Archived Post
Lipsticks | 2014 Editor's Favorites
A lot of new favorite formulas were launched this year, like Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy and NARS Audacious, which certainly made it extra challenging to narrow down favorites to a list of ten. As much as I love coral lipsticks, I found several non-coral colors that made my heart sing, too 🙂
- OCC Technopagan — a bold, bluish-purple with a metallic finish
- Tom Ford Stavros — a purplish-taupe with a soft, frosted finish
- Buxom Dolly — a muted, rosy pink with warm undertones and soft shimmer
- Givenchy Rose Plumetis — a muted, dusty pink-plum with a soft sheen
- Bite Beauty Tatin — a light-medium, warm-toned pink
- MAC Marque — a dusty rosy beige with gold shimmer
- Guerlain Geneva — a brightened, coral-orange with soft gold pearl
- Estee Lauder Eccentric — a light-medium, pink-coral with warm undertones and a luminous finish
- NARS Dominique — a cool-toned, medium-dark lavender purple with hints of gray
- Urban Decay Ladyflower — a slightly muted, medium-dark cool-toned pink with a luminous finish
I pickedup NARS Audacious in Jeanne and Lauder Color Envy in Red Ego just after Christmas, so I can’t say for sure if they’re the best of the year, but I was very, very impessed. The shades are so beautiful and pigmented and creamy, plus I’m really into the deeper takes on red after finally getting Ruby Woo fatigue this year. Which brings me to my favorites.
MAC Ruby Woo, Heroine
NARS Funny Face (probably my all time favorite lipstick)
OCC Black Metal Dahlia
Bobbi Brown Heather Pink
Do you like the Audacious formula more over NARS’ regular formula, Nikki?
Depends on the shade, even within the same finish. For a pigmented, creamy lip color, Audacious is hard to beat, and I actually returned NARS Scarlett Empress because even though it’s billed as Semi Matte, I found it had too much slip and wore really poorly. It would be dramatically improved by the Audacious formula, and probably already has an Audacious dupe. Funny Face is also supposed to be Semi Matte, but IMO it is very much a straight ahead matte with no shine and a light but dry texture. I like it as much as the Audacious formula, but in a different way because I consider it a meaningfully different finish. Ditto for some of the sheer colors like Damage or Dolce Vita–I like that they’re light on the mouth, so even though in their case Audacious would last longer, I’m not necessarilly looking for an Audacious dupe.
I do think that we’re going to see less BAM BRIGHT MATTE colors and more rich variations in creamy finishes in 2015 just because 2014 went so hard on matte as possible neon brights, so I do think the Audacious line will feel very on-trend and modern in the coming year. 🙂
I feel the same! The NARS’ original lipstick formula actually seems to vary a lot from shade to shade. The Audacious formula is more consistent from shade to shade, though, which I really like.
These are all beautiful. I only have Technopagan and Ladyflower out of this bunch.
But you have the best of the bunch, which is what counts (Technopagan) 😉
Wait, how did I miss Dominique? That’s incredible!
Probably because it’s a Barney’s exclusive (though I think NARS’ site carries it, too) and has been (was?) sold out for awhile! 🙁
Yeah but i read your reviews and just skimmed over that one! I’ll hope it comes back in stock at one or the other! I hope it’s not gone.
Is back in stock at Nars website. Got an email yesterday.
Can we not talk about Stavros????
Mums the word in 2015! Probably. 😛
Why?
any way to see them all swatched side by side?
You can look for them in the Swatch Gallery! 🙂
This is a good list Christine. Love my Nars dominique, was so tough to track down, I had to order it twice off of the nars website before I actually received one, my first order was cancelled, which they failed to inform me. The only way I found out was by calling them a month after I had ordered. But I finally have it now, and it’s awesome! Now I would like to get el agua lip liner. (Funny from someone who never wore lip liner ever a couple of months ago)
Have you tried any of the other lip liners they came out with, Karen?
Not yet I havent, although I have heard some good things about the formula. Looking forward to hopefully trying out el agua. 🙂
Tom Ford Flame Matte Lipstick
Tom Ford First Time Matte Lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury Stoned Rose
Chanel La Petillante Rouge Velvet
NARS Charlotte Audacious Lipstick
Someone likes their mattes 😉
Purple variation seems like your color this top year, huh?
I think I gravitate towards more unique lip colors for some reason – like I love a good coral and red, but the ones that speak to me are the more unique ones!
I love the Bite lipstick in Aubergine! And YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Fuchsia in Excess. I really want a couple of the new NARS Audacious ones! Maybe they will be my faves for 2015!
Aubergine is a pretty shade! Which Audacious shades have caught your eye?
