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What do you look for in the perfect lipstick?


What do you look for in the perfect lipstick? Share your must-have qualities!

It should wear for four to six hours at a minimum, wear evenly and fade evenly, feel comfortable without being slick or bleeding, moisturizing, and deliver opaque color.

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43 Comments

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divinem (Melissa) Avatar

1) Fades down evenly
2) Luxurious, moisturizing lip feel
3) Semi-opaque

Nothing worse than a bold lip that fades out to the edge and leaves you with a lipstick “ring” around the edges of the mouth. YUK!

Amy Avatar

1. Long wearing.
2. Nude, pink, nude pink, light coral.
3. Creamy, smooth, a bit of shine. Matte lipsticks look chalky on me.
4. No glitter.
5. Doesn’t dry and crack my lips.

Maureen Avatar

I’m searching for the perfect pink. Everything I try is either too light/bright/opaque/crazy looking. Plums love me, though. I can pick up any plum and rock it.

Carrie Ann Avatar

Something that feels moisturizing but lasts and has SPF in it. I don’t really care for bold colors, so it would also have to be a pretty, fairly natural-looking shade.

Rachel Avatar

Long-wearing is my absolute #1 requirement. Even some of MAC’s lipsticks last maybe 45 minutes for me. Other than that, opaqueness, easy to apply, even, and not drying. Wow, I’m picky.

Mariella Avatar

It is nice to find something that is not drying – that feels moisturizing on the lips – but that also doesn’t feel greasy and travel and bleed. Combine that with lasting colour and I’m happy. Oh, and I have to agree with “even fading” – I also hate that lipstick ring but if something fades evenly and maybe leaves just a hint of a stain all over the lips, I’m good with that.

nvl Avatar

It needs to fade evenly. Leaving a ring is a no no. Or it fades and becomes splotchy. It also doesn’t need to fade in an hour without eating or drinking. I also hate lipsticks that are EXTREMELY drying. Yuck! They create flakes and then you have dry lips, flakes and fading lipstick.

Yazmin Avatar

Long wearing, applies smoothly, i dont hsve to layer on layers just to get that correct coverage. Doesnt dry out my lips. and a formula that doesnt stain. I love wearing red lipsticks but i hate the fact that alot of lipsticks stain on my lips. So im staying away from reds right now unless its a special occasion

Christopher Avatar

Very opaque color, but creamy to apply. Applies evenly and smoothly. The MUFE Rouge Artist Intense usually has my ideal choice for color payoff, but it isn’t as easy to apply as the YSL Rouge Volupte. The MAC satin finish lipsticks are usually the best of both worlds in those aspects, but I find some of them to be a bit drying. I usually prefer shine and gloss over glitter or frost as well. Even though some of the lipsticks I mentioned have their flaws, I still enjoy using them and I can work with what I don’t like 🙂

lazeny Avatar

Opaque, moisturizing but long wearing. I also like if it has a slight scent and not smells like plastic packaging. I’m not fond of frosty, shimmery and sheer lipstick – otherwise I would just purchase a lipgloss. I also look for a nice packaging. There’s nothing like playing w/ a tube of luxuriously looking lipstick.

Claire Avatar

Great pigmentation, long lasting colour and when it does start to wear off, it needs to do so fairly evenly. Oh and a great selection of colours is a must for any lipstick collection!

Fey Avatar

*Great pigmentation
*A harder/waxier feel
*Smooth application
*Non-setting, non-feathering

I adore the pigmentation of Illamasqua’s lipsticks and the texture of Clinique’s.

Chynna Avatar

1. Preferably matte, but cream finishes are ok too.
2. Must be opaque.
3. Nothing that smells like play-doh or any other odd scent.

Deepa Avatar

I share the exact feelings like these lovely ladies here. Also I would like to add, I love a lipstick that tastes luxurious too.. u know, the scent is nice and tres elegant . None of the placticky taste and scent that lingers on your lips.. ( cue Bobbie Brown Lippies)

Brie Avatar

I actually like lipsticks from both ends of the color payoff spectrum, both extremely pigmented and sheer (though not uneven) shades, depending on whether I want a statement lip or a softer every day lip look. The long-wearing aspect is a plus but not required for me (2-3 hours wear time is good enough). If the shade is gorgeous enough, I have no problem re-applying throughout the day. I can’t stand synthetic or waxy smelling lipsticks (like NYX rounds). My nose is just too sensitive! My favorite every day lipstick at the moment is a Revlon Color Burst in Soft Rose. It encompasses everything I love about lipsticks and is super flattering!

Lisa Avatar

Bright Colors (they look good with my summer tan), even fading, and comfortable feeling.

I like it if it has low risk of grabbing onto my front teeth.

Stacey Avatar

dont have the lipstick feel, unscented, named brand, moisturizing, when used up…I can find a replacement…not discontinued, pretty color, doesnt go rancid on me if I dont use it for a awhile.

Becca Avatar

apply, wear and fade evenly
semi-opaque
creamy, but not to the point where I can only apply it with a brush
no shimmer. I usually DETEST shimmer on my lips, save for that rare occasion where I pull out a NYX diamond sparkle lipstick, but you know what I mean, that really shimmery, metallic effec lipstick that looks SOOOOO cheap and tacky. no go for me.
long wearing, a beautiful colour- usually nude, pink, coral etc.
no bleeding or feathering
NO WHITE LINE!!!!!!!!!!
not too glossy, but not 100% matte (unless I’m going for that look)
non drying- but doesn’t necessarely have to moisturize my lips

wow, that’s quite a list of things, but I’m quite picky when it comes to lipstick as I will feel it and have to look comfortable in it and be confident that in an hour I won’t look like a monster attacked my lips.

Sarah Avatar

A good colour range, enough creme/satin finishes in the line (I hate frosts), a good price for what you get ($12 for a drugstore lipstick is ridiculous), not overly drying, but not overly creamy so that it melts off your lips halfway through the day.

meme Avatar

Color that stays true (does not turn on me)
Does not mush out ASAP in the bullet – hate to pay $ and instantly have a mess on my hands.
Natural as possible as I don’t want to ingest a bunch of chemicals
Cannot dry out my lips. I work hard to keep them moisturized
Having an natural (non chemical)spf in the lipstick is a HUGE bonus

Ellie Avatar

Honestly, I am completely inspired by the show Pretty Little Liars when it comes to lipstick. They ALWAYS have the best pink hues without them being too overpowering or too “80’s neon.” So the pretty pinks are what I always search for. The best ones I have tried are Revlon’s Pink Pop Lip Gloss and then Cover Girl Lip Stick in Temptress.

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