28 Brilliant Beauty Hacks That Will Change the Way You Apply Makeup

Before you apply a matte lipstick, it's imperative to let your lips marinate in lip balm for a seamless application. But you have to wipe away the glossy balm before applying your lipstick color. A slippery balm can cause your long-wear product to smudge or turn shiny — not the look you were going for, right? Another alternative is to use a matte lip balm or lip primer like Stila Lush Lips Primer ($21), which is makeup artist Sarah Lucero's favorite, as she told us backstage at Alice + Olivia.