Archived Post
5 Amazing Lipstick Formulas
These are my very, very favorite lipstick formulas (in no particular order!) at the moment.
- Givenchy Le Rouge — smooth, rich color; long-wearing, hydrating
- Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick — long-wearing, pigmented, comfortable to wear
- Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids Lip Color — richly pigmented, luminous, long-wearing
- Buxom Full-Bodied Lipstick — luminous, smooth color, long-wearing, hydrating
- Guerlain Rouge G — luminous, pigmented, long-wearing, hydrating
I’m still trying a lot of things at the moment, but i like Mac’s Matte/Satin formula for opaque coverage and long wear, and Clinique Chubby sticks Intense for comfortable, lightweight colour. And a couple of Nars lip pencils, but I’ve only tried one from each range.
Christine, can you think of/recommend an orange-coral lipstick (similar to Vegas Volt, maybe less bright) in a good, long-wearing opaque formula? I have VV, but the formula isn’t really working well with my lips (sinking into liplines like crazy, short wear time, drying).
Maybe one of these? http://www.temptalia.com/swatch-gallery/?sg=123254,111399,108119
I adooore Maybelline’s ColorSensational lipsticks for their wear and pigment, but they absolutely reek! To me, they smell like new Play Doh and dirt. If they had a better scent I’d own dozens of them.
I feel the same way. I had to get rid of the two I had bought because they smelled and tasted soooo bad. I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way.
I love the Bare Minerals Moxie, the Dior Diorific lipsticks, the Nars ones ( regular, Satin lip pencils ), the MA.C ones, my fav is Burberry Military Red etc… I would like to try le Métier de Beauté ones, the Art Deco Dita ones, and of course the new UD ones ( in 69 and F-Bomb ), the new Dior ones too.
I have an idea – how about nail polish one-coat wonders? I love your blog and read it every single day!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Personally, I love Rouge d’Armani. Moisturizing, long-lasting, and very pigmented. Plus, it doesn’t look heavy on the lips, like a lot of highly pigmented lipsticks can. I can’t complain.
Rouge d’Armani is a great formula 🙂
Guerlain Rouge G, Guerlain Rouge Automatique, Givenchy, MAC Satin
I really love the formula of Covergirl’s LipPerfection lipsticks. I could do with out the scent though.
I agree – the scent could be better!
This is such a great list for me. I really can’t wear typical lipsticks, most of them are way too drying and emphasize cracks and lines on my lips.
I agree with everything but I haven’t tried Buxom yet. I should order soon! Now, I am waiting for my Guerlain Rouge G in Madame Batifole to arrive. Fun!
Revlon Super Lustrous is a great formula too: they are the easiest and quickest of all my lipsticks to apply.
Am I the only one who finds Buxom’s formula extremely drying? I’ve tested several shades and all of them leave my lips feeling like sandpaper after 1-2 hours.
Guerlain Rouge G is amazing, the color, the feel on lips, moisturizing, pigmentations, the look on the lips.. Too bad it is so expensive…I dont really care for Tom Ford…..
BUXOM everything!
I just picked up 5 of the new UD lipsticks and I LOVE them!
YUP that Buxom is great!!! Not to mention Maybelline…. LOVE them! Yay for an easily accessible drugstore brand… Milani is another good one too.
Next on the list is to try the new UD line…torn on which I want first 69 or fbomb
Guerlain Rouge Gs and Urban Decay Revolution are on my list, along with Tom Ford (sooooo long-lasting and wonderful, even if the shade range seems simple). I do love Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait, too, if those count, though I wish they’d expand the range because the wear on those is phenomenal!
My very favourite? I’d have to go with Rouge d’Armani, but Rouge G is a close second. I’m literally try the new Urban Decay for the first time today (Jilted) and am very impressed. Performs as well as prestige formulas at a lower price.
As a side note, I wish that the Givenchy and Buxom shade ranges were greater. I’m eager to try them, but at the same time, none of the shades in either line seem really unique to me.
So glad the Givenchy LeRouge made this cut. It seems to be one of those sleepers.. fabulous quality. I would add Tom Ford, but that’s no surprise, is it? 🙂
L’Oreal’s lipstick (except for that matte Some Like it Scarlett shade from 2006), and MAC’s matte finish.
I agree with the Maybelline ‘Vivids’ recommendation – my local drugstore has had a 2 for 1 on Maybelline so I’ve picked up 6 of the 8 colors avail here in Australia – they are lovely to wear and as we are coming into spring, looking fwd to wearing all 6 of them (not at once!)
Someone has commented on recommendations for ‘one coat wonders’ nail varnishes, I’m personally loving the Maybelline ‘Show’ nail varnish at the moment – long wearing and with general wear highly chip proof (and cheap). Just wish they had a better/nicer range of colors. I could only find one coral shade that I liked 🙁
I just love maybelline ones… 🙂
i vote for Rouge G, and Tom Ford.
Le Rouge is great.
But Rouge G and Tom Ford are better.
They wont make your lips dry even wearing for a long time ( I mean no lipbalm underneath)…
So great.. I’m lazy person, so I always forgot to wear lip balm underneath…
I am a HUGE FAN of Too Faced La Creme lipsticks.They are beautiful,comfortable, moisturizing and pretty long-wearing. I reach for them often if I know I’ll be eating!
I am also really loving the the vivids and ud’s revolution lipsticks at the moment. Apart from those, mac’s mattes and amplifieds have been longtime favorites of mine. Mac has been getting a lot of hate recently, but those finishes are very consistent in quality. They’re also coming out with a new line of retro mattes in the fall, which I’m very excited for!
