Thanks for the Versatility: 10 Lip Colors I Keep Reaching For
A Week of Gratitude
Lip Colors I Love
Next up in products I’m thankful for this year, I wanted to share with you nine lip colors that I frequently reach for–I often will wear them for “full face” photos and then remove the color after photos are done so I can apply a new product for testing. I might not get to wear them long or often, but they’re shades I go to over and over again when I get that chance.
Though Urban Decay made sure I wouldn’t run out (I think I have six, courtesy of UD!) of one of my all-time favorite lipsticks, Rebel, I’d love to see a shimmery mauve added to the permanent range! It’s easily the go-to color for me — it looks great with warmer and cooler looks, feels comfortable, and always looks good on my lips. I keep Fenty’s original Glossbomb in my purse for on-the-go hydration. I’m still bummed over the fact that my favorite coral, Estee Lauder’s Naked Truth, was discontinued!
Urban Decay Rebel
Urban Decay Rebel Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium, rosy mauve with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had nearly opaque... Read full review.
Fenty Beauty Fenty Glow (Universal)
Fenty Glow (Universal) is a muted, medium coral with strong, warm orange undertones and a pearly finish paired that was very shiny and glossy. The... Read full review.
Urban Decay Heatwave
Urban Decay Heatwave Vice Lipstick ($18.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a rich, deep copper-brown with warm, red undertones and a metallic finish. It had rich,... Read full review.
Bite Beauty Gold
Bite Beauty Gold Creme Lip Gloss ($22.00 for 0.14 fl. oz.) is a bright, true gold with warm, yellow undertones and flecks of gold shimmer and sparkle.... Read full review.
Bite Beauty Peacock Pearl
Bite Beauty Peacock Pearl Creme Lip Gloss ($22.00 for 0.14 fl. oz.) has a blackened brown base with cool, teal pearl. This is the type of color that... Read full review.
Pat McGrath Unfaithful
Pat McGrath Unfaithful LuxeTrance Lipstick ($38.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a medium plum with warm undertones and a cream finish. The pigmentation was... Read full review.
Estee Lauder Naked Truth
Estee Lauder Naked Truth Hi-Lustre Pure Color Envy Lipstick ($32.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a brighter, medium pink-coral with a golden, frosted shimmer. It... Read full review.
Estee Lauder Tiger Eye
Estee Lauder Tiger Eye On Hi-Lustre Pure Color Envy Lipstick ($32.00 for 0.12 oz.) is medium-dark copper with strong, warm orange undertones and a... Read full review.
Bite Beauty Pickled Ginger
Bite Beauty Pickled Ginger Amuse Bouche Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.15 oz.) is described as an "electric coral." It's... Read full review.
Bite Beauty Oyster Pearl
Bite Beauty Oyster Pearl Creme Lip Gloss ($22.00 for 0.14 fl. oz.) is a muted, medium-dark plummy brown with flecks of pink, copper, and teal pearl. ... Read full review.
I was surprised to not see the Too Faced Honey Bear lippie up there because I know that it was a preferred one for you for awhile. I think it’s safe to say that you love the coral shades and they do look pretty on you.
I am grateful for all the cinnamon brown shades that are available nowadays from Milani, Maybelline, EA, Clarins and ColourPop.
Still love the color of Honey Bear but have been reaching for Rebel this year!
Rebel is such a fabulous shade for you and I can see why you have been reaching for it in your ‘off duty’ moments.
Genevieve, I have always liked Clarins lipsticks too but they discontinue so many of them and SO fast. They got rid of one their best formulas as well – the Rouge Prodige ones – and now they’ve also d/c’d their wonderful Gloss Prodige glosses and they were pretty much the only lip glosses I even bothered with.
I hope you see this message because a while back, you mentioned an Elizabeth Arden lipstick (I think) that you really like and wear often. I think it had “Crimson” in the name. I’m just wondering what the shade is because I’m so eager to try it or to try an EA lipstick in general.
