Lipsticks may have suffered a bit of a setback in terms of popularity somewhere around the early 2000s (we’re looking at you, Juicy Tubes), but its resurgence in recent years has seen an explosion of colours and finishes hit the beauty counters and pharmacy shelves, and we, for one, couldn’t be happier about it.
But if you’re a relative newcomer to the lips-a-poppin’ game, that can make it difficult to know where to start, let alone find the best lipstick for you.
The trickiest shade to nail is undoubtedly nude — understandably, as it varies based on your skin tone, not just fair, light, medium, olive or dark, but cool or warm too. When in doubt, if you have cool-toned skin, you can afford to go for something a little more on the beige side that might look ashy on warmer tones. If you’re warm, go for something with more peachy or golden tones. The same goes for reds: if cool, a ruby-esque blue-based red is sure to be your next best friend; if warm, something more orange is sure to fit the bill.
Then there’s the finish. Satin, semi-glossy or semi-sheer lipsticks look light and fresh as part of a natural makeup look for daytime or the office, while on-trend matte lipsticks are ideal for a bolder look, either in creamy opaque nude to offset a smoky eye or bright, punchy, saturated shades with a bare face and lashings of mascara.
Luckily, we’ve already selected our cream of the crop from across the shops, with highly-rated formulations and to-die-for colours, so keep reading below to find your next perfect match.
Matte might be the finish du jour, but there really is something to be said for a good satin-finish lipstick — and MAC’s Cremesheen is a great satin-finish lipstick. Reviewers say Creme in your Coffee is a fabulous ‘my lips but better’ colour for medium skin tones, but it takes our top spot for being suitable for pretty much anyone. A medium-dark pinkish brown, it’s an ideal everyday colour for those who like a little more colour or are nervous of the ‘concealer lips’ effect of some nudes.
Reviewers have gone so far as to say this is the perfect nude — high praise indeed, but we can see why it would be a contender. Meghan Markle’s a fan, and so are the legions of happy users who’ve found the formulation to be long-lasting without drying, the holy grail combination when it comes to shopping for matte lipsticks. Very Victoria is modeled on the first lady of British fashion Victoria Beckham herself, so to nail that elegant nude-lipped look, you need look no further.
Slay all day with this longwear lipstick from Stila. It glides on like a gloss but dries down like a lipstick to a matte finish that stays put all day long, at least according to the reviewers who’ve put it through its paces. There are over thirty shades to choose from, from intense bright oranges and cool-toned purples to gorgeous, perfectly opaque pale pinks, but our pick of them all is Bacca, an amazing blue-based red that borders on magenta.
Liquid lipstick is a great go-to for long-lasting colour, but if you don’t like the lacquered effect, this Nars lipstick is a fabulous alternative that dries to a matte finish. Users have found that, unlike many ultra-pigmented matte liquid lipsticks of its ilk, Nars Powermatte doesn’t feel super drying on the lips, and as it leaves a stain, it won’t wear off in patches after eating or drinking and look odd. Some found that certain shades did oxidise slightly on the lips, leaving a darker shade than expected, so that might be something to bear in mind if the swatch is your perfect nude.
This might not have been the exact shade Ingrid Bergman rocked in the 1940s classic, but it’s sure to give any #FOTD a dose of old Hollywood glamour all the same. This Tom Ford lipstick uses sumptuously moisturising ingredients like murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil to create a creamy texture, making for a just-right consistency and even application that reviewers loved. When it comes to the colour, this might just be the perfect pink for night and day — for an alternative to nude for daytime, or a less dramatic evening look, why not try this rosy plum on for size?
