intense Matte Lips + Primer - Tempting 16

3.8

Image: Facescanada

BUY ON AMAZON | $12.91

If you are looking for a bright and vibrant effect with your lip color, this might be just the answer. This matte lip primer has a rich and intense HD look and instantly brightens up the whole face. It has a matte finish, yet is creamy enough to glide on to your lips smoothly and doesn’t dry them out. It is not too cakey and ensures that your lipstick stays on for a good 10-12 hours without fading, smudging, or feathering. It’s highly pigmented and goes well on a medium to dusky skin tone. The best part is that it is transfer-proof unless it comes in contact with oil. In case you have very dry lips, it is advisable to use a lip balm first. You can check out this YouTuber’s review of the product if you require more convincing on whether the primer offers longer-lasting color.

Skin Type: AllColor: Tempting  16 | Product Dimensions: 4.92 x 0.43 x 0.39 inches | Weight: 0.42 Ounces.

Best Natural Look:Clinique Pop Lip Color + Primer- Rouge Intense + Base

4.5

Image: Clinique

BUY ON AMAZON | $8.21

If you’re aiming for a subtle look that also exudes professionalism, do try this product. This top-rated color intensifier lip primer is moisturizing and comes in a lovely shade, especially if you want a neutral and natural look. It’s almost nude but gives you just the right amount of pigment and shimmer so that your lips don’t look bland or washed out. It goes on soft and smooth and wears very well through the day. Your lipstick won’t smudge, fade, or feather so that you have that perfect pouty look for all occasions. If you want to find out more about this product, check out this review on YouTube and learn about the tester’s experience with it.

Product Dimensions: 0.91 x 0.91 x 3.19 inches | Weight: 0.13 Ounces

Best For Quick-Drying:Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer

4.4

BUY ON AMAZON | $58.99

Too faced lip primers are like extra insurance for your lips as they are efficient in locking down lip color and preventing fading, bleeding, and creasing. They keep the lips smooth with their unique, creamy formula, which when applied, enhances suppleness and ensures maximum staying power. It’s enriched with vitamin E that pampers your lips while unique pigment binders protect lip colors from any imperfections. Lipsticks and lip glosses glide on smoothly without feathering, fading, or transferring through the course of the day. This lip primer is rated highly on various online forums and also generated many excellent reviews for being a quick-drying formula that guarantees almost instant application of your lipstick so that it stays on looking fresh through the day. It has the added advantage of a built in applicator that always has the ideal amount of product for even coverage. Maybe it’s time to give this product a try!

Best Color-Free:MAC Prep + Prime

4.4

Image: Mac

BUY ON AMAZON | $15.03

This Mac Prep + Prime from the range of Mac lipstick primers is a color-free lipstick base that adds light moisture to your lips while smoothing and refining their look. This lip base helps to improve the wear and appearance of lipstick, lip liner, or gloss by hydrating and smoothing your lips and creating the perfect base to layer your lip products. All you need to do is apply a thin layer of this primer over the lips before using your lip products, and it will keep the lipstick and the liner from bleeding. But do remember to let it dry for at least 1 minute before you follow up with lip color. Reviews on Amazon have noted that the primer can be ideal for for smoother application during special occasions.

Skin Type: Combination

Best Anti-Aging:Mary Kay TimeWise Age Fighting Lip Primer

4.3

Image: Mary Kay Timewise Age Fighting Lip Primer

BUY ON AMAZON | $25.55

Tired of looking bland and pale because your lipstick disappears within hours? This Mary Kay lip primer might just be the answer for you! Enriched with sunflower seed oil and vitamin E acetate, now you can have anti-aging and priming benefits in one product! It’s a soft and creamy formula that keeps lip color on even through eating. It also continues to moisturize your lips for hours and can be used as a wrinkle filler around the mouth, getting rid of fine lines around the lips. This prevents your lipstick from feathering, keeping it in place during special events. It goes on smoothly, does not dry out lips, and your lipstick stays on for almost the entire work day with just the first application.

Skin Type: All

Best Smudge-Proof:Maybelline Prime It Up Multi-Benefit Lip Primer

3.6

Now 5% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $14.29

Get your lips ready to stand out with their color! Achieve that perfect pout by using this multifaceted lipstick primer before applying your favorite lipstick. This lip product helps you to prep and prime your lips to achieve a professional, polished lip look for your statement-making events. It prevents your lipstick from fading, feathering, and bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth. Create the perfect base for long-wearing, high-impact color with this multi-benefit lip primer as the perfect pout starts with smooth and primed lips.

Remember

Clean your lips with micellar water to remove dirt and excess oil, then apply this primer.

