Skip to main content
Advice

How to choose the right lipstick for you

How to choose the right lipstick for you
Holly James
Beauty Writer1 year ago
View Holly James's profile

Blessed with the ability to not only transform a look, but also how we feel in ourselves, lipstick really is one of the most powerful tools in our makeup bags. From mattes and satins to shimmers and metallics, lipsticks can empower us to be more confident, expressive, and above all, unique. This National Lipstick Day, we're celebrating the best lipsticks to enhance your collection, making it much easier for you to find your signature power pout.

 

Shop by finish:

Matte

If you're looking for supreme staying power and an immovable finish, a matte lipstick is for you. Coming a long way since the original matte formulas, these long-lasting lipsticks are now made to nourish the lips, keeping them hydrated and soft whilst adding highly-pigmented colour.

If you're looking for a new matte, read our lips, the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick is a must-have. Available in 12 different shades from plum to coral, the lightweight formula feels creamy and comfortable on the lips, helping to hydrate all day long.

Satin

Halfway between a matte and a cream, a satin lipstick offers a more natural-looking finish. Not as glossy as a cream but offering the same hydrating and cushiony feel, these formulas are a great option for anyone who champions both comfort and colour pay-off.

Offering up to eight hours of wear, the Armani Lip Power is a highly-pigmented formula with a silky, satin finish. Designed to add drama, the lipstick comes in a range of bold reds and deep maroon hues that cover the lips with a barely-there feel. Crafted with a droplet-shaped bullet, the lipstick offers precise application so you can perfect your pout from corner to corner.

Gloss

Glosses have made a come back over the last few years, with more of us looking to add a lustrous shimmer to our lips – whether that's with or without colour. With the ability to create the illusion of fuller-looking lips, glossy formulas are perfect for enhancing your natural beauty, having moved away from their sticky ancestors to more comfortable, lightweight finishes.

Promising a high-shine finish that resists drying out your pout, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss arrives in a range of shades, including clear, to add an optional touch of colour as well as a mirror-like shine. Blended with hydrating ingredients, the formula nourishes the delicate skin on the lips, keeping it supple and supported.

Cream

Offering intense colour with a little bit of shine, cream lipsticks, as the name suggests, create a creamy, velvety effect on the lips. With long-lasting staying power, these lipsticks are a great for creating a subtle, plumped effect without the need for a high-shine gloss.

An icon in the lipstick game, the Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Colour delivers a coat of sumptuous colour, providing the same moisturising and nourishing benefits of a lip balm. The creamy formula glides across the lips with ease, helping to smooth and even the tone and texture with your chosen shade.

Metallic

Channel your inner cosmic queen with a metallic lipstick. Strong in shine but avoiding that wet, glossy look, metallic formulas add dimension to the lips, giving off an iridescent, out-of-this-world glow with multi-dimensional shades and light-reflecting pigments.

Make your lips the main attraction with the mesmerising Black Magic Hypnotic Impact Metallic Lipstick by Uoma Beauty. The high-impact, high-pigment lipstick melts onto the lips, supporting them with Brazil nut oil and essential vitamins and minerals.

Tint

A hybrid lipstick and balm, lip tints offer conditioning care and protection for your pout whilst adding an ultra-subtle kiss of colour. Perfect for everyday wear or to keep in your handbag for those last minute night's out, tints turn up your natural lip colour without overpowering your look.

Rich in antioxidants, the Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm contains a cocktail of pomegranate extract, acai extract and avocado oil to intensely hydrate the skin, providing long-lasting moisture. Available in 7 fruit-inspired shades, the formula adds just a touch of sheer colour for that 'I woke up like this' illusion.

Shop by shade:

Red Lipstick

If you're looking to add drama to your look, red is your colour. Sassy, seductive and super vivid, the red lip is the classic, timeless look for a glam evening event.

When it comes to red lipstick, you can't go wrong with the MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo. The bold, crimson pigment glides over the lips, lasting for over 8 hours for an ultra-matte finish that won't budge or smudge.

Coral Lipstick

If you're looking for a hint of colour without too much contrast, coral creates a fresh, summery look on any skin tone. Perfect for everyday wear, coral hues are bright and uplifting, allowing you to match your lips to any outfit or occasion.

The Tom Ford Lip Colour in True Coral offers a peachy pop of colour with a satin-soft finish. The long-lasting formula feels smooth and lightweight on the lips, coating them evenly for a punchy finish.

Pink Lipstick

With a shade to suit everyone, pink lipstick can be as subtle or as vivid as you like. Ranging from almost-nude baby pinks to neon magenta hues, the options are endless, so why have just one?

If you're looking to up your lip game with something a little more powerful, the Revlon ColorStay Satin Ink Lip Colour in On A Mission is a bright and bold liquid lipstick in a vibrant berry pink. With just one coat, the lipstick wraps your pout in a high-impact, transfer-resistant pop of colour, conditioning the lips with blackcurrant seed oil to prevent any cracks or smudges.

Mauve Lipstick

Sultry and seductive, a mauve lipstick creates contrast with your skin tone to add drama to your look. Available in all finishes, a matte mauve is a great go-to for date night or drinks with the girls.

If you're looking for your perfect mauve match, we recommend the Dolce&Gabbana The Only One Lipstick in Creamy Mocha. The deep plum shade dresses the lips in statement colour, enhanced with a Mediterranean Glow Complex to hydrate and nourish the skin.

Nude Lipstick

Designed to work with your natural lip colour, the perfect nude should compliment both your authentic lip shade and your complexion. Just like matching your foundation to your skin type, look for a nude lipstick that mirrors your lip colour which will therefore enhance and perfect your pout.

Not sure where to start? The Revolution Pro Lipstick Collection Blushed Nudes stars a selection of 5 nude tones, upgraded with a creamy, satin formula. Ranging from coral nudes to a pinch of pink, each shade offers a natural, wearable finish.

Holly James
Beauty Writer
View Holly James's profile
Working with brands at LOOKFANTASTIC for over two years I have developed my knowledge of all things beauty from key skincare concerns to niche makeup tricks and haircare hacks. I have a major passion for finding effective solutions that are easily accessible to everyone so that we can all achieve our best, glowing complexion.
lfint