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What lipstick color have you always wanted but haven't been able to find?
One of my all-time favorite lipstick shades is Guerlain’s Gems, which has been unavailable for quite sometime. I’ve found similar shades, but nothing quite in the same vein (the Rouge G finish has been hard to find in another formula, IMO). I’d love to see a medium to medium-dark coral that leaned slightly pink with moderate to heavy fine, gold (leaning orange) pearl strewn throughout with a luminous sheen, good adherence (light tackiness), and enough substance to smooth lip lines.
— Christine
A beautiful bronzed metallic color that isn´t drying or flaking and has a copper red undertone.
Have you tried the Milani Tuscan Red, Candied Toffee or Bronze Beauty?
Elizabeth Arden has one in their ceramide range – Cocoa Bronze.
A plummy brown with a bit of silvery pearl. MAC Hold the Pose and Bobbi Brown metallic Plum Pearl were about perfect.
I’m always on the hunt for a ‘hot pink’ much like the hot pink in Nars Dual Intensity blush in Adoration. It’s extremely difficult to find. Most lines skip from a mid-range pink straight to fuschia or even magenta. To me, hot pink is an unmuted red-pink — definitely not one of the berries. This is my color, and it always has been. As soon as I find it, sure enough it’s soon discontinued. Ages and eons ago, Coty made it in a slightly frosted shade. Nice, but so long gone. I also found it in Stendahl once upon a time a couple decades ago. And, I once found it in W&W, but it had the staying power of about 15 minutes. And, so it goes. I usually have to mix pinks and reds to get the right shade, which means shopping for two colors. I do have a small collection of pinks and reds, and I mix, mix, mix. Currently, I have a Givenchy that is darn close to the IT color, and I love it to pieces.
I would love to know the name of the Givenchy lipstick you have. I have Magnolia Organza but it is not quite hot pink/red. More of a true pink.
That’s it!!! I’m very fair. It’s a darker pink on me and my body chemistry tends to turn a color a little more to the blue side, so I steer clear of the fuschia family. I’m stunned by your comment. I guess it’s nice to know that I’m not a solo on the little island of hard-to-find pinks and reds.
Why would Guerlain not bring back Gems :)) Aren’t they listening? A limited edition come back? Put it in the main line??
Add me to the petition. Because of Christine I would love to have one – they should bring it back and call it: Christine’s Gem
Funny, I was just thinking about this this morning. Years back I had a Prescriptives lipstick that was perfect for me — it was in their red/yellow range I think, it was a muted warm red/coral a nod to gold/orange. It may have been the only lipstick I’ve every fully used down to the nubbin. Estee Lauder Naked Truth is close except my perfect version has a bit less shimmer but rather more pearl and leaning a bit more red than coral. If I could find the color, win; if the formula was hydrating and longer-lasting, I’d buy in quantities.
Yes! I loved one of their colors named “iced tea”? I still miss those colors!
Chanel use to have a shade called Midnight Rose which was the perfect pinkish, ruby, slightly shimmery shade that was my dream lipstick. It was discontinued a very long time ago and I’ve never found anything close to it and I have pretty much every pink, berry, ruby lipstick out there. I imagine if I saw the shade again I would find it isn’t as amazing as my mind remembers it but still I search.
Well, it sounds gorgeous and my kind of color, too.
I’d like to see a brand release a dark, shimmery forest or emerald green that’s actually opaque.
I’m imagining duochromes that I either have not seen before or perhaps no longer exist. A rich, warm violet base with a coral pearlescent glowing shift. Or, vice versa; a vivid hot coral with a violet shift. Another one that pops into mind would be a high quality rich coral-red with a shift of rose gold. BTW, java fuels my imagination!
Shoot, I’m still trying to find the perfect “my lips but better” shade for me / my perfect nude!
old fashioned rose, dark. Nars does a pretty one but their prices are way too expensive for me.
Gems is gorgeous; I’d pick that up.
I’m always looking for a light-midtone warm, slightly bright pink that’s not too light for me and has a finish like the Nars original lipsticks (not audacious, too thick for me). Really what I’m after is Nars Niagara but a few shades lighter. It sounds easy to find but I always pick something too thick, too cool, or too coral.
Would also love that light warm pink with copper/rose gold shimmer.
Ruby Woo in a better formula. I also wish Revlon would bring back Strawberry Suede or that I could find a good dupe.
A dupe for an old Mac lipstick 3-D which I wore on my wedding day. I still have it but it is 15 years old so I won’t wear it. I can’t part with it though. 🙂
It’s a frost but is so wearable and beautiful I can’t even describe it. A pearl red, pink and flame color all at once! I’ve combed the internet and the aisles and no luck so far. Any help is greatly appreciated!
One I used years ago – Ultima – The Nakeds – created by Kevin Aucoin. I think it was #5. My all-time favorite. I also like Gems from Guerlain as well and still have about half a tube left but I don’t use it too often.
I remember those! I think the one I loved was #3… I actually still have it, to use as a reference whenever I find something similar.
A dupe for a very old Estee Lauder lipstick (from the days when Karen Graham was their “face”) called Datenut Red. I’ve got a few lippies that are close but nothing that is right on the button exact.
I’m trying to find a mid-tone magenta. Magenta is my favorite shade, but they’re all very in your face. I want a toned down one for summer.