Best Glossy Finish:Trestique Prime + Color Lip Glaze - English Rose

3.7

BUY ON AMAZON | $20.4

Who doesn’t like a versatile product! This 2-in-1 lip duo works both as a smoothing primer as well as a shiny lip glaze. The primer preps and smooths your lips to create a perfect base for your lip color while the lip glaze glides on smoothly with a balmy feel and leaves your lips with a lasting, soft and shiny color. It features a unique square-tip shape and gives your lips a smooth feel, a unique pigment formula, and a beautiful gloss finish. Infused with hydrating coconut and peach oils, this product locks in color perfectly. It has a customized magnetic seal cap to keep your makeup bag clean. Its high performance formula and refillable twist-on/off tool makes it one of the best lip primer duos!

Best Long-Lasting:Unicorn Snot Lip Glitter Primer

4.2

BUY ON AMAZON | $7.99

Like its name, this holographic lip glitter is truly magical, especially on days when you want to drop a glitter bomb on the world. For best results, swipe this primer across your lips to instantly create a smooth base, and apply the loose glitter over the top. You can use the primer to apply glitter wherever you feel you need a little extra sparkle. This product stays in place all day and night without irritating your skin. It’s very easy to apply as all you need to do is coat your lips with primer using the applicator. Then choose a color and use the brush’s sponge tip to apply. Finally, flip the finish brush over, and wipe away the excess sparkle. Use this lipstick primer for luscious, sparkling lips or apply it wherever you need a little extra glamor and glitz. This product is not tested on animals, making it a wonderful option for those who want to lead a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Best Nourishing:E.l.f. Lock On Lip Primer

4.5

BUY ON AMAZON | $17.99

This liquid lipstick primer can help lock your lip color and prevent it from fading, bleeding, and creasing. Its sheer and creamy formula glides on to your lips to create that perfect canvas for your lip color. It’s also enriched with vitamin E to help nourish and hydrate your lips. You just need to apply it to clean lips and wait for 30 to 60 seconds for it to dry completely before applying your lip color. It glides on like a gloss and dries almost instantly, lasting all day without transferring. Your lipstick will now last all day, even through eating and drinking water while standing the test of time. Reviewers highly recommend this lip primer for its affordability and user-friendly nature.

Best Moisturizing:Cargo_HD Picture Perfect Lip Primer

3.8

BUY ON AMAZON | $19.0

This product is a hydrating lipstick primer that smooths, plumps, and defines your lips as it extends the wear of the lip color. Not only does your lipstick stay put when you use this primer, it also plumps your lips. Its moisturizing formula ensures that it clings to lips, creating an adhesive-like base. Just apply it to clean, dry lips and allow the primer to dry before applying color. It is enriched with peptides that smooth and plump the lip surface, laying the path for luscious, long-wearing color while silica spheres fill in the fine lines and give your lips a ‘soft focus effect’. Definitely worth a try!

Best Non-Feathering:Claudia Stevens Lid And Lip Primer Base

3.8

Image: Claudia Stevens

BUY ON AMAZON | $7.28

This product is very convenient and versatile as it serves as a primer for both your eyelids and lips. This 2-in-1 primer can be applied on your eyelids before eye shadow and on your lips before lipstick to increase wear as it prevents color fading, creasing and bleeding. It has a creamy consistency and keeps your eyeshadow and lipstick lasting all day. The lip primer makes your lips soft and casts a white/beige color, which makes the color of the lipstick stand out more. Reviewers highly recommend this product to prevent skin creasing and evening out the skin tone.

Item Weight: 8 Grams

Best All-Natural:Bite Beauty Line & Define Lip Primer

4.7

BUY ON AMAZON | $24.99

This lipstick primer has a 100% natural, moisturizing formula that instantly preps, plumps, and primes your lips. This silky, lightweight primer naturally nourishes your lips, retains color for long, and prevents bleeding and feathering. Resveratrol, argan oil, and jojoba oil condition and smooth, while the perfect amount of mint plumps your lips to look naturally luscious. This product goes over your lips very smoothly and has a slightly minty flavor. It is one of the best primers to prevent feathering with some very high-end lipsticks and, as a result, your lipsticks also last much longer.

Now that you have been through our review of the 15 best lip primers of 2024, let us give you a few pointers on what to look out for while choosing one for yourself. Opting for the wrong lip primer can ruin the whole look of your makeup, so it’s important to choose the right texture and prepare your lips well before applying lipstick for that perfect finish.

How To Choose A Lip Primer

• Texture

A lip primer creates a smooth base coat for your lipstick, and must have nourishing and conditioning properties. That’s why it’s important that it should be smooth and creamy instead of drying. Of course, excessively deep moisture can result in greasy lips which may affect the finish of your lipstick. If you have very dry lips, it’s a good idea to buy a lip primer that adds natural moisture because it helps to soothe and heal cracked lips.

• Suitable form

If you use a matte lipstick, it tends to dry out your lips; so ideally you should use a moisturizing lip primer which contains castor oil, beeswax, or carnauba wax. This will ensure that your matte lipstick goes on smoothly, evenly and offer impressive color payoff. If you use a glossy lipstick, a primer that creates a totally smooth base is what you need.

