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What are your deal-breakers when it comes to lip products?
Lipsticks: I tend to gravitate toward lipsticks with some shine,
though I have loved a matte or two! I like a lightly to moderately hydrating formula that has little scent and has the decency to wear away evenly. Liquid lipsticks that crack or make my lips look shriveled are totally out!
Regular lipsticks that sink into all my lip lines noticeably are out! If I taste soap, see your way out!
— Christine
Anything drying or, on the opposite end, with too much slip. Nothing is more disappointing to me than a lipstick that slips to the edges of the lip immediately, or a lipstick that accentuates lip lines or wrinkles on the lips. I LOVE reds, but I have a little trouble keeping them on my inner lower lip (yes, even longer-wear types), so I only wear them when I willing to touch up frequently. I’m a cream/slight shine girl, not matte 🙂
Too much slip is kod.
Liquid lipsticks are typically a no go.
Anything at all drying. Even if the color and finish is perfect. My lips get so dry and chapped they require constant care as it is.
Too drying. Too red. Too weird in color so no blue, black or forrest green for me. And I like a lip color with a decent scent or no scent at all. I too want it to fade nicely
1. It can’t have a strong taste/scent.
2. The most obvs one lol it can’t have any ingredients that make me break out.
3. Has to look smooth and even, or for liquid & ultra matte lipsticks it can’t make my lips look like a shriveled raisin.
4. Can’t be so drying that it’s painful to wear.
I tend to gravitate towards matte & satin textures with fully opaque coverage but that’s not a deal breaker.
Too drying, too sheen-y or glossy are no-gos for me. It doesn’t have to be moisturizing but I don’t want it to be dehydrating either. Matte finishes don’t work for me, or at least I haven’t found one that does. I like a satin finish as my default- the formula is non-drying (for me) and I can add gloss or mattify if I want.
My lipsticks need to have:
No Scent
No Taste
No Glitter
Not Matte or drying
Price under $20 USD (there are great ones for me at that price)
I don’t care for liquid lipsticks when they suck the life out of my lips. Some liquid lipsticks work for me if I put a balm under and/or over so I do have them in my collection. I have significant lip lines and the borders of my lips are becoming increasingly less pronounced which is something that happens to lips as we age and for that reason I cannot wear lipsticks with too much slip. I pretty much try to use a lip liner with all very emollient lipsticks. I used a lipstick that was kind of an orangey shade, not one that looks good on me as I avoid orange, but it was so emollient and yet so pigmented that it stained my lips and all around my lips. I looked like I had eaten something greasy and with tomato in it and I couldn’t get it off while I was out. So embarrassing.
I do use U.D. Ozone at times but it is not a perfect fix. It will sometimes make my lipstick bunch and sort of pill up. Then it creates a dry crust around the outside of my lips. Sounds great, huh!! Lastly, I have worn some liquid lipsticks that wear off in a weird pattern or are patchy and those I don’t even try to fix.
OMG Deborah, I died laughing at your unfortunate experience ?. The part about the tomato sauce… ? still laughing…
I love your comment, Christine! It literally encompasses my sentiments exactly.
1.) Those dryed up, prune lip liquid lipsticks need to GO! They are not attractive on anyone, so I really do wish that the companies pushing them just STAHHHPP!!!
2.) On the flip side, overly emollient, slippery, slide out of the lip-lines goop is likewise unattractive and gross looking.
3.) Please, no chemical, soap or perfume tastes, mkay?!? It makes me gag a bit!
4.) Oh, and streaky, patchy applying lippies need not apply. At all!
I don’t want to smell my lipstick when I’m wearing it. I don’t like glossy lipsticks or anything with too much slip or shine. Satins are shiny enough for me!
I forgot to mention glitters and frosts…don’t like them, either.
Patchy wear and application, and drying are automatic dealbreakers.
The only lip colour I’ve found that absolutely nails everything is the indie brand Life’s Entropy. Their Lip Theory’s are fantastic. You only need the tiniest amount for full, opaque coverage, does down satin to matt (depending on finish) and wears evenly leaving a nice stain on the lips, and are extremely reasonably priced. Above all, it’s really comfortable, feels hydrating and soft on the lips. I’m done with spendy lip products, I’ve found my HG.
My favorite lip products are lip glosses and traditional bullet lipsticks with satin/cream or “comfort matte” finishes. Liquid lipsticks are pretty much out entirely. At most I’ll wear a more satiny liquid lipstick (CP Ultra Satins), or an actual liquified lipstick that doesn’t dry down. I like shine or gloss, but I’m not really a fan of metallics on the lips. Matte lipsticks are touch and go for me. I really only like semi-matte ones, or the Colourpop MatteX or UD Comfort Mattes, which I find super comfy. However, I’m totally down for non-traditional colors. Bite Beauty Kale is one of my favorite lipsticks.
I only wear lipsticks – no lip stains, lip glosses etc as they are generally too sticky and dehydrating on my lips.
For lipsticks, I am really fussy. They have to be in the narrow range of shades that I like: brown/coppery, red, berry and peach/ginger.
They need to be creamy and moisturising and last longer than 5 minutes.
No mattes.
Allergic reactions, heavy floral or perfume scents/flavors, heavy cotton candy scent/flavor (makes me nauseus), poor quality or pigmentation, pale “concealer lips” nudes, excessive bleeding, wear time of less than 2 hours, drying liquid lipsticks, and liquid lipsticks that peel and crack.
To be fair though, those concealer lip colors are meant or should be used to mix with other colors. Take MAC Myth. Most don’t wear it alone but wear with another color to tone it down. But yeah on its own those concealer nudes are very hard to pull off!
The really pale nude lips a la Kim K. seem to be pretty popular, regardless of how they’re meant to be used. If I do end up with one from a sub box or something, I do mix them, so I agree there. The pale nude lips don’t work on me, but other people (like Kim K.) can rock them.
Heavy fragrance. I don’t mind at the time if application, but if I can smell it later, no bueno.
Really sticky lip glosses.
Bad packaging.
Anything with peppermint as an ingredient. Makes my lips peel for days 🙁
If it’s too drying for my lips, I don’t want to wear it. I’m a lip balm addict and hate having even slightly dry lips, so my favorite lipsticks are a nice in-between, comfy matte finish, like ColourPop Ultra Satins (I love that they dry down, but don’t shrivel my lips!).
Overly scented lip products! Some are just way too much and smell cheap and artificial.
These days, anything drying or uncomfortable gets a no from me (I used to love LA Splash Lip Couture because their staying power is incredible, but those things feel like concrete on your lips)! Bold colors must be matte or close to it. I don’t mind more slip if it’s a light or nude shade. Anything that requires too much fuss when wearing off is a no (must be able to reapply easily and quickly). Anything that crumbles off is a no (LA Splash wears like concrete, feels like concrete, and crumbles off like concrete 8-12 hours after application). Generally, I avoid cool tones or blue-based shades for myself. They either make my teeth yellow or make me look like a white piece of paper. Only lip gloss when I absolutely have to have something but don’t have the time to apply lipstick precisely (I don’t like how my hair gets in it).