Time for one of the most fun makeup products: Lippies!!
I will be breaking up my thoughts and reviews of lip products into several posts because...I have a lot.
Honestly, I'm slightly addicted to lipstick. When I started getting really into makeup, I found a list of dupes for MAC lipsticks and decided I needed to buy all of them...so I have quite a few lipsticks. I've cleansed and purged my collection many times and yet still have at least 100 lip products at any given time.
This post will be dedicated to traditional lipsticks. You know, the bullet kind. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I love a good lipstick bullet. That's the only kind of lipstick I knew growing up because liquid lipsticks weren't really a thing. In fact, I believed that my Bonnebell Smackers lip balms were lipsticks because they have a cap similar to the way lipsticks have caps. I had a killer collection but remember realizing when I got older that they were only lip balm and not lipstick and was really upset. I don't use a lot of MAC products but I think they will always have the best lipstick packaging because it actually looks like a beautiful, sleek bullet.
Here are some formulas and colors I've tried:
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick ($26 for full size): A beautiful creamy formula that smells as fresh and natural as the ingredients used to make them. If you want to splurge, it is a good formula. It is a traditional lipstick so it won’t last super long on your lips like a liquid lipstick would.
BH Cosmetics Crème Luxe Lipstick, Forever Nude ($3.99): This is the only color I’ve tried but it’s one of my lighter nudes so when I use it with a slightly darker liner it looks great. The pigmentation is pretty good too.
Colourpop Crème Lux Lipstick, What's Your Sign? ($7): The formula was nice for a creamy lipstick and the color is a nude with a slightly peachy/warm undertone. I was impressed with the quality of the packaging too- it feels heavy and sturdy, not cheap.
Colourpop Lippie Stix ($5.50): Nice pigmentation and I was literally obsessed with the smell of these but some may not like the slight scent.
Bound & Lumiere are Lippie Stix. Clueless & Trap are Ultra Matte Lips
Dose of Colors Lip It Up Satin Lipstick, Brulee ($17): A little dry but not too bad. Wears pretty well on the lips throughout the day. Pretty color!
ELF Studio Mineral Lipstick, Natural Nymph ($3): The formula isn't anything special but it's good enough and I love this color as a light nude with a darker liner.
Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks ($2.99): They’re pretty sheer so I don’t love them but they’re not bad, especially for the price. The colors were nice though.
Gerard Cosmetics Lipsticks, Nude & Buttercup ($19): One of the most disappointing formulas I’ve ever tried. I did not like the pigmentation because it took a lot of building up to get a decent amount of color. The packaging may look luxurious but feels pretty cheap. The prices are high for the quality you're getting, but you can almost always find a coupon.
Jordana Modern Matte Lipstick, Matte Blush ($2.99): Not extremely pigmented or the best formula, but not bad either. If you’re looking for an affordable lipstick though, it’s a good option.
L’Oreal Colour Riche Lipcolour, Fairest Nude ($8.99): This used to be one of my favorite pinky nudes. It has a pretty strong smell though.
MAC lipsticks ($17.50): I don’t think any of the ones I have are matte so they do feel nice on the lips and have a slightly creamy finish. Blankety and Myth are my 2 faves.
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick ($7.49): These were some of my favorite drugstore lipsticks- they have good pigmentation and look nice on the lips.
Maybelline Color Sensational The Bolds , Mauve It & Gone Greige ($7.49): Similar to the regular formula, these are really great! I love the two colors I have. Super pigmented and a nice satin finish. (See Color Sensational swatches above).
Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick ($7.49): Another good formula, and in my opinion, even better than the regular lipsticks. They are comfortable but have a matte finish and wear well on the lips.
Milani Color Statement Lipsticks ($5.99): Love the gold packaging! (I’m a sucker for lipstick packaging). I really like the formula of these. I’ve only tried the regular ones, not the matte ones, but I found them to have good pigmentation and be pretty long-wearing. They have a pretty strong scent which some people like and some people don’t but it reminds me of Jolly Ranchers.
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Cruella & Rikugien ($27 for full size): These were a Sephora birthday gift. I haven’t used them much but they were pretty good. Easy to apply, and they look nice on the lips.
