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Nancy T Avatar

These questions are literally killin’ me here, ya know! Oh man, to narrow it down to one is rough. At this time, I really love UD formula for comfort and lasting power. Yet, MAC has been upping the ante with their constant stream of new shades and formulations….makes it near impossible to decide! And then tomorrow I get to find out how a Tom Ford feels on all day. Whether it’s actually worth so much more than my usual suspects: UD and MAC. Lips And Boys is a different formula, correct? Derek does feel pretty nice on! See? I’m beginning to sound nuts arguing and trying to reason with myself! Haha!

Emily Avatar

At the moment, Charlotte Tilbury. It may be a phase but I’m really hooked on her stuff. Her other products, I feel very lukewarm about but she nailed the lipsticks and lip cheats. I don’t do gloss so can’t comment on those! I’m gonna assume this doesn’t include lip balm because I can’t live without lucas papaw ointment but I really don’t want to be condemned to clear lip balm for the rest of my life!

Deborah S. Avatar

These questions are leading me to believe that I am not a particularly loyal brand follower as I have so many options for this question also. After looking at my stash I am going to say By Terry Rouge Terrybly lipsticks. I love the feel of them on my lips and as traditional lipsticks go, they last a reasonable amount of time. I would have to give an honorable mention to Bite beauty as I like their formula also.

Augusta Avatar

It’s always changing but for the past half year I’ve enjoy Peripera’s various formulations excessively. Their formulations are as a whole very comfortable to wear, long-lasting with lovely colors and adorable packaging (you know, Korean stuff). I’ve just discovered their Peri’s Ink Stick Moist (unappealing name I know), it has an incredible consistency!

kjh Avatar

Been wanting to go there, but have only found Peripera online. Do they have it at Aritaum? There’s one ~an hour away. Always wanted to do a crawl there.

Anne Avatar

I think this category would also be MAC again, simply because of the variety of shades, finishes, etc. There are plenty of other brands that I love, but some don’t do unusual shades, or have a bad matte/satin/creme/etc finish. MAC certainly has duds but has enough good quality shades to make it worth it.

Erica Avatar

Revlon or MAC . Just the options alone kick the ass of any other makeup brand. For the rest of my life, I’d have to be bored with the limited range of everyone else? Um no no NO!!! Plus MAC makes my ultimate Viva Glam V!

kjh Avatar

Based on previous buying patters, it’d have to be bite. Their range is so extensive, formulas are good, no allergens, good wear time. Think I’m pushing 30 bites.

Blue Avatar

Bite is so good! It’s been my new favorite lipstick brand this year. I STILL haven’t wrapped my head around how they got Lavender Jam (kind of a neon lavender??) to be flattering on, and their lipsticks are so moisturizing and comfortable. I love their variety of reds and offbeat shades. No complaints, except that I wish they would expand their already large line.

AB Avatar

Tough one. Chanel but almost a toss up with Urban Decay, whose now very broad range of colors and finishes I appreciate. Chanel has nicer glosses to my view.

helen Avatar

If you happen to have a Bite Beauty Lab in your area, i can guarantee you that you would never have to venture to a MAC counter again.
At the lab, they will make your own personal bullet in any colour, finish, flavour (i think there are 4 different flavours).
And if you are even more adventurous (want to spend $150 – i think), upstairs, they will create a colour all your own. Pretty great.

Emily Avatar

This is true. For me, it was Blush Nude and Sable Smoke that turned quickly (around 9 months or so). I have Wild Ginger which is more than two years old and still holding up fine. Indian Rose is in good shape too as are my lips and boys (mostly reds). Perhaps it’s the nudes/paler shades that have this problem?

Shelle Avatar

I’m so glad you said this about Tom Ford’s lipsticks! I thought this was a total fluke when the other day I put on my beloved Casablanca and it smelled like bad glue! 🙁

Is this happening to everyone??

Emily Avatar

I have this theory it’s the nude/brown based shades that turn rancid fast – Casablanca is sort of brownish plummy, so it would fit into that. But Indian Rose is so similar to Casablanca and it’s been fine for me. I dunno. Did you notice a sort of waxy crayon sort of taste when yours turned? That’s what happened to mine. They lost the vanilla scent too.

I think the obvious problem here is the inconsistency. – at such a high price, we shouldn’t have to worry about the formula but clearly many people have had the same problems.

Shelle Avatar

That’s exactly what it smelled and tasted like, a bad waxy crayon! Is there any way to get rid of it, maybe scrape off the top part? Or did you just toss yours?

I’ve had this happen before, but to much cheaper brands and they all had Shea butter in the ingredients list.

