Rant & Rave: Frost Lipsticks

Tell us what you love and hate about...

Frost Lipsticks

I like the finish, but I think they need some dewiness/luminosity to them so they don’t emphasize lip texture/lines.

— Christine

25 Comments

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Deborah S. Avatar

Frosted lipsticks always give me flashbacks to the 60’s I didn’t find them particularly flattering then and I had much fewer lip lines! I do like them on others but they just aren’t attractive on me. The few I have purchased after ticking past 60 I have since de-cluttered.

Lesley Avatar

I had a white frost, probably by Revlon, that could be applied over other colors to make them frosted. It did not flatter my 16 year old complexion. I don’t want to think about how I might look in a frosted lipstick now.

Deborah S. Avatar

I shudder to think what pictures of me would be floating around out there if we had all of the social media platforms then, that we do now. I feel bad for young people today because their time will come and those thousands of selfies may come back to haunt them, LOL!!

Rachel R. Avatar

Frost is my least favorite finish, and I only own a handful. I like a frost finish done well, but they’re very tricky. A lighter, sheerer frost can be pretty over bare lips for an ethereal look. They’re useful as a topper to change the color, cool- or warm-ness of tone, and finish of a more opaque lip color.

A really bad opaque lipstick, especially a lighter shade, can look really overdone and dated. Frosts can be really bad about settling into lip lines.

Lauren Avatar

I think a subdued frost finish can look very pretty and I like them in neutral/rosey colors or bright fun colors (not a fan of light pink cool frosted colors, they wash me out really badly). Heavily frosted finishes are pretty to look at in swatches, but in my experience look very unflattering on the lips.

Heather Avatar

They just look wrong on me, and I hate how frequently the shimmer clumps up in my lip lines. Also, I’ve found them less comfortable to wear overall than plain cream lipsticks. 🙂

Sarah Avatar

Rave – They can be very pretty and shiny when photographed in the right light

Rant – They don’t look as nice in “real life” and can make the lips look dry and shriveled up

Nancy T Avatar

Rave: Some of them look absolutely stunning when they are more luminous and/or multidimensional! I tend to prefer a softer sheen as opposed to something that’s pure frostiness. Some great ones are Tom Ford Seadragon, Too Faced Hoochie, PMG Flesh Fatale, UD Broken and Amulet, plus MAC I Get So OOC.

Rant: They can make mine or most others lips look DRY. PARCHED, CAKEY. Some other formulas have a different problem, they can apply more patchy than other finishes.

Belle Avatar

I am 45, so I wore frosted lipsticks in the 80’s, but many frost finishes these days are different. I love Fresh Moroccan from MAC, an old EL Pure Color Candy Shimmer lipstick that I use sparingly, and several others. I guess it just depends on the particular color.

Bonnie Avatar

I love a good frost. I do start every lip look – matte, metallic, frosty, even cream/satin – with a lip balm though. I put it on before I begin my makeup, let it absorb, then wipe of the excess when it’s time to do lips. This generally prevents the majority of color collection in lines.

I know it can look dated, but something about a light pink frost just feels so me.

Ana Maria Avatar

I’ll skip frost finishes in everything make-up related, especially lip products, it’s just a matter of personal taste.

But I do love them in editorial looks or photo shoots, on the runaway or in shows… they just can create a specific character or vibe.

SSM Avatar

Frost lipsticks make my lips look weird–like, the actual shape of my lips seems to change. I don’t know if it’s the light reflection or what, but they seem to make my top lip disappear completely and so it looks completely unbalanced with my bottom lip. Does anyone else have this issue? My lips are on the fuller side so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it.

I’ve always worn lipsticks that were more balmy. I used to be so envious of my frosty-lipped friends in the 80s. I remember one girlfriend asking to see my lipstick tube and then responding with “Ew, it’s matte!” Haha!

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