With all the thousands of beauty products out there, it can be difficult to find which ones work best for you. Last week, we asked you, readers, to let us know which lipsticks are your absolute favorites ever. We want to save you money by recommending tried-and-true products so you don’t wind up buying ones that only serve to disappoint you, after all, and getting reader recs is one of the best ways to do that.
My current one, as I said, is Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Scarlett (which I totally GIF’d for your viewing pleasure/my self-amusement), though I’ve also been really down with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Technopagan and Ardency Inn Modster Long Play Supercharged Lip Color in Black Is Blue. I don’t love them enough to get them tattooed on my body like some people, but I do strongly advise that you all try them at some point. Now, for your many recommendations of 25 faves!
1. Kirsten: “MAC’s Dark Side when I’m feeling vampy or Viva Glam Matte A70! I’ve been really about Tarte’s Lip Tint in Moody lately.”
2. Elyne: “I’m more of a lip gloss girl, but if I wear a lipstick, it’s usually a nude shade, and I don’t really have a favorite, but I do have fave brands: Rimmel = always excellent pigment also creamy and doesn’t dry my lips out. And if I have money, it’s Dior. I think they look so pretty, and they just feel so good.”
3. Alwyn: “Dior lip products are so amazing! (Which they should be for the price.).”
4. Alexandra: “When I want a bright lip, my go-to is Revlon’s kissable balm stain in Sweetheart. It doesn’t dry my lips out like most stains, and it stays on FOREVER!”
5. Maria: “I love Revlon’s Colorburst balms. I want ALL of the metallic and matte shades.”
6. Mandie: “CoverGirl Lip Perfection in Spellbound! Yes, it is $6, but it wears like IRON. My go-to for long nights and roller derby. The fury of a 300-pound Nebraskan blocker will not wipe this off your face.”
7. Jessica: “I love F-Bomb by Urban Decay. It’s a bright red that goes on really easily. It also lasts all day, but even when it fades a little, it still looks good… and it’s not that expensive!”
8. chippythehero: “I have a Nars Velvet Matte lip crayon in ‘Cruella,’ and it’s my go-to shade of red. It’s bright and bold but a little on the darker side. I love it. It’s matte, which is good because gloss makes me look like I’m 12 instead of 25. Easy on, and this shit stays. I use it for comic conventions and cosplay, and it holds up through water bottles and photos and heat and sweat. It’s gold.”
9. Heather: “I’m quite fickle, so it changes constantly. For the moment, I love Rimmel’s Lasting Finishing Lipstick in #110. It’s a matte coral-red that looks good as a stain or applied straight from the bullet.”
10. Hayley: “Glam by MAC! I don’t wear a lot of lipstick, but I bust that one out when I need to feel like a fancy badass.”
11. Alwyn: “When I started branching out and trying higher-end lip products, I really thought that I would find something I love more than Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Roseberry, but it is STILL my go-to shade. The formula is so creamy and smooth and doesn’t make my permanently-chapped lips look awful. And the shade is the perfect marriage of rose and berry, just as the name suggests. Looks dark in the tube but very bright and happy when applied. Beeeaayoootiful. Unfortunately, they discontinued that line, but you can still get it in the dark corners of the Internet (Amazon, I think).”
12. killersandliars: “I can’t pick a favorite. I have too many favorites to even list. I love lipsticks way too much. Mainly, for me, it is about formula and if it performs to my expectations. I love Chanel Rouge Coco, Illamasqua’s matte lipsticks, and basically anything for lips that Revlon makes.”
13. Malissa: “Stila Liquid Lipstick in Beso. A gorgeous true red. I’m also quite fair-skinned.”
14. simoneutecht: “Many moons ago, Estée Lauder used to make a bronzish automatic lip brush that I wore every day I worked at Macy’s Herald Square. 20 years later, I was at a party, and a guy there recognized me because of that lip color.”
15. jennlevy: “Maybelline Fifth Avenue Fuschia. My summer shade for years now.”
16. Alexis: “Heroine by MAC… Maybe it’s because I keep my hair purple, but every time I wear it, I get compliments left and right!”
17. Alexandra: “Lipstick usually dries out my lips too much. So I stick to tinted balms and the occasionally glaze. I use Sugar Cherry or Stila Persimmon (which is what I’m wearing in my pic). PS. Your GIF is freaking adorable!”
18. Diana: “My favorite red insofar is Stila’s Beso (the more neutral version of Fiery–Fiery is a smidgen darker and brickish), but it’s a tricky one to maneuver because it can get goopy if you apply a too-thick layer. Just like painting your nails.
19. Hannah: “Urban Decay’s F-Bomb for a true red, MAC’s Hang Up for a vampy look. I’m really into Urban Decay’s Naked Lip Gloss in Liar for a nude/natural look now, though! (Adding UD’s Shame to my list soon!).”
20. Abenaa: “Cle de Peau Beaute in R2. It’s my perfect red. Expensive but sooooo worth it.”
21. Jenny: “Ooh, I know I said in the other article that I can’t wear red lipstick, but I LOVE Lipstick Queen’s Medieval shade. My sister (who is a lipstick ninja- she can pick out a lipstick for ANYONE) gifted it to me last Christmas, and initially, I thought she’d gone mad. But it’s THE BOMB. Kind of adjusts to fit who ever’s wearing it- on me, it looks like I’ve just eaten a ton of berries. It’s also sheer and very moisturizing, kind of feels like lip balm more than lipstick.”
22. lafunambulista: “Be Legendary Lipstick in Infrared by Smashbox! Intense, matte without being drying, SUPER vivid red! My first lipstick soul mate was Ruby Woo, and I still think it’s beautiful, but this color has been my go-to red since I purchased it. Also, now I’ve found the perfect dupe for Ruby Woo, Stoplight Red (Wet’n’Wild), identical in the shade but creamier and longer-wearing; I will never go back to the MAC formula!”
23. Jen: “I like the most Barbie-looking bright pinks possible. I think my favorite is Backstage Bambi by Kat Von D. The closer I can look like a porn star/Malibu barbie/ Pamela Anderson clone, the better…. I’m hoping to try an OCC Lip Tar bright pink shade!”
24. ZanBrody: “If you do drugstore brands, you should get Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm in the shade Lovesick. It is an AWESOME barbie pink. Super rich and bright.”
25. Celia: “I wear NARS Heat Wave almost every single day, and it’s my favorite. On my off days, I go for Maybelline’s Fuschia Fever. I’m a redhead with very fair skin, and these are vibrant enough to not clash with my hair – or maybe they do, I don’t care. You will pry them out of my cold, dead hands along with my liquid eyeliner.”
