Sue Devitt Safi and Beijing Lip Liners

The easiest and quickest technique for a manageable summer lip color is using a really good lip liner either over a non slippery balm (my favorite is Nuxe Reve de Miel) or under a pretty lip gloss. With the right products and shades this is a foolproof, sweat proof, ice cream proof way to deal with long days of 90 degrees.

Sue Devitt Long Lasting Lip Liner in Safi, a neutral pink (yes, it look brownish in the pencil, but the swatch is as true-to-life as it gets). It's a slightly more saturated version of my natural lip color, hence the amount of use it sees. It's my obvious choice for a "no-makeup" look and the perfect base for many of my lip products. The pigmentation is as wonderful as the creamy texture, and as I've come to expect from Sue Devitt in more than a decade of use-- this lip liner doesn't budge.

Beijing is a discontinued shade. It's a pink-based red, more dramatic than Safi. Beijing is pretty and versatile, highly flattering and face-awakening, so it's a shame that it's become hard to find (some counters might still have one or two in stock, as do online sellers). I've been a little obsessed with trying to pair it with various lipsticks, but it's just as lovely on its own.

I love that these Sue Devitt lip liners are not drying and come with a good and very directional lip brush on their other end. It makes them great travel companions.

Bottom Line: a staple.

Sue Devitt lip liners ($20 each) are available from Barneys, select Macy's and Bloomingdale's locations, Dermstore and suedevitt.com. A selection of Sue Devitt products is also available on OpenSky, as well as other personal recommendations by Sue. The products for this review were sent for my consideration by PR.