• Multitasking lip primers

Some primers can be used for the enhancement of both eyes and lips, making them a great bonus option. If you’re looking for a versatile product, you may want to consider products that come in the form of a lip primer and plumper in one stick or a lip color and primer together. If you want to add extra volume to your lip, plumper primers are a great choice. In addition, look for expertly crafted formulas for exceptional results to keep your lips hydrated.

• Ingredients

Some lip primers contain chemical ingredients like fragrance, parabens, silica, titanium dioxide, benzyl alcohol, and BHT that can harm your lips or cause allergies. You should look for natural ingredients to nourish your lips like olive oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, or safflower oil. Or, if you have extremely dry lips, look for ingredients like castor oil, shea butter, and coconut oil that have a heavier texture and provide deeper nourishment. Make sure to conduct a patch test before application to check the sensitivity of the skin.

• Packaging

Lip primers may come in the form of a pencil, stick, twist-up tube, squeeze tube, or jar. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Tube packaging is easy to use with no mess as you can apply it directly from the tube, but the packaging is usually of plastic which isn’t as durable and may break. Jars usually have a luxury design and are more sturdy, offering durability but you’ll need to use your finger or a brush to apply it on your lips, which may not be so convenient. Make sure to choose what you find convenient.

• SPF

It’s always wise to look for a lip primer that comes with sun protection as strong sun may lead to dryness and cracked lips. Dermatologists suggest using a product that contains at least SPF15, which can protect your lips from harmful UV rays.

• Product reviews

If you don’t know too much about lip primers, it’s best to read a lot of product reviews before making a decision because it helps to narrow down the choices and be left with the good ones. Some people may have a problem like peeling or cracked lips while others may not. You need to make sure that the product works well for reviewers who have your skin type to choose the right product.

Note: Always pick dermatologist-tested and expert-recommended formulas for your lips if you have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies.

Now that you know what to look for while choosing a lip primer for yourself, it’s time to pick one up. If you have any doubt in your mind about whether a lip primer should be an essential part of your makeup regimen, here are a few benefits listed for you.

Benefits Of A Lip Primer

• A lip primer makes sure that you’re not left with feathered lips by the end of the day, and your lipstick doesn’t bleed into the lines outside your lips.

• A lip primer also ensures that your lipstick application is crease-proof and its vibrancy is not compromised.

• Lip primers are great for increasing the longevity of your lipstick and keeping its color in place without fading or getting patchy.

• Lipsticks can cling to dry patches and settle into the fine lines of your lips, especially if you have dry lips. But if your lips are prepped and primed, it creates a smooth base for your lipstick, allowing it to look better in the end.

Infographic: How To Prepare Your Lips For Flawless Lipstick Application

Discover the key to a flawless and long-lasting lipstick application. Lip primers provide a smooth surface for your lipstick to adhere to and prolong its wear. They establish a base that intensifies the color, stops feathering, and reduces the likelihood of lip wrinkles by priming and conditioning the lips. Check out the following infographic to learn more about the different steps of preparing your lips before applying lipstick.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use a lip primer?

Much like the face primer we use before applying foundation, lip primer creates a smooth base for flawless coverage and should be used before applying your lip color.

Do you put lip primer on before or after lip color?

Always apply the primer before your lipstick. Smooth a thin layer of lip primer onto your lips, laying down a base for the rest of your lip makeup.

Can lip balm be used as a lip primer?

A lip primer is used to create an evenly moisturized base for your lips before applying your lipstick, but you can use a lip balm as a base for your lips instead of a lip primer, once in a while. However, a lip balm won’t be as effective at prepping your lips.

Do lip primers make the lipstick last longer?

A lip primer does make your lip color last longer than usual as its formula is infused with ingredients that prevent your lipstick from fading and smudging. It creates a smooth and even surface for lipstick, which increases its longevity.

Can I use a face primer on my lips?

The skin on your face and lips are different, and the cosmetics you use on them have different formulas. For best results, you should use a different primer, specifically formulated for that area.

Can you use an eye primer as a lip primer?

Yes, on rare occasions, you can use an eye primer as a lip primer. However, on a regular basis, using separate primers will yield the best results.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author of this article, Srijani Roy Chowdhury, is our expert editor and writer who enjoys keeping up with current makeup trends to curate lists of the best beauty products. She has compared multiple products before compiling this list of the best lip primers that fill any cracks, giving you the perfect base for your lipstick. The benefits, drawbacks, and buying guide in this post will also come in handy and help you buy a primer that works best for your needs.

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Alysha TuckerPermanent Makeup Artist

 

Alysha Tucker is a certified permanent makeup artist, specializing in brows and lips. She is also the owner of Blush Baby Los Angeles. After graduating in 2018 from Elite Permanent Makeup in Santa Monica, CA, Alysha, has worked alongside some of California's best permanent makeup artists and tattoo artists, and completed several rigorous apprenticeships.

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