Lipstick can be incredibly sexy — until you get to the actual sex part. Unless you’re planting a cautious peck — which is about as exciting and passionate as it sounds — the stuff gets everywhere. But an array of extreme long-wear lipsticks claim to withstand your raunchiest makeout sessions — with one even promising to last through 90 kisses (which might be a little excessive, but maybe that’s just us).
We enlisted five real couples to swipe ’em on, make out, and report back on the results. What started as a test of cosmetic longevity turned into an adorable love fest, proving something we knew all along: Lipstick isn’t just a makeup product — it’s a symbol of passion, a vehicle for self-confidence, and a hell of a lot of fun. Check them out in action in the slides ahead.
This story was originally published July 6, 2017.
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The Couple: Coco & Mars
Mars (left) and Coco (right) share an apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn with their adorable but admittedly "super clingy" Dachshund puppy. Coco is an assistant editor at the art magazine Glitterati Incorporated and Mars is a tattoo artist — and their art collection is what makes their house a home.
"We actually met on Tinder two or three weeks after I moved to New York," says Coco. "The first thing that attracted me to Mars was his bowl cut [at the time]." Now, the pair have been together for a year and a half. "I remember being really excited when Coco talked about how they could read palms on our first date," says Mars.
The Lipstick: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Dark Forest (on Coco) and Cherry Blossom (on Mars)
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick, $14, available at SephoraPhotographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
Their First Kiss:
Mars: "I think it was on our first date. I remember a feeling of terror. I was really nervous! I thought Coco was super cool."
Coco: "We were at Happy Fun Hideaway in Bushwick. I had just moved here, so I had asked my roommate for a cute place to go on a date. We met there and just talked for a really long time and went to another bar and I might have made Mars play scrabble with me."
Mars: "I won!"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Verdict:
Mars: "Before we started kissing, this lipstick was super comfortable. It now appears to have traveled a little bit…" [laughs]
Coco: "I thought it was really comfortable…I’d wear it again!"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Couple: Emani & Tangina
Emani (right) owns a skin-care line called Stripped Ego and Tangina (left) is a singer, so their home in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn is always bustling and bursting with song. The two were set up by Emani’s cousin. "I saw pictures of Tangina and I was like, ‘Okay, she’s cute! Give me her my number,’" says Emani. Four years later, they’re happily engaged.
"Tangina beat me to the punch and asked me to be her girlfriend, so I was not going to be outdone twice in a row," says Emani. "I got her a custom ring. Her father [who passed away] is really important to Tangina and me, so when I made the ring, I had the birthstones of her father, myself, and Tangina put in so that way he’s still part of the engagement even though he isn’t here."
The Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in Mad (on Tangina) & Tryst (on Emani)
Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick, $9, available at Urban DecayPhotographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
Their First Kiss:
Tangina: "Emani gave me such a hard time about kissing her. She knew she was fine. She said, ‘I know you want to kiss me, but I’m not going to kiss anybody! And don’t think when you do finally kiss me you can put your tongue down my mouth because that’s not happening!’ Every time I thought I was ready, I would back down! But I did kiss her eventually."
Emani: "I was wearing hot pink lipstick when we first kissed. Nowadays we have lipstick that you can wear and it won’t come off, but at the time it wasn’t around yet."
Tangina: "That’s how she played me!"
Emani: " I was like, ‘You’re not going to kiss me and mess up my lipstick!’ Lipstick is important!’"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Verdict:
Tangina: "I am very feminine but I’m also very androgynous… I’m not saying it’s okay to determine someone’s gender based on what they’re wearing, but people often think I’m a guy, so when I’m wearing lipstick it’s the only thing that makes [them think] it’s me embracing all parts of myself. And this lipstick is pretty good. Some of mine smeared on Emani’s lip, though."
Emani: "I think the color is still there, but it’s a little smudged. But I think it’s great — I like it a lot."