Urban Decay Rebel is my most favorite and most used lipstick. I do wish they’d make it permanent. It’s MLBB. I have two but I’m afraid I’ll need to start hoarding them.
Please UD, please make this permanent.
It is such a gorgeous shade! So glad you have two, at least!
Rebel looks sooo good in swatches and I was really happy to get it although I live in Germany but on me it it does Not look as good. I do Not know why but on me a lot of lipsticks Look different than in swatches and it is always so dissapointing. I often See a swatch and think wow and when I put it on I think oh no.
Has nothing to do with this Post but I always Wanted to ask you for a List of products of Foundation and Primers and which category they Belong to concerning water Based or silicone based ? I do Not know exactely if this is correct but I Remember you saying that it made a Huge difference for you when you learned it how to combine the right primer with the right Foundation and that there are 2 different „categorys“. Hope you can find the Time to make a bigger Post about it.
You just need to check the ingredient list of the primer against the foundation you’re using it with to see if either has any silicone ingredients 🙂 If in doubt, water-based primers tend to be more compatible with more products, since you can often put a silicone-based foundation over a water-based primer but the opposite is not true.
All truly stunning shades, for real! I have 4 of the 9 and enjoy using those. Especially that Fenty Universal Gloss Bomb whenever this very arid climate saps all the moisture out of my lips!
Until this post, I had no idea that EL dc’d Naked Truth. I suspect that I had better get Tigers Eye before that one gets put on the chopping block too.
LOVE Gloss Bomb! I’m happy they added a shade since that’s making me suspect we’ll see even more in the future.
I wish UD would bring back Rebel. It looked lovely and I regret not getting it when I had the chance.
It is SO wearable! I’m really surprised there isn’t something like it in the core range.
Rebel is so amazing! All these shades are gorgeous, and I can see why you keep going back to them. I have Rebel and Peacock Pearl, and I love them so much. I need to get Oyster Pearl one of these days. I always drool over it.
I’ve been loving the Bite glosses so much lately!
Everything about them — feel/consistency, shades, shimmer — is perfection. I have Peacock Pearl, Lavender Pearl, and Champagne Pearl and they’re all stunning.
Shu Uemura Lacque Supreme Shimmer in CR 2 might be similar in tone to Estee Lauder’s Naked Truth. It’s a pink-coral gloss with a small amount of shimmer.
I live these posts you’ve been doing Christine.?id like to add Rebel and faithful to my arsenal along with picked ginger. I have all the rest except two.
Your reccs are just so good!! I enjoyed your sparkle one too.
Thank you so much, Janine!
I am still thrilled that I picked up a tube of Rebel last January, after seeing it look so awesome on you in pictures. I honestly wish I had picked up a back-up, which is something I almost never do!
Here’s hoping that we see something like it! Outspoken, which was also LE, had a similar vibe to me but a bit cooler overall, but they really need Rebel in the permanent range!
Estee Lauder Tiger Eye is one of my favorite lipsticks that i own.
It’s lovely! It pairs so well with warm-toned looks when I want something a bit more subdued over Naked Truth!
I always know when you’re wearing Rebel, it looks so good on you – the same way I used to always be able to tell when you had on Honey Bear. I think Rebel is more dimensional with the shimmer in it. And we love our shimmers! 😉 I can’t believe UD hasn’t made that shade permanent, it’s universally flattering.
Honey Bear is definitely right in the same family! I think my Honey Bear is down to a nub, haha.
It’s no secret that my all time, go to, reliable and versatile lipstick is MAC Craving. I have loads of other lipsticks I love (sadly, many discontinued, including the original BITE lippies) but Craving is still #1 (though the newest tube I got recently doesn’t seem quite the same shade as the others I have….I’m hoping it’s just a fluke).
Fingers crossed it’s just a fluke!! Sometimes it can be one-off or perhaps if it’s just the exterior bullet (if you haven’t used it), maybe the interior is what you expect. I have seen the initial exterior not match the interior, sometimes by a decent amount (like cool to warm!).