I want literally all of these. And not ‘internet literally’, but literally literally. T_T
I *really* hope UD makes Ladyflower permanent! Technopagan is at the actual top of my ‘next lip products to negotiate out of the US’ list.
In terms of what I’ve used…well, I’ve liked a lot of lip products this year, but I have to say that Guerlain Roselip, Bite Palomino, Revlon Peach Parfait, MUFE 49 and UD Venom have been a few ‘new to me’ favourites. I tend to like almost all of the lipsticks I get though, so that list isn’t really exhaustive, LOL!
Ladyflower is gorgeous — hope UD expands their range this year!
NARS Dominique has been on my list for a while but I think I want to try Buxom Dolly. It’s actually a pretty color. I can see why people are always raving about it
Dolly is really easy to wear!
Haha, yeah, it’s hard to step away from the coral 😉 Great picks, Christine!
Haha! So true.
Mac Marque is just so pretty.
So pretty!! Reminds me of Guerlain Gems (not a dupe, but similar in the whole gold over coral thing).
I love the formula of UD’s Revolution lipsticks! I made my first NARS purchase too (Audacious) and enjoy the comfortable wear. Would like to try Buxom and Bite Beauty.
Me too! UD did a great job on it.
My favorite was NARS Charlotte and Chanel Aura.
Awesome!! 😀
Awesome list! I’m going through my UD Ladyflower very quickly, so I am certainly hoping it will be made permanent. Other tops for me are Chantecaille Lip Chics in Bourbon Rose, Primrose, and Daphne, Tom Ford Spanish Pink, Buxom Menace, bite beauty in Retsina, Fig, and Vouvray, Chanel Rouge Coco Shines in Boy and Secret, and DiorAddict in Rose Deshabille. Timeless favorites are Revlon Cherries in the Snow and MAC RiRi Woo.
Fingers crossed Ladyflower makes it into the permanent range! C’mon, UD!
Charlotte Tilbury’s matte revolution lipstick in Glastonberry! The formula is amazing. I’m still trying to get my hands on Technopagan but it’s always sold out on Ebay 🙁
I haven’t seen that shade! Must check it out!
I want nars Dominique so badly! They have been sold out for awhile. I thought i had it once but nars cancelled my order and never told me. When my box arrived all it had in it was a free sample of their eyeshadow primer. They actually still charged my credit card the tax on the lipstick! Hoping this year i will be able to get it.
Oh no! 🙁
i purchased technopagan because of you & i have no regrets .
it’s become one of my fave lip colors of all time , so thank you !!!!!
YAYYYY!
Ooooh, I love lipstick–so many of these are great. This year I really liked UD Mrs. Mia Wallace, Too Faced Melted Berry, and a few Rimmel Provacalips worked really nicely for me. It was a good year for lipstick fans. 🙂
UD know show to do a killer red!
YSL Rouge Pur Couture Matte No.210 Nude Acoustic (LE)
Tom Ford (Matte Collection) First Time (LE)
Tom Ford (Matte Collection) PussyCat
Tom Ford (Lips & Boys Collection) Olivier
Nars (Audacious) Dominique
Rouge G Gabrielle (not new this year but I got this shade this year & love it!)
Nars (Velvet Lip Pencil) Dolce Vita (perennial fav!)
Tom Ford Blush Nude (perennial ultimate!)
Gabrielle! So pretty.
Gabrielle soooooo pretty but I remember you rating it alot lower than other Rouge G’s ?!
Favourite lipsticks, I’ve used so many, it’s hard to remember, but there’s a lot of MAC on my list.
MAC Violetta
MAC Russian Red
MAC Girl About Town
MAC Up the Amp
MAC Heroine
MAC Rebel
MAC Shitake
OCC Technopagan
Lipstick Queen Medieval
and
MAC Lady Danger
Guess that made it about ten.
I guess I really like MAC when it comes to lipsticks. I must add that I’ve yet to try NARS Audicious, Charlotte Tilbury and Tom Ford. I’ve looked at the Audicious a lot of times, but Sephora here doesn’t have the whole range, and the ones I really would like must be ordered. Maybe this year, though I’ve put myself on a temporary ban when it comes to buying makeup.
So many classic MAC shades – love that they’re all permanent ones 🙂
Forgot 1-Tom Ford (sheer range) Summer Fling
Ps. Love TF lipsticks incase you hadn’t noticed 🙂
🙂
Revlon Ultra HD: Marigold 880, Magnolia 865.
Milani: Sweet Nectar 01, Orange-Gina 03.
Maybelline Vivids: Vibrant Mandarin 885, Electric Orange 880.
Orange-gina!! I bet that is pretty. I don’t know that I’ve tried it in the reformulation yet.
I think the NARS Audacious range was pretty good. But I tend to go for strong browns – coffee colours, reds and corals.