Emily Avatar

I tossed Sable Smoke because it was beyond awful. The texture had gone all gritty too and was crumbling on my mouth. I haven’t tossed Blush Nude actually but once I noticed the waxy crayon taste, I immediately put it in the fridge. Tbh this hasn’t changed anything – I haven’t used it once since but don’t want to throw because $$$. Haven’t tried scraping the top off! Have you? If thinking it may not be a bad idea to store all my Tom Ford lipsticks in the fridge…

Maria Avatar

I agree with you about Tom Ford’s lipsticks turning rancid fast I don’t think they are the best lipsticks but I do own a few and a couple of them I really liked a lot but unless you are going to wear his lipsticks every day they definitely aren’t worth the money they start to go bad after 6 months. I don’t know if it is all his lipsticks or just the ones I own.

Jessica Avatar

Probably Mac. Their formula can be inconsistent but they have some of my favorite lip shades. I honestly couldn’t live without Instigator in my life.

Clare Avatar

If I had unlimited money, Urban Decay! I love their Vice lipsticks and Revolution lipglosses. Without unlimited money, probably Revlon. I just wish they stopped discontinuing my favorite formulas! I still mourn the Colourburst ranges, and now they seem to be nixing their Moisture Stains. ?

xamyx Avatar

NYX; I can find everything I need from nudes to vamps, classics to “unconventional”, in various finishes & formulas. Plus, the pricepoint can rarely be beat. I don’t have ” delicate snowflake* lips, so I don’t need anything special from my lip products that an overnight balm can’t fix. I’ve only gone through a handful of lip products over many years, and have had more actually go bad, so I prefer not to spend more than necessary.

Claire Renee Avatar

Hands down that would be MAC. Back in the day (25+ yr ago) I loved Lancôme & L’Oreal but after a while the “perfumey” taste in both just turned me off. The mild fragrance in MAC lippies is okay with me and you cannot beat their diverse selection of colors and formulations.

Esme Avatar

Definitely MAC. I’d say 60% of my lip colors are from them, and I’m still exploring shades/formulas. The variety is amazing! A close second would be Kat Von D, if only for the ELLs, although their recent Studded Kiss Lipsticks ( in the silver bullets) were pretty awesome too.

Alice Avatar

oh gosh I love so many lipstick brands, this question is the hardest!

I guess I would have to say Pretty Zombie Cosmetics though, because they have all the weird colors I love plus really nice red, berry, and pinky purple for “normal” days haha. Plus I love the matte finish and they last ALL DAY – I wear them when I travel, 10hrs in the car w/Dunkin for breakfast, McDonald’s for lunch, tacos for supper, never had to touch up!

Runners up: Urban Decay, Make Up For Ever, NYX, MAC.

Eileen Avatar

Rouge G! Not only is the formula ideally suited to my chronically dry, sensitive lips, but Rouge G comes in colors that are beautifully suited to my coloring and esthetic. I wish Guerlain would release a collection of 4 or more colors like they’ve done in the past.

Mo Merrell Avatar

Smashbox (that is unless BiTE adds on a liquid lipstick that can compete!)

Smashbox’s formula is perfect for me. The size of the lipstick, the costs, the variety and their liquid lipstick has been as equally amazing on my lips.

K.T. Avatar

Maybe NYX or Maybelline. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed in a Maybelline lipstick EVER, but NYX offers a larger selection of shades and formulas… If someone else is paying, maybe Urban Decay. Chanel has some of my most often worn shades in lipstick, but they’re very… traditional, and the formula isn’t that impressive to me, in most cases.

Blue Avatar

This is hard, my lipsticks are my babies.

I think I have to say MAC for the massive variety and generally trusty formulations.

Two really close runners up though with NARS (higher quality than MAC IMHO, and a few standout colors MAC doesn’t dupe), and Bite (amazing, moisturizing texture that also beats MAC, edgier color selection than NARS, higher quality offbeat colors than MAC). Bite and NARS together would be about as close to my ultimate lipstick brand as I could hope for.

Honorable mention: Anastasia, solely for the colors.

Dawn Avatar

For me, Bite Beauty (have quite a few now.)

I am kinda grossed out by some of the scents and ingredients of most drugstore and high-end lipsticks (perfumed to chemically smelling) so I stick to Bite, as I don’t feel weird about eating my lipstick.

Lea Avatar

Lipstick is probably the most diverse part of my make-up wardrobe, but if I could really only pick one? It would have to be Armani. The Rouge D’Armani is the best formula for me; the only negative is they’ve discontinued the lip glosses for the moment, but I keep hoping I can pester them into bringing them back. In the meantime I stocked up on them. There are so many good lip brands out there now and recently such amazing releases really knocking it out of the park.

