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5 Amazing Lipstick Formulas

These are my very, very favorite lipstick formulas (in no particular order!) at the moment.

What’s your favorite lipstick formula?

57 Comments

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A Name Avatar

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).

Smidge Avatar

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.

Cassie Avatar

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.

Dominique Avatar

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.

Barbara Avatar

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.

stacey Avatar

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…..

Wenz Avatar

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

Kylee Avatar

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!

Kate Avatar

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.

Mel Avatar

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 🙁

Gemma Avatar

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…

Cat G Avatar

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!

pockykami Avatar

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!

VickyM Avatar

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 🙂 .

Quinctia Avatar

Drugstore – Milani HD Advanced
Midrange – Urban Decay’s recently discontinued formula
High End – Guerlain Rouge Automatique

Jade Avatar

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.

Liz Avatar

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.

xamyx Avatar

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…

Susan Avatar

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.

yellowlantern Avatar

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.

Ellen Avatar

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!!

Alice Avatar

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.

Alexa Avatar

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!

Christina Avatar

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!

Monica Avatar

I wonder if there was a “pepsi” challenge would I be able to tell the difference in lipsticks brands. Anywho, MAC gets my vote!

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