My obsession with makeup started with lipstick and the love I have for it I don’t think can ever go away. I have grown from barbie themed colored lip balms to color-changing lip glosses to pure matte lipsticks and everything in between. I always hear from people around me how about you open a shop because you have more lipsticks then a store and that actually makes me proud so I decided to put my collection to good use and start my blog. Well I end up doing a lot more skincare reviews but lipstick is a close second and my very first post on Instagram and on my blog was on Lipstick so I decided to make my 100th post about lipstick but with a twist.
This blog post will help you out in deciding which lipstick is made for you. The market right now is overflowing with lipstick launches and even I get a little overwhelmed every now and then. In short, we have a lot of choices which also makes it difficult to know which one you are suppose to be buying because you really can’t be out buying every single launch. I will be recommending the best formulas available in each kind of category with drugstore and high-end options.
Just to be sure this recommendation is based on what I have tried and tested and liked, there could always be a choice you would have tried and hated it please don’t hate me for that. It’s about trial and error and personal preferences in the end but I hope I can help in some way.
How to pick the right lipstick for you?
Finding what you are comfortable with is super important. Now comfort is divided into two types first are the colors then the formulas. Some like nude lips more and some prefer bold shades it’s not necessary to fall in one you can definitely love all kinds of shades but it also depends on where you are going to wear it. If you go to work at an office daily which has some of the other kind of dress code then you need to stick to mild tones compared to flashy bold tones of lipstick color. If your office boss doesn’t care then go wild as much as you like.
Finding the right kind of lip color is super important because we all have undertones like a warm tone, cool tone and if you are lucky you are neutral tone. It doesn’t matter what color family your skin belongs to as much as the undertone. Dusky skin tones can rock a nude pale shade too but it should be of the right skin tone and same way pale skin can rock red too. I’ll be talking about skin tones in detail with colors in a later post sometime for now just see that you keep your tone in mind and also where you work.
Next up is the formula, now I am all the way matte person I don’t mind if my lipstick is a little drying as long as it lasts a long time on me since I am too lazy for touch-ups. But there are days where I prefer more creamy lipsticks which I don’t mind reapplying throughout the day. If you work a regular long hours job then you will need to buy lipsticks that are long-lasting but if you hate drying lips then you can always stick to something more creamy or with a satin finish.
There are many kinds of lipstick formulas that are available like some are creamy some are pure matte some are transfer-proof and some aren’t. I prefer waterproof and transfer most days so I use liquid lipsticks but there are a lot of you who aren’t comfortable with liquid lipsticks so you can always go for bullets or lip crayons which are more user-friendly so are great for beginners or who don’t want much fuss with their lipstick department.
Recommendations are as follows. If I have reviewed the lipstick already then I’ll link it so just click on the review also I have added a star in front of my personal favorite of all time.
Bullet lipsticks:
Bullet lipsticks are very easily available and have a lot of choices since its the most user-friendly lipstick something every age group loves. They come in different finishes from creamy to matte to satin mattes. These are your basic choice if you are a beginner and want to buy lipsticks which are low maintenance and easy to use.
Drugstore Brands:
- Maybelline Creamy Mattes and Powder Mattes (These are budget-friendly and easily available with a lot of color choices but these are not the most long-lasting but are comfortable to wear on a daily basis) REVIEW
- Lakme 9 to 5 primer+matte (I actually really like the formula of these according to the price same as the Maybelline ones) REVIEW
- Lakme Absolute (these have recently launched and are on the expensive side and are never on discount as of now but the quality is great if you like creamy matte which lasts longer and are super easy to reapply)
- Disguise Satin Lipsticks ⭐(This is my fav formula in bullet lipsticks these are long-lasting and not very heavy on the pockets and they have a great shade range especially in reds) REVIEW
- NYX matte and velvet matte lipsticks (not a lot of people talk about NYX bullet lipsticks and they have great formula infact these are great dupes for the MAC lipsticks and are better then the Maybelline ones. The velvet mattes are dupes for MAC retro mattes so they are little extra drying)
- Nykaa Ultra Matte (I personally don’t like the formula of the So matte since those aren’t very matte and not long-lasting but the Ultra Mattes are. Now some have complained of their Ultra mattes sweating and stuff and the formula has become less matte now I have seen the sweat but not much and it hasn’t changed formula yet for me) REVIEW
- Essence Matte Matte Matte⭐ (I love this formula so damn much but sadly its not available in India but if you see this when you are traveling or if you have a relative or friend going ask them to get at least one shade for you because these are very affordable and super matte with full pigmentation and very long-lasting and comfortable to wear)
- Some honorary mentions are from My Glamm the satin finish lipsticks which are more on the creamy and shiny side and also Colourpop⭐ which again aren’t easily available either you need order internationally or from an insta seller but their lippie stix and Lux lipsticks have the best formulas of all time.
High-end lipsticks:
- Colorbar Sinful Matte⭐ (Now I have added this in high-end because the pricing on this is really high but you can always get it at a discount. Personally, love the formula have one shade but it’s amazing, long-lasting, very matte and comfortable to wear throughout the day)
- Mac Matte and Retro Matte (MAC is known for their bullet lipsticks and I really like the ones I have but they are drying and not the most long-lasting. MAC lipsticks are just something you have to decide if they are worth it for you or not because you can always just find a dupe for them)
- Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle (These are again not available in India but they really have pretty grungey shades that work for all types of skin tones which is amazing but these are not the most long-lasting but the pigmentation on these are awesome.)