NYX Butter Lipstick ($6): A creamy lipstick with medium pigmentation. If you want them to last longer, throw a lip liner underneath.
NYX Full Throttle Lipstick, Kiss the Dust (discontinued): These have great pigmentation and colors, but they feel super dry on the lips. Definitely use a lip balm underneath.
NYX Lingerie Push-Up Long-Lasting Lipstick ($9): I love this formula! It's a creamy retractable crayon-like matte lipstick that includes a pop-out sharpener so you can stay precise. It lasts long and is very comfortable to wear. They claim to gently plump your lips so you might feel a slight cooling sensation but it's not uncomfortable at all.
NYX Macaron Lippies/Wicked Lippies (discontinued): These have a smooth formula, but the colors can be risky because they’re bright colors and some can look a little patchy. I bought some to melt down into my custom lip palette so I can mix them with other colors to adjust the undertones. The Macaron ones are all solid colors while the Wicked ones are jewel-toned and slightly shimmery.
Lavender
Chambord, Coconut, Citrine, & Sinful
NYX Matte Lipstick ($6): I really like these! I hate dry matte lipsticks, but these don’t make my lips feel dry. They have great pigmentation and are long-wearing.
NYX Pin Up Pout ($8): I really like this formula because it’s creamy but doesn’t look shiny on the lips and lasts fairly long. Corset is one of my favorite nudes ever!
NYX Plush Gel Lipstick, Nude Beach (discontinued): This color is everything! It is a pretty sheer lipstick but has a nice creamy/glossy finish. Since it’s glossy, it won’t last long but it’s super easy to reapply. *It has since been discontinued, but I still have it and it is the most perfect, effortless nude for my lips! I need to find a dupe!
NYX Round Lipsticks ($4): SUPER creamy so you’ll probably want to use a lip liner. I used to love adding Circe to my nude lipsticks to make it a little lighter and kind of get an ombre effect. Thalia is also a really nice color, but I don’t reach for these that often. Also, I stored them upside down and a couple of them broke because they are so creamy and soft so beware!
NYX Suede Matte Lipstick ($8) and Suede Matte Liner ($4), Shake That Money: The formula on the lipstick is really nice- smooth, creamy application and great pigmentation. Doesn't wear as long as a liquid lipstick but pretty good. Every lipstick has a matching lip liner.
NYX Super Cliquey Lipstick ($9): I don’t like these. They can be a little patchy and I don’t like the packaging. The whole idea of clicking up the product like a pen is too gimmicky for me. It also doesn’t click back down so don’t click up too much product! I also don’t love the teardrop shape applicator. I thought it would make it easier to apply but I didn’t like it.
NYX Turnt Up Lipsticks (discontinued): I really like these because I like creamy lipsticks and they have a nice creamy finish on the lips. I only have nude colors so I can’t speak for how the darker ones perform. They’re not super long-wearing but I still like them. In case you're confused by the picture, they used to be called High Voltage lipsticks. I just keep my makeup for way too long apparently.
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm/Lacquer Balm ($8.49): If you like a crayon form, these have nice pigmentation and beautiful colors. The lacquer one keeps a shinier finish than the matte, so the matte will last a little longer but they both wear pretty well.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks ($8.49): Pretty good formula, but I find the deeper shades have better pigmentation while the lighter colors don’t always show up as well. Overall, not my favorite.
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick, Airy Fairy ($4.99): This formula is just okay, but I really liked the color as a pinky nude.
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss, 06 ($4.99): A decent formula, but not my favorite. I think I’d like it better if I got nude shades since I didn't wear this color much.
Too Faced La Crème Lip Cream Lipsticks ($22): A nice, creamy formula with medium pigmentation. The packaging is stunning and expensive-looking but I don’t reach for these a lot, mainly because the colors aren’t my typical go-tos.
Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color ($2.49): One of the most affordable lipsticks you can find and they’re actually pretty good. They have some really nice colors, my favorites being Bare It All and Cherry Bomb. They all mostly have a matte finish. I wasn’t reaching for these that much, so I melted them all down into the custom lip palette.
Wet n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain ($2.99): More on the sheer side, but definitely stain the lips. They keep a creamy/glossy finish.