Silvia Avatar

Body Shop, Clinique, and believe or not WetnWild mattes I love them! Won’t fall out do not ft my lips and last more than many other expensive brands I have tried Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Boits No7, etc.
Kat Von also great. I have so many tough choice!

Lena Avatar

Lipstick Queen. I haven’t found a formula of Poppy’s I haven’t fallen in love with. Super moisturizing, long lasting, gorgeous colors in sheers and opaque that are flattering on every skin tone.

Sarah Avatar

Ooh, tough one! Because ColourPop matte lippie stix and NYX soft matte lip creams are both go-to formulas, this is a hard choice. I would probably choose NYX though, simply because they have more variety that appeals to me! If I could afford it, Beauty Bakerie would be on my list. Alas, I can’t afford more than three of those at a time if I’m lucky.

Genevieve Avatar

The high end lipsticks like Guerlain, Dior, Estee Lauder are just SO expensive here in Australia – more than $50 and that is too much to pay for a lipstick I think. And having tried a lot I find the Milani ones just as good and a great shade range too.

Bonnie Avatar

I don’t think I’ve ever paid over 30 for a lipstick. My favorites would be MAC, NYX, Urban Decay, Maybelline, and Milani. I think the most expensive lipstick in that bunch is $17.

I wish I could see Australia. Have you ever been to the States?

maria Avatar

Dior Addict Glow for everyday so it is my first choice.
Second choice is Givenchy Le Rouge
I have to try Guerlain Rouge G’s if it is your favorite Christine it must be a great formula but I have so many lipsticks that I still haven’t worn.

LaMaitresse Avatar

That’s a tough one, I love Rouge G and Tom Ford just about equally. I think Ford lasts on me just that bit longer so maybe Ford for the win.

Karen Avatar

Is it very shallow of me to want a magnetic case if I can only choose one brand? I’d go with Estee Lauder, the Pure Color Envy has a formula reminiscent of Tom Ford, I also like the Sheer and the newer Sculpted. The lip liners are creamy but last and, although I don’t wear gloss often, EL work just fine for me.
Having said all that, if MAC had magnetic cases, I may switch my vote….

CoastalCali Avatar

Would they be free? Ha ha. Assuming not, possibly Revlon, Super Lustrous line. Huge range of shades, and lots of dupes. And, with the frequent sales, can get for around $6.50. Rum Raisin getting a lot of use now.

(I do not ever need more lipstick, bought Plum Baby today … weird greyish lavender sheer… looks so much like the UD Vice Pallor on me!! Or the other LE light purple one, cant remember names. Yay because I’ll only wear it rarely so perfect price.)

Gisèle Avatar

I would say UD because I love so much Sheer Liar, not only for color but also formula so buttery and comfortable, that I wear it everyday. The color range of vice lipsticks is really hudge so I will definitely try more of them.

Bonnie Avatar

Not fair! I love so many. I didn’t even think your top 3 lip color question was fair, as I could probably come up with at least 10 off the top of my head. But if I have to choose, it’s MAC for lip color – so many gorgeous ones, but I still want my Cargo Lipliner. If I can’t have both, I might actually forgo the colors to keep my reverse lip liner. I love it that much. But don’t make me choose!

Lorraine. E.R Avatar

Mac. I’m not a huge Mac fangirl but I feel like if I could only use one brand that would be one that would have just about every lip product I could need and also isn’t overly pricey. There are other things from other brands I may like better but what other brand has such a wide range of lip products that are also consistently good quality across the whole product range? NYX has as wide a range of lip product/ shades but I feel like the quality is a little more hit or miss than Mac. I mean…I’m talking brands that have primers, pencils also liquid lipsticks and bullets, glosses, balms, glitters, etc.? You may love urban decay or bite but you’re not going to get as wide a variety of products and formulations with those brands. (I am way overthinking this hypothetical question, aren’t I?? Lol)

Tiffanie Avatar

MAC of course! Can’t be the quality (for the most part), color and finish variety and innovation. Honorable mention to Chanel purely because of the Glossimer in Giggle; it’s a daily staple.

Caroline Avatar

I know this is an old post, but I am finally catching up on my emails and found it! Definitely YSL. I have not found a lipstick besides their that stays on so long, and that I can “paint” on without having to rub my lips together. I paint it on, it stays, and I am one happy girl!!!

KK Avatar

NARS easily. I love the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and Pure Matte Lipsticks. They have my perfect shades, and I’m almost to the point where I don’t even check other brands’ releases. I haven’t tried the Audacious formula yet, but I like how they are there as another option in the future.

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