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How long does a tube of lipstick last if used daily?

Jambalaya

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I've sometimes wondered how long it takes to use up a tube of lipstick, if you use it every day. Some beauty bloggers have posted about this online and have said about three months, but the experimenters weren't reapplying it that often and were only using one or two swipes each time. I feel like lipstick evaporates from my lips as I work, and also I drink a lot of tea/water throughout the day.

Based on others' calculations, I estimate a lipstick should take me a month to use up. That's reapplying it 3-5 times per day, including the evening, and using 3-5 swipes per application.

When I read lipstick reviews (I've been buying lipstick online since the pandemic), the beauty bloggers all seem to say things like "Oh, well, this lipstick isn't very longlasting. After only six hours and two meals I had to reapply!" I don't expect my lipstick to last for many hours without reapplication, or to last through eating and drinking. (Seems like people expect an awful lot from their lipsticks!)

I started this experiment four days ago and I'm already fed up with the feel and the color (turns out you DO need a variety of lipsticks!) but I'm resolved to see it through.

I will report my findings in due course. :mrgreen:
 

ringo865

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I buy a lot of lipstick and literally NEVER wear it, so mine lasts a super long time. Except for the part when the oils go rancid. There’s that.

there was this permanent-type lipstick (not really permanent, like maybelline) that you put on, let dry, then put the special chapstick over. That would stay on forEVER, but sometimes it would either a) not come off at all, except with makeup remover, or b) only stay on at the outlines making one look somewhat like a crackhoor.
 

GliderPoss

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I apply once in the morning and then forget about it :lol: one tube of Tom Ford lipstick lasted me about a year? If I'm wearing dark colours I'll touch up during the day after eating (so would assume would last less in theory) but I tend to wear nude colours mostly!
 

Snowdrop13

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I will be interested to hear the results. I was actually wondering about mascara the other day as mine was getting thick and clumpy. It wasn’t bought that long ago. I’ve just bought a new one, maybe I should do a similar experiment!
 

dk168

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I will be interested to hear the results. I was actually wondering about mascara the other day as mine was getting thick and clumpy. It wasn’t bought that long ago. I’ve just bought a new one, maybe I should do a similar experiment!

I read somewhere that mascara should be changed/discarded 6 months after opening to avoid contaminating the eyes.

Since their containers are made of plastic, even without being opened, a very small amount of moisture will lose over time.

Once opened, it will lose moisture via the opening, and when the wand is returned into the container, air will be pumped in, drawing moisture from the mascara paste making it drier.

DK :))
 

dk168

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As for the original post/question, I have no idea as I have never applied lippy on a daily basis.

DK =)2
 

Made in London

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I don't think I have ever got to the end of a lipstick! I have so many, maybe 80 different ones. My ultimate favorites are Tom Ford & Charlotte Tilbury who used to work for Tom Ford designing lipsticks. It's difficult to judge how long a lippy will last as many wearers will lick it off before it has a chance to wear off naturally. I am not a lip licker & mine will last me 6 hours including eating & drinking=)2
 

Jambalaya

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mine will last me 6 hours including eating & drinking=)2

Really?? I mean, with some matte lipsticks I will probably see a stain after six hours, but barely. I swear my lipstick evaporates as I sit there. And I use good brands, like Tilbury!
 

canuk-gal

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HI:

Interesting! I wear lipstick under my masks, so it rubs off a lot. I reapply if I remember, but mostly for moisture. I just bought a tube of Clinique and it "broke" at the base so that didn't last very long!:roll2:

cheers--Sharon
 

Jambalaya

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Ugh, I'm only five days in and already I'm totally fed up with this lipstick's feel and color, even though I like both! This tells me we do need a collection of lipsticks!
 

Jambalaya

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HI:

Interesting! I wear lipstick under my masks, so it rubs off a lot. I reapply if I remember, but mostly for moisture. I just bought a tube of Clinique and it "broke" at the base so that didn't last very long!:roll2:

cheers--Sharon

I had the exact same thing happen with a Nars lipstick, but I'm determined to use it with a lip brush!

ETA: I heard you can just melt the lipstick and pour it into an empty compact, and use it that way. Heat it up a little and pour it in. It doesn't seem to take any harm, apparently.
 

canuk-gal

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I had the exact same thing happen with a Nars lipstick, but I'm determined to use it with a lip brush!

