I’ve been obsessed with bold lip colors ever since I got a pixie cut a couple of months ago, but after reapplying way too often during the day (hello, coffee addiction) I decided I needed to switch to long-lasting lipsticks. But if you’ve tried them, you know that too often they’re not really long-lasting.

So I decided to put three popular brands to the test (yes, I even kissed my hand to show you how well they stayed on), all in colors that I think are perfect for the holidays. “What, no red?”  you ask. And sorry, no reds, ladies. It’s all about bright pinks and purples, which are still fabulously festive but a little more modern

And let me just say, I have three new favorites that I hope you love as much as do.

Before you try long-lasting lipsticks, take a bit of advice from me: you’ll want to apply very carefully because they’re extremely color saturated and nearly impossible to wipe off, which is kind of the point but a little tricky when you do actually want to get it off. (Have your make-up remover wipes ready!). And I personally don’t use lipliner but you certainly can, knowing that it will come off and need reapplication, which sort of defeats the purpose.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick 
($22, Ulta)

I’ve used Stila products before but never their lipsticks; when their all day liquid lipstick was recommended to me, I figured I would give it a try. The color was definitely rich and I was amazed at how little (if anything, really) came off onto my hand, but as you can see on my lips, this is definitely a super matte finish. I’m much more a glossy-lip kind of girl, so I would definitely see myself wearing this with some sort of gloss on top. I really loved the applicator, though, and the color–I’m wearing Flore–is really lovely. A great choice if you love a matte lip.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
($19, Sephora)

I’ve been wearing Kat Von D blush ever since I was introduced to it by Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere, so I was more than happy to try her everlasting liquid lipstick, seen in rich violet on me. The color is a perfect mix of pink and purple (think bright orchid), and the lipstick itself goes on like a very saturated lip gloss with an easy-to-use applicator that applies everything quite evenly.

You definitely need to wait for this one to dry a good two minutes or so before you decide to kiss someone under the mistletoe, but as you can see from my hand, there was pretty much no residue at all. After wearing this one for awhile alone for a few hours, I added a bit of gloss over it, which will interfere with long lasting effects but will keep you from feeling like your lips are about to fall off.

Aqua Rouge Make Up For Ever
($24, Sephora)

I am a huge fan of the Aqua Rouge Make Up For Ever neutral colors and wear them pretty much every day, but I was very curious to see how the bold colors held up. I purchased this fuchsia accidentally, but I ended up falling in love with it. As you can see, my hand is a bit shiny because this particular brand comes with a gloss on the other end of the lip color–that’s why it’s my favorite. I can pretty much make it through an entire day just reapplying the gloss, which keeps my lips from drying out. My only gripe is that sometimes, especially when you start to get to the bottom of the tube (which is quickly as the tube is pretty small), the application can be a bit uneven and blotchy. But I love it so much that I just buy more.

For more beauty product reviews, check our archives! And if you want us to put certain beauty products to the test, leave us a comment below, so long as it doesn’t involve skin peels and leeches. Ha. 

Photos by Aaron Adler. Cool Mom Picks is a reward style affiliate.