5 My Lips But Better Lipsticks

Reader Charmaine wanted to see five MLBB lipsticks, and here are five that might work for you. “My Lips But Better” are lipsticks that accentuate, perfect, or otherwise better your natural lip color, which means that a lot of it hinges on what your natural lip color is. Instead of choosing only shades that were my MLBB shades, I tried to pick a variety of colors that could give that kind of look.

• Urban Decay Rush Lipstick
• Hourglass Edition Lipstick
• Korres #13 Natural Pink
• Clarins Rosewood Lipstick
• Laura Mercier St. Tropez Lipstick

What are your favorite MLBB shades?

The Spring Season: Temptalia’s Favorites

After many, many months of swatching and testing, these are my favorites–a whopping eighteen of them! During the Spring Season, we featured cooler nudes (9), cooler pinks (8), soft corals (8), lipglosses (15), warmer nudes (15), and warmer pinks (17) for a total of 72 different lipsticks and lipglosses in varying shades of soft coral, nude, and pink.

Comments & Thoughts

When I picked my favorites, I went through all the different folders I had for Spring Season shades and marked the ones I loved.  At the end, I wound up with eighteen–a little much, but who says there is a limit on favorites?  I do, however, obviously gravitate towards certain shades and tones over others.

• #1 (Benefit I’m With the Band), #3 (Cle de Peau #2), and #17 (NP Set Mauritius Lipgloss) are all in the same family.  #3 is my favorite of this shade family, though.
• I also love the texture of Cle de Peau’s Extra Silky Lipsticks, which necessitated the inclusion of both #4 (Cle de Peau #103) and #5 (Cle de Peau #106).  You’re just lucky I held off on including #124, too!
• Oh, Guerlain! Similarly, Guerlain’s Rouge G lipsticks still have my heart–as evidenced by #6 (Guerlain Garance), #7 (Guerlain Gardenia), #8 (Guerlain Gemma), #9 (Guerlain Georgia), and #10 (Guerlain Guerlinade).  I haven’t found a dupe (nothing even similar enough to bother talking about!) to Garance nor Gardenia, but I feel like Gardenia may be substituted with a peachy nude and satisfy some enough.  Gemma is similar to #12 (Korres #22).  Guerlinade may be duped the best (based on my current lipstick repository) by #14 (MAC Freckletone), but Freckletone is significantly sheerer, glossier, and brighter/peachier–Guerlinade looks more muted in comparison, and obviously creamier and more opaque.
• #8 (Guerlain Gemma) is similar to #9 (Guerlain Georgia) except with that cool gold sheen and a rosier pink base, but #12 (Korres #22) is like a more muted version of #8, too.  #8 is my favorite of the three, but #12 comes close and it’s what, a third of the price?
• #11 (Korres #13) is a lighter, pinker version of #15 (MAC Velvet Teddy).

1. Benefit I’m With the Band Lipgloss
2. Chanel Santal Rouge Allure Laque
3. Cle de Peau #2 Gloss
4. Cle de Peau #103 Extra Silky Lipstick
5. Cle de Peau #106 Extra Silky Lipstick
6. Guerlain Garance Rouge G Lipstick
7. Guerlain Gardenia Rouge G Lipstick
8. Guerlain Gemma Rouge G Lipstick
9. Guerlain Georgia Rouge G Lipstick
10. Guerlain Guerlinade Rouge G Lipstick
11. Korres #13 Natural Pink Guava Lipstick
12. Korres #22 Rose Guava Lipstick
13. Lancome Voile de Rose Lipstick
14. MAC Freckletone Lipstick
15. MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick
16. NP Set Mauritius Lipgloss
17. Smashbox Splendid Lipstick
18. Urban Decay Naked Lipstick

The Spring Season: Warmer Pinks Lipstick Wrap-up

I’m actually surprised by the volume of warmer-toned pinks featured in the Spring Season. I always thought finding the right warm pink was difficult, but perhaps not!

Similarities…

• #1 (Benefit Candy Store) is a more pigmented, slightly more coral version of #3 (Chanel Exquise).
• #8 (Guerlain Gemma) is a stunning shade, and the closest dupe I’ve encountered thus far is #10 (Korres #22)–Gemma is brighter and pinker, but Korres #22 has the cool golden sheen of Gemma that makes it so unique.
• #11 (Lancome Voile de Rose) made a big splash amongst readers, and though we have no exact dupe, #9 (Korres #13) and #15 (Shiseido PK 327) come close.
• #7 (Guerlain Gabrielle) seems like a slightly more coral version of #17 (Urban Decay Peroxide).
• #5 (Cle de Peau #106) is a brighter, more intense version of #16 (Urban Decay Naked).

1. Benefit Candy Store Lipstick
2. Bobbi Brown Rose Guarden Creamy Lip Color
3. Chanel Exquise Lipstick
4. Chanel Ming Rouge Allure Laque
5. Cle de Peau #106 Extra Silky Lipstick
6. Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Lipstick
7. Guerlain Gabrielle Rouge G Lipstick
8. Guerlain Gemma Rouge G Lipstick
9. Korres #13 Natural Pink Lipstick
10. Korres #22 Rose Guava Lipstick
11. Lancome Voile de Rose Lipstick
12. Maybelline Warm Me Up Lipstick
13. NP Set Havana Lipstick
14. Shiseido PK 224 Lipstick
15. Shiseido PK 327 Sheer Lip Color
16. Urban Decay Naked Lipstick
17. Urban Decay Peroxide Lipstick

Korres #13 Natural Pink Lipstick

The Spring Season: Korres #13 Natural Pink Lipstick

Korres #13 Natural Pink Mango Butter Lipstick ($18.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a soft pink with yellow undertones that applies nearly opaque and has a glossy sheen. It’s a creamy, moisturizing formula that wears well and surprisingly long (about four hours) for a lipstick with such a creamy base. Korres Mango Butter Lipsticks do contain SPF 10, which is a nice bonus. Because the formula is so creamy, Natural Pink glides on smoothly and evenly with just one or two layers (go one for sheerer, two for opaque). There’s the slightest mango-y/sweet fruit scent, but I don’t notice it at all once it’s applied, though I personally like the scent (my favorite is vanilla, followed by a subtle fruit).

Is this the right pink lipstick for you? Would you wear it?

The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.

See photos and swatches…