ETA: I heard you can just melt the lipstick and pour it into an empty compact, and use it that way. Heat it up a little and pour it in. It doesn't seem to take any harm, apparently.

Gosh my favorite Nars lip pencil is always cracked! And I'd use my Dior lip brush, but that is in pieces also. I don't seem to have very good luck these days! I must be hard on these things.

cheers--Sharon
 

Made in London

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Really?? I mean, with some matte lipsticks I will probably see a stain after six hours, but barely. I swear my lipstick evaporates as I sit there. And I use good brands, like Tilbury!

I guess I'm lucky then=)2 I do about 4 swipes on each lip & I'm good to go for the day=)2
 

sledge

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You guys have to take into account the proportion of the lips to which it’s being applied.

Larger kissing tables with enhanced depth will naturally require more lipstick coverage per use than a small kissing table that is overly shallow.

Much like lighting can make or break a diamond, you also have to consider the largest variable: are the lips in an environment that will be conducive to little or lots of kissing? Which introduces a second subset of many more variables such as the other species involved, personal mood, etc.

It’s a very complex question that requires carefully analyzing not only the proportions of the lips but also the numerous indirect variables.

No direct studies have been conducted because of the vast array of variables involved; however, there is some mild correlation with a couple of other studies that have been documented.

 

AprilBaby

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I vary my tubes and it seems I never run out. On the other hand I have dozens of lipsticks.
 

Jambalaya

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I have some preliminary results! Nine days of use resulted in 1g of lipstick gone. Note that I didn't end up using it every day, as I stayed home three days. This lipstick has 3.4g of product. (It's Brave Punch by Makeup Forever.)

Below are photos from the first day, and just over a week later:

Lipstick wk 1 0515.jpg 0507.jpg
 

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Jambalaya

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Not sure how to make an image with them side-by-side.
 

canuk-gal

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HI:

What measurement/scale/tool did you use?

cheers--Sharon
 

kenny

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I'd think how long a stick lasts also depends on lip thickness.

lips.jpg
 

kenny

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Here's a whole stick.

k.jpeg
 

Jambalaya

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Hi Sharon, I just used a kitchen scale. The entire lipstick (not including the cap) weighed 0.50oz at the start, and just over a week later it weighed 0.45oz.

0.50oz is 14.17g, and 0.45oz is 12.75g. Since only the bullet is losing weight, I must have used just over 1g of lipstick.

So my estimate of 3-4 weeks or so is on target! (1g-ish a week; 3.4g in the tube.)

Hmm, I could do this with foundation, too!
 

Arcadian

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It can take me 6 months to a year of daily wear. Not that I've been doing much of that lately!! In general mine end up going bad because of no preservatives.
 

Jambalaya

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6-12 months of daily wear? Wow! I guess you just apply lightly and just once or twice per day?
 

Arcadian

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6-12 months of daily wear? Wow! I guess you just apply lightly and just once or twice per day?

yeah most of mine don't really require more than a swipe or 2. They degrade really well, without becoming patchy (but they're also 25-35+ dollars/tube usually)

What I have noticed since I'm not wearing lipstick all the time is how much softer my lips have become...its so weird but I really like it. I kinda don't want to mess that up...lol
 

Jambalaya

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but they're also 25-35+ dollars/tube usually

This is why I'm trying to actually USE my lipsticks - they're all nice brands such as Givenchy, Becca, Tilbury, etc. I cannot have it all sitting there!! I really wanted to know how long it would take me to use them. I got many of them on-sale during lockdown, but still. I already had a big stash before lockdown, too, and I've been ordering like crazy during the last 14 months. If you include all lip products such as clear balms, I've got approx. 200 lip products. I am SO GLAD to know I can use one up in approx. 4 weeks.

When I wear lipstick, I don't like it to wear off, so I apply five swipes in one application. Imagine a windshield wipe: Over and back on the top lip, over and back on the bottom lip, and one single swipe on the top for good measure, and mash lips together. Then a touch-up application is just a single one-way swipe on top and then the bottom. I prob. do three applications and two touch-ups per day. So that's 19 swipes per day. Possibly I'm overthinking this!

What I have noticed since I'm not wearing lipstick all the time is how much softer my lips have become...its so weird but I really like it. I kinda don't want to mess that up...lol

Are they matte or long-wear lipsticks? Those can be quite drying.
 
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