Also, MAC had a limited edition lip glass called Electro Lush that was a warm, soft pink. It was my ultimate HG MLBB. They’ve only brought it back once in a Christmas set. I’d buy a dozen if they brought it back again. I even looked for dupes here, but nothing comes up.
I would love a satin finish dupe for Tarte Exposed matte lip colour. It’s the ultimate my lips but better shade but Tarte is hellaciously expensive in Australia and I’m over matte lipstick.
A muted mid-tone lavender. Not chalky looking. Not too cool. Without heavy white in the base. Not greyish. I ‘see’ it on me, but haven’t found it yet.
I’m still chasing the perfect pink/plum/brown satin lipstick.
For those who posted, Three Custom Color does dupes of discontinued shades, and may have the shade you’re looking for in their database, which is extensive. It’s expensive, but you can choose the finish and other features. Not affiliated, just FYI.
Once I discovered the Milani Colour Statement lipsticks in my favourite bronzey, coppery shades I was in heaven.
I don’t necessarily seek any particular lip product, but I have been adding to my matte bullet lipstick stash since L’Oreal brought them back a few months ago. It’s my absolute favorite lipstick formula, and while there have been a couple shades sprinkled in over the years, I’m so happy a full range was brought back, and I have 7 or 8, plus I just picked up 5 of the Balmain…
Hey Christine,
The Lancomme lipstick Corset might be really close to what you have described. It is one of my top 10 all time favorite lipsticks, and I think they still make this shade.
Recently, I’ve seen two lipsticks that match the particular warm rose I’ve been looking for–Sephora Lipstories in Labyrinth City and Fenty Beauty Spanked! That was really the only color I was looking for. Otherwise, it’d be a consistent sheer red that has enough color to not be a tinted balm but isn’t close to a lipstick’s saturation–maybe 40% opacity max.
Laura Mercier had a color called Pomegranate that was somewhat sheer but had a cream finish. It was not a gloss. My perfect MLBB. I still have a little left in the tube because I was always putting it aside to try and wear “real” lipstick.
Chanel lip gloss Pin Up. It’s the perfect pink shimmer plus great formula to last longer, sticky but not too much. Discontinued.. so sad.
Revlon Coffee Bean. Sure it’s at the drugstore but it’s not how I remembered it as a teen. It has been the only lipstick I have finished. It was the perfect shade of pinky brown. I’ve tried to find another lipstick that compares but have failed miserably. Everything is too dark or not the right finish.
I have a super old Sephora lipstick called Earth Red from a collection with Pantone for some color of the year, can’t remember which. Its SO beautiful. I have a huge collection and this is like a rusty, plummy, red? Nothing I own is a dupe, I wish I could find a good dupe but nothing looks the same on my fair to light slightly yellow complexion I guess. Its so creamy, matte, it lasts well and the texture is middle of the road. I got this on sale at the end of that color of the year’s cycle based on one review claiming it was such a unique brown/red/plum and I was pretty new to makeup and lipsticks so I bit the bullet on it. The packaging is quite large, but I just love this color and the formula is *good*, I’m just so surprised I don’t own ANY dupes of it, nor do I seem to find dupes for it.
Opaque bright yellow and chartreuse creams.
I was just thinking earlier today that I’d like to see more options in frost-shimmer lipsticks. There used to be a lot of shimmer lipsticks. I recall the ones by Revlon, Cover Girl, and Maybelline — drugstore classics. It’s time to bring them back. There are a lot of metallic out there, but they’re usually dry. The frost-shimmers I’m thinking of are creamy.
Twenty years ago, I had a HG Lancome lipstick. It was called “Rose Tea” (in English, not French) and its number was 325. The shade was a very pinkish cool red with a touch of tan and it was the ideal colour for my skin tone (I’m a cool winter). When I was about to finish it, I wanted to buy a backup but it was discontinued. The new “Rose Thé” is a nude colour. I^’ve never been able to find the exact same shade again.
I’m on the hunt for a shade that resembles those popular warm 70s colors that are showing up in clothing these days… Something like Bite Porcini (now discontinued, it might have been a little too dark for what I’m looking for anyway). I guess that means lipsticks that are more yellow-leaning than red. I’m also interested in the shimmery/glittery liquid lipsticks some brands are putting out, but the formula hasn’t felt smooth enough for me to buy one yet.
MAC had a LE, Miss Moffitt, yrs ago that was a Shear pinkish mauve with the most micro sheen I have ever seen. No more on eBay and not even a close dupe ever.
A true skin-color nude for me! I’d love to get a lipstick that makes my lips look they do after I’ve put on my foundation. Every skintone nude I’ve ever tried was too peach, pink, taupe, mauve, you name it. *And* too dark; the few I’ve found that were light enough were too obviously peach. The closest I’ve come (so close! … just a bit too dark …) is Rituel de FIlle’s “Oracle.” Naturally, they’ve discontinued the color and are replacing it with a “reimagined” pinker tone. I can’t win. (Though that reminds me, I need to hit their website and see if there’s any of the old color left and buy a reasonable amount for forever backup.)
I want a moisturizing (gloss, cream, satin, etc.) dupe for NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade London. I love the color so much but I don’t want matte lips everyday!
A nude without needing a liner. And a coral-brown (or vice versa).