When you’re looking for lipsticks to create that perfect holiday lip, consider Estee Lauder’s Hot Kiss & Maraschino ($22.00 each).

Hot Kiss is a subtle mauve-berry-brown color with subtle shimmer.  It goes on more brown with hints of mauve in the color on the lips, but it is a very sophisticated lip color that doesn’t attract attention like a more traditional holiday red pout does.  It reminds me of how a nice coral lip can look in the summertime, but this is taken down to a deeper level ideal for the fall and winter, when lip color goes darker.

Maraschino is a sexy, sultry reddish color that looks red in the tube, but has a great pink base, which gives you a good mix between the two.  It’s a great alternative to the bright red lip often seen at holiday parties–it’s something to consider regardless of whether you’re a bit wary of red or if you’re looking to move away from a signature red.

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NP Set by Napoleon Perdis is a line designed for and carried by Target. I’ve used a few Napoleon Perdis products in the past (China Doll foundation being one of them–which was fab, though pricey), and I haven’t been disappointed. I was interested to see how NP Set would meet my expectations. This post is only about the lipsticks (not the primer pictured above). The lipsticks in Rio and Boston Cream Ginger ($15.00) were the ones that I ended up giving a try.

Rio is described as a brick red, but it’s too subdued to be a real brick red. I’d say it is a pinked brick red if anything. It’s a nice color, though, nonetheless; it’s perfect for fall and winter. It’s not pastel or pink or springy in the least bit, but it’s also not overly vampy or dark. It should work with most skin tones. The lipstick formula itself is matte in finish, but it is not at all drying–very moisturizing for a matte. In the lip swatch, you’ll notice despite being advertised as a matte, there is still some noticeable sheen.

Boston Cream Ginger is an incredibly creamy coral-melon color. It’s definitely one of those colors I’m drawn to, because corals are my favorites! The creaminess factor is a huge plus, because a lipstick should be moisturizing and hydrating. It should never dry your lips out! Since I can’t reapply balm throughout the day when I have lipstick on, I only bother wearing lipsticks that keep my lips soft and pouty. This one also has a lot of glossiness in its finish, which makes it incredibly wearable without adding any gloss whatsoever–something I rarely feel comfortable doing!

I’m very impressed by these lipsticks, and I wouldn’t mind checking out the other shades the next time I’m at Target (but I avoid going at all costs–I always end up with a cart filled with 99% of things I didn’t intend to buy!).

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Clinique’s Blackberry Bloom collection for the holidays has a few stunning products definitely worth a trip over to your local Clinique counter! Particularly lovely is the Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Blackberry Bloom ($29.50) (pictured above), which is a pleasant shade of muted raspberry-mauve. It’s not too warm or cool, making it ideal for all skin tones. It has low level pearl in it; no over the top shimmer, more like a sophisticated sheen. Black Coffee ($14.00) is a rich shade of warm brown with golden flecks in it. I think it would be perfect way to add definition to the crease paired with a nude shade all over the lid. All of the shadows had great texture and consistency; they were smooth, pigmented, and blended easily.

Along with these holiday products, Clinique has come out with Party Red, featuring shades of red and coordinating products for those bold red lips. Both the Butter Shine Lipstick in Parisian Red ($14.00) and Long Last Lipstick in Party Red ($14.00) are excellent choices for your perfect holiday pout. Parisian Red seemed more like a truer red than Party Red, which is just a little subdued and has more of a frost finish to it. If I had to pick one, Parisian Red is the one I’d lust over!

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Bobbi Brown’s Lip & Eye Palette ($60.00) is a limited edition set of four lip colors and four eyeshadows for the holiday season. When you first open the palette, it reveals four lip colors (Berry Mauve, Pink Sequin, Dusty Mauve, and Ruby). The eyeshadows slide out from a drawer beneath them. You will find metallic eyeshadows in Champagne Quartz, Gold Dust, Golden Bronze, and Galaxy. Enclosed in the palette are a mini eyeshadow brush and a mini lip brush with a cap.

Being known for natural and subtle shades, this palette follows the same philosophy. The metallic shadows are soft with hints of color and lots of metallic sheen, which helps add some pop and sizzle to them. The lip colors are sheer, creamy, and inherently glossy. Berry mauve was my favorite shade, because I found it to be a light plum-mauve lip on me–just a shade or two deeper than my normal pout (and pinker).

Are you a Bobbi Brown palette fan? How this one strike you?

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Elizabeth Arden offers two delectable shades for fall in Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick Cayenne Pearl and Cranberry Cream ($19.50).  I like Cayenne Pearl for a great reddish coral color — almost a brick-brown red, but not at all in-your-face. Cranberry Cream is a raspberryish hue, not too intense, which makes it a nice every day shade for those looking for something less natural, more pigmented–but not over the top.

The Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick line has very subtle sheen and shimmer.  Both shades I tried were well pigmented and creamy, both characteristics I look for in a good lipstick!   It wore well throughout the day, and it faded after a few hours (as to be expected when worn alone and eating!), but I didn’t get left with a ring around my lips, thankfully!
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In my quest to find some great choices for fall lips, Clinique’s lipsticks in A Different Grape, Black Violet, and Double Truffle appealed to me.  (I really love the Double Truffle name; it makes me giggle!)  The lipstick formula itself is creamy, softly shimmery (reminds me of a lustre).  The shimmer looks more like a nice glossy sheen once applied to the lips.

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Left to right:  Sassy-Frass, No Competition, Flirt Alert, Wild Card

Benefit Full-Finish Lipstick ($18.00) in Sassy Frass, No Competition, Flirt Alert, and Wild Card are our picks for the fall lip.  Sassy Frass is a fun shimmery pink raspberry color, while No Competition is a creamy browned-down plum that’s quite subdued.  Flirt Alert is a bright pop of orange-based red with subtle  shimmer.  Wild Card is a step down in boldness from Flirt Alert, being a browner red.

Full-Finish Lipstick is a creamy formula with nine opaque shades to choose from.  This formula clings to lips well, and I find they fade naturally - I don’t get the dreaded lipstick ring afterward.  I love creamy lipsticks, and I’m all about pigmentation, so of course, I was excited to test these out.  I did find that Sassy Frass wasn’t quite as creamy as the other three I tried.  I think that’s due in part to how much shimmer is in Sassy Frass compared to the others.

My favorite shade of the four I tried was No Competition, because it’s a nice mix of fall tones without being bold or dramatic.  I also liked Wild Card for its everyday red color–at least my shade of everyday red!  I know some of you ladies rock Russian Red on a daily basis ;)

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From left to right:  #1 Nude Beige, #7 Lingerie Pink, #8 Fetish Pink, #9 Caress Pink, #12 Forbidden Burgundy, #13 Peach Passion.  (The order remains the same for all photos!)

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick ($34.00) comes in a variety of eighteen shades.  They range from pale to bright, beige to berry.  The formula is described as “light and covering, the cream texture becomes fluid on contact with the lips, for a delightful feeling and an exceptional gliding effect.” The packaging is obviously luxe with its golden tubes and elaborately designed ring that overlays the lipstick “shade.”  On the top of each tube is a mirror, which, while small, is usable when you need a touch up.

Let me tell you why I LOVED these babies!  This is, quite possibly, the creamiest, most pigmented, and deliriously glossy formula I have ever tried.  All six colors were rich in color and hue, and they were spot-on in terms of what you see is what you get.  So, they’re creamy (meaning they glide on like a dream), but they’re moisturizing and not in the least bit drying to boot!  Glossiness?  Oh, yes, indeed.  It has such a glossy, reflective finish that makes you think there must be a gloss on top, but nope, that’s just the lipstick by itself.

I always wear gloss on top of my lipstick, because I love shine and glossy finishes–but I’ve been wearing these colors all by their lonesome and loving it!  Of the six I have, my favorites are Caress Pink, Forbidden Burgundy, and Peach Passion.  Tomorrow, after I do some swatching at MAC, I’ll be checking out the YSL counter to see if any others catch my fancy!  And no, I don’t care one whit that these are $34 a pop.  I consider them worth it!  (P.S. - Cremesheen?  After experiencing these, you have a lot to live up to!)

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Julie Hewett Film Noir Sheer Lipstick ($22.50) is one way to take the dark lip trend for fall into a subtler, day time/work appropriate lip.  Film Noir might look bold in the sleek, classy gold tube, but on the lips its a sheer touch of reddish berry — very, very subtle.  Perfect for someone looking to start wearing deeper colors!

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If you know me, I’m not a big drugstore shopper when it comes to makeup.  I just prefer the experience at the counter, and we all know MAC is a brand near and dear to my heart.  So when you have enough makeup to paint ten faces, you just don’t feel as compelled to seek out alternatives at the drugstore, you know?  That being said, I was 100% impressed by Sally Hansen’s Natural Beauty Color Comfort Lip Colors.  These lipsticks felt ridiculously creamy, moisturizing, and they were rich and intense in pigmentation.  At $9.99 a pop, it’s not exactly a bargain, but I imagine, like other drugstore brands, it will go on sale from time to time.  Even at the full price, these lipsticks are amazing.  I will definitely be keeping these within reach!

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