Crayon Lipsticks:
- Nykaa Mattelicious lip crayon⭐ (I really like the formula of these since they are lightweight and long-lasting and easy to travel with the con with these are sharpening which is annoying and wasteful)
- Sugar Matte as hell (the same as Nykaa ones but a lot of people like the sugar ones more)
- Faces Canada Ultimate Pro Matte HD⭐ (I love these soo much. They almost work as liquid lipsticks but easy to use and non-drying)
- Kay Beauty Lip crayon (I’m still testing them out but are very good so far and have really amazing shades especially cool tone shades which are so rare)
- Inglot lip pencil (these work more like lip crayons, very long-lasting proper matte but drying and expensive)
Liquid Lip Creams:
These are super comfortable and are hydrating but these transfer easily and are not the most long-lasting but there are some types of cream which do dry down matte and do last better than the other lip creams. If you hate drying liquid lipsticks then these lip creams are made for you.
- Nyx Soft Matte Lip creams: Dry down matte and does get drying after 5 hours of wear but are comfortable and easy to use. The Miss Claire ones are similar to these and cheaper but are more drying.
- Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream: Very pigmented, hydrating but does dry matte on the lips but transfers too.
- Nykaa Demi Matte⭐: These are more on the glossy side but can be termed as lip creams too since they are comfortable to wear and lasts longer then a lip gloss also are more pigmented then a gloss. These are also very hydrating. REVIEW
- Disguise Feather Light Matte Liquid Lip Creams⭐: Super comfortable long-lasting and does dry down matte but it does transfer REVIEW
Liquid lipstick:
These are the ones I reach for all the time since these are more long-lasting, mostly transfer-proof and waterproof so that way I don’t have to worry about touch-ups during the day or an event. If you love wearing bold shades but hate that they feather or transfer then liquid lipsticks are made for you. But these are on the drying side whatever you do they will dry your lips out so the maintenance is high on these so go for these if you have some kind of lipstick experience and do exfoliate your lips and use a lip balm regularly if you love Liquid Lipsticks like me.
Drugstore:
- Loreal Pro Matte ⭐⭐ (these are my ultimate Fav and these lasts through everything and are non-drying so definitely go for these but the colors are funky they need to expand more) REVIEW
- NYX Liquid Suede (not hyped enough I feel these are super comfortable and long-wearing they do transfer though and does feather so using a lip liner is recommended)
- NYX Lip Lingerie (these are very matte and last a decent time but I find them a little drying but not too much)
- Sugar Suede Secret (they have some really great colors and the formula is also very comfortable)
- Lakme Absolute Matte Melt lip color (Amazing color selection, very long-lasting and comfortable to wear, not very pigmented) REVIEW
- Wet & Wild Liquid Catsuit lipstick (budget-friendly, comfortable to wear) REVIEW
- Colourpop Ultra Matte ⭐(Super long-lasting, great color selection but can get drying after few hours of wear which I don’t mind with this formula) & Colourpop Ultra Satin⭐(more comfortable than ultra matte but these transfer)REVIEW & REVIEW
High-end:
- Smashbox Always on Liquid Lipsticks⭐ (my fav formula of all time, it checks every box comfortable, pigmented, long-lasting, transfer and waterproof) REVIEW
- Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipsticks (Amazing color selection, long-lasting and comfortable but does transfer) REVIEW
- Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment ⭐(The best formula ever, doesn’t feel drying gives a beautiful stain and feels amazing on the lips and the pigmentation is next level)
- Anastasia ABH Liquid Lipstick (A little drying but last for a good amount of time, has very pretty nude and pink shades)
Lip Glosses:
These are more user-friendly if you are in college or if you hate matte lipsticks completely and like pouty lips then glosses are made for you. If you are new to the world of lip products start with a gloss. Glosses were my thing as a teenager, sadly not anymore.
- Colourpop Lip Glosses⭐ (these are the best lip glosses not very sticky and pigmented and they last also a good amount of time for glosses)
- L.A.Girl (these are really understated and forgotten about in recent days but these plump up your lips gives you the pout without the stinging feeling)
Lip stains/ tints:
These are great for people who don’t want anything too loud and want something easy for lips and cheeks. These stains are great for an everyday natural flush look. These are liquidy when you apply then it dries to a waterproof transfer-proof matte finish.
- The Face shop Water fit tint
- Etude House Dear Darling tint
- Benefit lip and cheek stain
- Nykaa Wonder puff (more pigmented compared to other tints) REVIEW
Obviously there are a lot more lipstics from different brands but I only shortlisted I have used and tested out. The ones that are marked ⭐ are my absolute fav.
You can also check out my full Lip Love category on the blog for other reviews related to lipsticks CLICK HERE
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** The links I attach are not affiliated. I usually attached sites and stores I personally buy from my own money. (I am in no way advertising expensive products, whatever I show or talk about are things I already own)
*P.S: All opinions are my own and honest. The above-mentioned products are bought and paid for by me. What works for me may not work for you. Trying before buying is always recommended. Check out a few reviews until your satisfied.
“If you have come so far *you get a virtual hug* Thanks for the time and do come back again for more such amazing reviews”.