I have quite a few favorites from Loreal. Pretty colors that wear long and comfortable. And reasonably priced.
I agree on the Maybelline Vivids and I love the Kate lipsticks from Rimmel. Those 2 are tops for me–yay for drugstore!
Agree on the Givenchy Le Rouge absolutely worth the money, I also love Chanel Rouge Coco and Rouge Allure, and the Lancôme L´absolu Rouge they are lovely. From Mac the only formulas I really love are the lustre I find them really comfortable. I really need to buy a Rouge G soon 🙂 .
I love Topshop lipsticks!
My favorites are: Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin, Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani, Givenchy Le Rouge, Guerlain Rouge Automatique and Rouge G. 🙂
Drugstore – Milani HD Advanced
Midrange – Urban Decay’s recently discontinued formula
High End – Guerlain Rouge Automatique
I really like MAC’s lipstick formula, though I dislike lustres and I HATE satins. I love their mattes, amplified cremes and I don’t mind the more pigmented cremesheens. I’m a terrible creature of habit and tend to stick with what I know, though! I liked Guerlains Kiss Kiss lipstick, think they may have been discontinued? Pretty much all the other lipstick lipstick formulas Ive tried have been flops.
Tom Ford, amazing.
I agree with the Maybelline Vivids! Those things are amazing.
My favorite formula is Bobbi Brown. I love the lip color, rich, and creamy formula. The lip color is my favorite. The formula is long lasting. I also really like Smashbox’s Be Legendary. It wears well and the price is pretty good. For drugstore products I do like L’oreal, but the scent is bothersome. Revlon is great too and the selection is amazing.
L’Oreal, Revlon, & Rimmel; I feel these brands really “adhere” to my lips, rather than just “sit” on them, which makes the product sort of float around. For me, MAC is the worst offender, but at least within the 3 aforementioned brands, you can easily find comparable shades.
Now, if L’Oreal would just bring back the Matte line from many years ago…
Can’t believe no one has mentioned Chantecaille Lip Chics — they are like a lipstick, gloss, and balm all in one. Gorgeous colors, fabulously moisturizing, and slightly lip-plumping through a visual effect. Once I got my first one, it completely spoiled me and I haven’t worn anything else on my lips since.
I’m surprised Burberry lipsticks didn’t make your top 5 ;). I rarely use lipstick and the few I own are Burberry and Chanel Coco Shine.
Oh wow that’s a sleeper brand, for sure. They’re lipsticks are fantastic!
Givenchy Le Rouge! Ever since I got my first tube I’ve practically bought the entire line and wear nothing else these days *glances guiltily at the rest of lippie collection”
I haven’t tested most high end lipsticks, but i’m a huge fan of YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine (not the regular Rouge Voluptes). Thin, light weight formula that just seems to meld with my lips very well. Plus I find them to be hydrating and they last forever on my lips.
I’m also a fan of Maybelline’s Colorsensationals. The color lasts for a long time and the color coverage is good. The formula is nicely hydrating too. Only real con for me is that the Colorsensationals transfer a lot. Has a waxy smell that others might be bothered by, but personally I don’t have a problem with it.
Cliniuqe Long Last Soft Shine and Georgio Armani for cream formulas and L’oreal Infinity lipstick for long lasting matte finish. I can’t stand fragrance in my lipstick, and many of your favorite brands have hefty amounts of it. I do like the new Make up Forever sheer lipsticks, but I am still considering returning it, despite a great shade for me, because of a very heavy fragrance that does not wear off! We have such an amazing variety of perfumes to choose from , that actually do smell nice, why can’t cosmetics companies leave the fragrance out of the make up and limit it to the perfume bottles? When I started wearing make up I was limited to Clinique, Almay and Prescriptives products, we have such a huge variety now of make up artist driven lines that have always been fragrance free!! I hope the changing tide spreads to the other lines as well, I’d love the try the products that Christine thinks are the best!!
i absolutely love the buxom one. the colors are nice, and the formula is creamy!
My favorites are Bite Beauty and Tom Ford, both are very moisturizing (Bite a bit more so), deeply pigmented, and wear for hours. I also like Stila’s Color Balm lipsticks, very moisturizing and wear for quite some time, leave a nice stain. Nars semi-mattes are long time favorites,too, especially Funny Face-it’s my go to. I really like the new Urban Decay lipsticks, too. I recently tried F-Bomb and Jilted, both great colors with excellent wear time and very comfortable.
The Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks are amazing! They’re very richly pigmented and last practically forever on my lips. I honestly didn’t really plan on getting any but then you mentioned that Red Revival was close to Chanel Dragon so I went to Walgreens and picked it up, so thanks, Christine!
Yay!!
What about MAC?
MAC is not my personal favorite for lipsticks 🙂 They’re good, just not great!
Those are great choices! My favorites are the Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids lipsticks.
Hugs!
I love MAC, Kate Moss for Rimmel, Maybelline Vivid’s and Milani. I also like the Kardashian Beauty Joysticks.
I’m surprised no one mentioned the Two Faced Le creme lipsticks! I absolutely love the formula. Such rich colors and it goes in soft and silky like butter! Thy are so so creamy! Def one of my favorites!
I wonder if there was a “pepsi” challenge would I be able to tell the difference in lipsticks brands. Anywho, MAC gets my vote!
My absolute faves are Mac Mineralize