The beauty industry's quest to develop a lipstick that will last all day is a multi-million dollar business. The variety of long-wearing lipsticks on the market today promise to stay on despite just about anything you can put your lips through, but they tend to feel heavy and dry out your lips. Instead, try these few simple tricks to add staying power to any lipstick:

Moisturize
Dry, cracked lips not only look unattractive, but they don't hold pigment very well. Apply a layer of your favorite nourishing lip balm five minutes before applying your lipstick to give your lips time to absorb some of the moisture. Blot any excess balm with a tissue before applying lipstick.

First Things First
Begin by lining your lips to create a base, which will help your color stick and keep it from seeping into the fine lines just outside your lip. If you plan to wear a sheer or neutral-toned lipstick, choose a liner that comes close to your natural lip color. Match your lip liner to your lipstick only if you are wearing a deep color.

Choose Your Finish
Matte or satin-finish lipsticks will stay in place longer, as will lip stains. Stains work best when worn under another lipstick or gloss, so think of them as an alternative to lip liner. When the gloss wears off, the underlying stain will remain.

Less is More
Applying lipstick in a thick layer won't make it last longer - there will just be more to rub off. Instead, apply your lipstick using a brush, which gives you better coverage with less lipstick, so the color will stay put longer.

Shine it Up
Add a layer of gloss on top of a long-wearing lipstick to achieve staying power and high shine. Just be prepared to reapply the gloss throughout the day to maintain the look, since most glosses wear off easily.