What are some of your favorite stronger browns?
I love that you included unusual shades on this list! I bought Stavros yesterday (last one at the counter too, I was very lucky) and love how it looks. Dominique is another shade I’d love to get, but hard to track down. OCC makes the best looking metallic shades so I have to check out Technopagan and Black Metal Dahlia. Anyway, great list!
Technopagan is one of my fave products from the YEAR!
You know, this year I didn’t wear much lipstick. I have battled a case of never-ending chapped peeling lips for most of the year, so lipstick either irritates them or looks terrible on peeling lips. I wear a lot of my “color of my lips” lip pencil and blend it down into my lips with Nivea smoothing lip balm. I always have a very sheer looking natural lip. There are times when I need more lip color, I’m thinking of trying a couple of different color lip pencils using the same technique.
I hope your lips feel better soon, Judy! 🙂
Christine, you make my Pinterest wish list grow more and more everyday…..and I love it!
LOL!
Great picks.. NARS Dominique and Givenchy Rose are gorgeous shades.. <3
They are!
My favorite lipstick is Dior mysterious mauve and brun indiscretion. I love Tom Ford bruised plum, black orchid and crimson noir. I am looking forward to Nars Sandra, Deborah and Leslie because I love cherrywood rusty brown shades for my skin tone, just waiting for my order to arrive.
I don’t think I’ve seen those Dior lipsticks yet!
Nars Audacious Dominique! One of the best lipsticks I’ve ever bought 🙂 I can’t say it’s next to Tom Ford because they have different finishes and textures but the Nars Audacious formula and pigmentation is really amazing!
Such a pretty shade, right? More unique, too 🙂
I spent a lot of the year wearing my ride-or-dies: Mac Plumful, Rebel, Viva Glam V; YSL Rouge Pur Couture 11 (such a perfect soft lilacy-pinky nude!); Guerlain Gemma. But this was also the year I discovered Nars reds: Dragon Girl, Heatwave, Jungle Red, Mysterious Red (they brought it back!!!), and Rita have been cycling through my purse. It’s also been the year that drugstore lippies have become serious competition to luxury ones. There have always been fantastic drugstore lipsticks (Revlon Fire and Ice: enough said), but I think this year is the first time I’ve anticipated drugstore collections with even more excitement than, say, something from Mac. L’oreal’s Pure Reds and Maybelline’s Creamy Mattes were both amazing (if only L’oreal could do something about that sickly smell!) Revlon seems to have dropped the ball a bit this year, but I can’t wait to see what they’ll be doing next!
Also, Tarte broke my heart by discontinuing the glamazon lipsticks. Ok, they didn’t really last 12 hours, but Inspired (helpfully described as “dusty rose”) is just the most perfect neutral/nude pink that makes my lips look way nicer than they really are and doesn’t dry out my lips, etc. It really is like the lipstick version of Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk that all the UK bloggers are going crazy over. Inspired hasn’t left my purse all year, and I’m not looking forward to the day I finally have to replace it 🙁
Plumful and Rebel are such great go-tos, Alla! What do you pair with Rebel?
Recently, I’ve been enjoying pairing it with Satin Taupe on the lids (one of my HG eye shadows, I don’t even need other shadows with it, I just buff it in to the crease), the two darker colours from Chanel’s poesie quad, or just the Vintage Selection paint pot. In spring or summer (because Rebel is a year-round love for me), I like to even out my lid pigmentation with Painterly paint pot and then wear it with winged gel liner, especially in an interesting colour (this year, I’ve loved using the Black Ivy fluidline for almost everything).
I also have loved the Black Ivy fluidlline. I’ve always been more of a brown over black eyeliner person. Blond hair and medium skin, Black seemed too severe for me, but the Black Ivy has been my go to. Looks great with everything. I love doing a bronze eye with it. And mac global glow skin finish with the Nars matt multiple in Laos on my cheeks. It’s been my can’t wait for that spring glow, faux glow.
Nars Anita!
My 2014’s fac are Estee Lauder Envious/eccentric/fierce and Dior Darling/Mazette and Trafalgar !
I’m not a huge fan of Nars audacious lipsticks, I bought 2 of them ( Lana and Grace) but for me they’re not as comfortable as I expected…
Colourpop clique, OCC grandma, UD 69, Tarte alluring, kat Von outlaw, Bite musk, and I know there’s more but dang mind is getting forgetful these days.
In no particular order, my favorites are:
– Illamasqua Sangers – a delicious vibrant true red
– Too Faced Melted Jelly Donut – bold reddish fuchsia
– Too Faced Melted Rainbow – the perfect magenta
Illamasua Atomic – unique violet fuchsia
Nice picks, Carla!