I love a shimmery lipstick! I really do! However, when it gets to be too frosted–where it is a bit lighter and almost metallic–it can emphasize lip lines or have issues where the shimmer travels, neither of which I’m a fan of.
— Christine
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Ditto!
A little shimmer can be lovely but too frosted can be aging and emphasize the thinness of your lips if they happen to be that way
It’s mostly all love from my perspective!
I think some brands do a much better job than others where the frost is not too OTT and therefore does not dry out or texturize your lips. Plus, it can’t be all frost. I think it is really important to be able to see equal amounts or better of the actual base colour.
My favorite red (Viva Glam Rihanna) is labeled as a frost, and I didn’t even realize it until last week! It’s a very fine pearl, though and I think that’s what makes it work for me. It’s the only frost I own. I still have it in my head that frost=chalky 80s shimmer mess, but I think frosts now are more of a pearled shimmer and look much more sophisticated. When frosts are done right (for me that means minimal and fine pearl/shimmer), I think they add that special something to a look.
I don’t think I could pull off the Metallic look that seems to be trending, but l do like a brightened lipstick with a very subtle gold or warm pearl.
I love a shimmery lip, but I feel like the texture of lipsticks usually results in the shimmers migrating and dispersing unevenly, and possibly feeling gritty, especially in application. I reach for shimmery glosses instead because I feel that they wear more evenly.
I don’t mind metallic, but not a fan of frost, too many memories of frosty lipsticks from the ’80s!
I really don’t like pale frosty lipstick, at all. It looks very, very dated, and it’s not flattering in the least on me.
I prefer light shimmer to a truly frosted finish, I just find it a little too much.
For me shimmer: good, frost: 80’s in a bad way!
Exactly! I remember as a child all these cheap no-name lipsticks that were sold here from the kiosks and they just HAD TO be frosty, cause that was the trend! EVERYONE and their cats had that frost on their lips. So, I can’t stand the frost because of these memories.
I really like frost if I also love the color! I love metallic matte lipsticks, too, as long as they don’t get way too lip-liney.
Rave: Shimmer!!! They’re also great for topping and transforming other lipsticks.
Rant: They can look dated, especially lighter colors. The sheerer, lighter frosts make great toppers, but they can look really patchy and sink into lip lines when worn alone.
Absolutely love frosted lipstick.
It’s interesting how many comments there are about the lighter frosts settling into lip lines and giving an aged look to the lips (I find that this can be minimized with exfoliation and good moisture); but for me, the matte lipsticks are much worse for settling into lines and making my lips look like a prune. I have a sample too faced melted metallic in peony, and even given that it’s a light frost, I think it is really beautiful.
I agree 100%!
Don’t like it When the shimmer comes from big glitter particles and I have often the Problem that the colour does not Look evenly.
For me, shimmer and pearlized — yes, and in fact I spent hours this afternoon dabbling in testing shimmers. Frost — no (can quickly look dated on me). Metallic — jury’s still out, as some have worked on me and others not so much; I find it depends on the balance and underlying color.
They have never really worked for me either. I find the same thing it emphasizes lip lines, they always crease on me and just generally dont suit me. I am not a big lip product wearer to begin with and I dont think I currently own anything frosty… I like shimmery that is my limit 🙂
It depends on the base colour! I love red/dark red/burgundy frosts but typically avoid lighter hued frosts like the plague.
I’m not really a fan. I think I may have one (Viva Glam Rihanna I) and that’s it, and that one isn’t even that much of a frost finish. I prefer more matte lips, or at the most satin. Frost reminds me of bad 80’s-90’s looks a bit too much. I don’t mind them for more editorial looks, but not a fan for everyday type looks (for myself, as I’ve very much a “to each their own” person when it comes to appearances).
I think they have a time and place…for me that time and place is…Indian weddings!
Rave: I love the finish on a frost lipstick – especially a coppery colour. They are often very moist on your lips too.
Rant: They often don’t last very long and you are always re-touching them.
Shimmer *can* be so beautiful, when it’s done correctly! I love most of the ones by Guerlain, TF L&B’s, some of MAC’s and DEFINITELY the vast majority of the new UD Vice lipsticks!
But I hate the ones that look cheap and just plain whitish frosty, if you know what I mean! Although I very oddly LOVE Mariah Carey’s All I Want for layering it underneath a trasluscent lipgloss.
When it comes to a truly frosted lipstick, I do not like to wear them on their own. I do, however, love to use them brushed over a matte/semi-matte lipstick on the center of my lower lip.
I’ve never been a fan of frosted lipsticks. They just don’t do anything for me. The last one I bought had a frosty lipgloss and the texture felt gritty.
I used to wear this shade called L’Oreal Sandstone in the 90’s and they still sell it. I knew metallic/frost would come back because matte was in for a few years and is still going strong. I used to love something like Revlon Goldpearl Plum or Smokey Rose. Not long ago those would be “mom shades”, but everything that was old is new again.
I used to love frost lipsticks. Got a couple from MAC – O, Frenzy, Coconutty. Prefer it in medium to dark colours though. Light or nude shades will be a no-no for me!! I think frost lip finish can be nice if done right. It can give the overall look a bit of more omph and shimmer ✨
When i think about “frost lipstick” i dont know why but i think about this kind of woman with fake tan,fake blonde hair,dressed like young ladies and with this pale pink frosted lipstick!!! lol
so if its about that i hate them but i know that i have a lipstick that i love so much because of the finish, its Rihanna lipstick from Mac (whith red packaging)for me its a red lipstick half frost half metallic and i love it so so so much
Rant: Certain shades (generally those that are paler and more whitish toned) look ridiculous on practically anyone. I also prefer shimmer/metallic to a true frost finish.
Rave: If the formula is good and leans more toward shimmer than an 80s style super-pale shade, it can work and is a nice change every now and then. I’m partial to sheerer finishes for frosts in most cases.
I’m with you 100%!
I like shimmer but am careful that lipstick (or gloss) isn’t too pale. Forget the ’80’s…..it is too reminiscent of the 60’s! Jean Shrimpton could rock the pale lip as she had big beautiful eyes that were very much the focus of her makeup but I find them very old fashioned these days. (Giving away my age:( May I say that l loved makeup from a young age?)