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Couple: Amanda & Lucas
Amanda (right) and Lucas (left) share an apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn filled to the brim with vintage clothing. Lucas is a guitar player in the rock band The Britanys and Amanda is an up-and-coming model. The two met in college.
"We had a class together and I was trying to muster up the courage, so I came up with an excuse to Facebook message her," says Lucas. "He asked me to be in a music video and I said ‘yes!” explains Amanda. "Now, it’s been almost three years."
The Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Liquid Lipstick in 19 ( Editors’ note: This shade is no longer available, but we recommend Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Liquid Lipstick in 401 as an alternative.)
Make Up For Ever ARTIST LIQUID MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICK, $20, available at Make Up For EverPhotographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
Their First Kiss
Amanda: "I have to tell this story! Lucas had come over to my dorm and he had politely asked me if he could kiss me and I said ‘no.’"
Lucas: "But I kept at it!"
Amanda: "A couple days later, we kissed for the first time. On Lucas’ birthday we had taken a walk together and at the end of the walk he asked, ‘Am I going to get a birthday kiss?’"
Lucas: "Don’t say it like that!"
Amanda: "But you did say it like that… I thought it was cute!"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Verdict:
Amanda: "Well, this one got a little on Lucas. In comparison to other lipsticks, it’s pretty long-lasting and withstands some kissing!"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
Sydney (left) is a Bronx-based musician and Yaminah (right) makes a living as a model from Harlem. They met when Sydney spotted Yaminah in a clothing store, where she was working at the time.
"I made fun of his shoes when he walked in," says Yaminah. "Our first date was trash. It was late, the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed… Luckily I knew a bar that stayed open past two in the morning. It was pretty lit though," she says.
The Lipstick: Laura Geller 50 Kisses Lip Locking Lip Color in Pink Pucker
Laura Geller Fifty Kisses Lip Locking Liquid Color, $21, available at Laura GellerPhotographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
Their First Kiss:
Yaminah: " Our first kiss was at a bar in SoHo. It was pretty drunken… and right outside of a bathroom."
Sydney: "I kissed you in front of a bathroom?"
Yaminah: "Yup, then I had to use the bathroom. [I had] five tequila pineapples!"
Sydney: "I think you had on a nude lipstick… Yaminah looks amazing with lipstick."
Yaminah: "I could wear lipstick all day."
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Verdict:
Yaminah: "I like the way this feels on my lips. It feel like the lipstick is still on even though I know it’s on [Sydney’s face.] I do think it held up though!"
Sydney: "Look at my face!"
Yaminah: "But look at my face. For me it held up!"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Couple: Maia Zoe & Roman
When Maia (right) and Roman (left) aren’t chilling at "their spot" —the boat house in Central Park — they’re in the studio. The students at New York City’s The New School study media and urban sustainability, respectively, and spend their free time recording Maia’s R&B tracks while Roman acts as her manager and event coordinator. Power couple if you ask us.
"We met at a studio I was recording at… I knew he existed but I didn’t really know him. We kept seeing each other over time and eventually we started dating," says Maia. Adds Roman, "[We’ve been together] 10 months, I counted."
The Lipstick: Maybelline SuperStay 24hr 2-Step Lipcolor in Everlasting Wine
Maybelline SuperStay 24hr 2-Step Lipcolor, Everlasting Wine, $8.83, available at WalmartPhotographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The First Kiss:
Maia: "Our first kiss was at my show. He’s so cute and it was great because he’s a good kisser."
Roman: "Maia was waiting to perform and we were both getting a little restless about her set, so we found a quiet corner at the venue and just disappeared for a couple minutes."
Maia: "Then I started playing…"
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
The Verdict:
Roman: "I really like when she wears lipstick. I like having the kiss marks all over my face. It’s like little colors all over. Your lipstick now is perfect. No smudges or anything!"
Maia: " I’m so impressed with this lipstick. It did not come off! I still look cute and so does he."
Roman: "I wish I had more smudges though."
Photographed by Sharokh Mirzai.
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