One of my most-reached for lipsticks is Dior Addict City Lights, and it seems to have been discontinued. It’s not on your site, Christine, but do you or do any of your readers happen to know of a reasonable dupe for it? I have soooooo many lipsticks, but nothing like City Lights.
Hopefully a reader can answer! 🙂
Love these types of posts- thank you!!
My pleasure, Hollie! It’s easy to share faves 😉
Naked Truth is discontinued?! Am crushed. I’d just emerged from a long addiction to buying multiples of favorite items just in case they were discontinued, got to feeling I was being silly. It and Urban Decay Lovelight are my two favorites /daily wear lipsticks.
I try to remember that there’s always something around the corner that I’m sure to fall in love with. As pretty as Naked Truth is, I’m sure I’ll fill the gap somehow 😉 I don’t know why shimmery corals never make it for long, though.
My most recent heavy-rotation: YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Smoking Plum (48), and NARS Erdem Lipstick in Larkspur. These two are so hydrating and comfortable in the winter!
Those are both beautiful colors!
Really surprised to see the Peacock Pearl gloss in this list. In your original review you mention that it’s a good way to darken lipstick shades, does the blue/iridescent shimmer impact that at all?
I wear it a lot for layering! The shimmer definitely can come through – it depends on what you’re layering it over (true of any gloss-based layering). If you have a more emollient or thicker lip, then the shimmer can get lost when blended, but more thinner or more matte/satin formulas work well to preserve the shimmer. Sometimes I use Peacock Pearl on the outer left/right corners and something lighter in the center to give more dimension to everything.
Thanks for the corner tip!
I’ve been in the habit of scribbling either NYX Nude Beige or MAC Whirl liner and topping it with Dior gloss – such an easy look.
Whirl liner is such a classic. What Dior gloss have you been using?
Christine, I’ve been using the Lip Maximizer in 01 Pink, which is truly almost clear on my fair skin. I’m almost through the whole tube, which will be devastating. I think I’ve replaced with with the Glossier clear gloss though, but it doesn’t have the same tingle took it.
The only one of these I own is Bite’s Peacock Pearl, and I’m perfectly happy with it (and it blots beautifully, by the way). I’ve eyed Unfaithful many times, but as much as I love the PMcG formulas, I don’t feel like the color is unique enough to justify the splurge. At least that’s what I keep fervently telling myself.
I’ve really come to appreciate the Bite glosses for layering overall. I think it might have to do with the fact that I often have two eyes/two cheeks going on and the shift of the pearl… sort of goes in either direction.
Ha! Best use of duochrome-y goodness I’ve ever heard. 🙂
Alecto, I just looked over for the third time since they’ve been out (only the first look over during the sale) all of the sale lipsticks and felt exactly the same way. As I mentioned earlier in another reply to a post, I look at the photos she has and think, ‘Wow, what unique colors!” and the I look at the actual colors on Christine’s lips (and she a little lighter in skin-tone than I) and say, “Nope, not unique enough.” So, despite the A’s & A+’s, I just haven’t taken the leap to Pat’s lipsticks.
Concur on Fenty Glow Bomb and so would like to be able to have the Bite glosses! They look so beautiful! Especially the Peacock.
I’m still bummed that I never got my hands on Rebel (it’s been a year already since it was released!), and I’m going to keep complaining about it until UD brings it back, lol.
Ugh. Oyster Pearl is so gorgeous and really jazzes everything. I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t wear gloss (for the reasons illustrated perfectly tonight in the light breeze. I spent more time pulling my hair out of sticky lips than doing anything else. *sigh*).
I can’t seem to find my Rebel. I wore it all summer long. I am not as crazy about Heatwave though. Backtalk will pretty much always be my favorite lipstick even if I don’t wear it as much as I used to. The original Glossbomb is simple the best gloss I own.