Liquid Lipsticks are all the rage right now! Nobody can get enough of them and there are cooooountless brands out there producing tons of formulas and varieties of shades, keeping our waggling tongues waggling for more!
I wouldn't say I have a very big collection at all, in fact I probably own the smallest range of liquid lipsticks nor have I been able to try a very large variety of formulas, well not as much as I'd like to anyway. Majority of the brands I'm interested in are based in America and truth be told the whole shipping and customs malarkey has always been a put off. On top of that I've currently put myself on a makeup ban, I won't allow myself to buy anymore makeup until I finish some makeup off first. (Cheer me on guys...I'm starting to feel the burn...!)
Anyway some lovely followers requested for me to put up a liquid lipsticks post, to describe the formulas and my favourite shades within them so I thought why not. So here's a roundup of my liquid lipstick collection, I'm going to start with my favourite formulas and work down to my least favourite.
Kat Von D
This was my first ever liquid lipstick and I'm so proud that it was this one. I first saw Lolita on MakeupByRitz's YouTube channel years ago and I knew I had to have her in my life. Lolita is a dusky mauve pink, it can look quite dark mauve if I wear too much but one thin layer is the most natural and pretty mlbb mauve pink on my complexion. This was an ongoing HG lip colour for a long while and when there was the whole issue of there being formula and shade changes I stopped using it worried that I was using up too much and then went on a quest to find good dupes. It's the most comfortable liquid lipstick formula from my entire collection, pigmented, long lasting and not as drying as the rest.
Fun fact: I was so heartbroken about the formula/shade change I ended up making my own dupe which I dedicated to a whole blogpost (here), this is my second most read blogpost currently at 7562 and I remember it bought a ton of traffic to my blog when I first uploaded it!
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams ( Previous post-MY NYX LIPSTICK COLLECTION AND SWATCHES)
These are my second favourite formula mainly because of their gorgeous finish, not so much the formula. Creamy, moussy and eventually sets to a velvety matte finish which looks really really natural and effortless, though they may not be the most pigmented of the bunch, these seem to make my lips look so powdery velvety soft, plump and puffy and are really comfortable on the lips. They don't have the longest durability compared to the rest but the finish is what wins me over. I find these dry down to a slightly different colour/tone on the lips compared to how they swatch. I usually have to go over my top lips pigmentation a couple of times to get an opaque coverage AND they smell great!
I have the shades: Stockholm: Which is a pale peachy nude, I was obsessed with this shade before I bought it but was a bit disappointed because it was too light and bright for my complexion, especially my top lip, it didn't look anything like the way I saw it on others. I like pairing this with a lip liner and much prefer it like this.
Cannes: this is a rosey pink mauve shade, quite girly and cute on me. I bought this when I went on my wild goose hunt looking for a dupe of KVD Lolita, it's not a dupe at all, far too bright and rosey to be a dupe. I find this dries down to a more dark pinky rose shade than how it first applies. A great everyday shade for me. On darker complexions it's more of a nude.
Rome: Rome is what everyone wanted Cannes to be and its what I'd call a "Lolita dupe" but a touch darker. It's a dark mauve pink berry shade. Another great, everyday, throw on typa shade. (Budapest is a darker version of Rome)
Abu Dhabi: Since I was disappointed with how Stockholm turned out on me I was interested in the more brownier nudes in their collection, Abu Dhabi was another shade I was curious about. My most recent NYX SMLC, I have to say it's probably my favourite of the bunch! It's an excellent nude for my complexion! At first I think it's too light but it dries to a deeper muted shade. It's a pinky nude on me, I think the brownish peach tones in it make this a super wearable shade for me. I wear with both with and without lip liner. Love love love!
Colourpop
I bought this off Ummbaby's Depop and I'm so pleased I did. I loooove these Colourpop formulas! Like I mentioned earlier their original location is a put off for me so I feel super lucky to actually own one! I have it in the shade Bumble which is a reddish pink shade. It applies bright but dries down deeper and muted. The formula is quite easy to use, it's thin and liquidy but definitely packs a punch when it comes to pigmentation. You have to apply quickly as they dry super super fast and super matte. The writing has come off completely which is strange (Colourpop need to work on that) and I love the doe foot applicator, I think everyone needs to use doe foot applicators for liquid lipsticks, I hate the long stick like ones, grrrr!
My next favourite formulas are
These are similar to Colourpop liquid lipsticks but thicker and the formula ain't as great. Why I love these so so much is because of how utterly matte they are! Considering that the name has "gloss" in it, I find it strange because these are anything but glossy! I love how super pigmented and buildable they are, they have a cute colour selection and the formula seems to make my lips look huge, I can over line my lips and it doesn't look fake, I don't know how or why but I think it's because of how matte they are. But I don't like the fact that they can apply patchy and if too much is applied they do start to flake, I also don't like the applicator. I find working in thin layers and letting it dry completely in between each layer is the best way to use these, it's time consuming but the result is worth it for me. Also the more you build the darker the shade gets so you can start off quite sheer or light and build the shade to a darker deeper shade.
I have the shades Secret: Which is a blood red, it's beautiful! Definitely a fail safe statement red for me! When worn lightly it's a deep red and when built up it's a vampy blood red.
Backstage: This is what I'd call a "sexy" bombshell kind of shade, it's a dark berry pink, almost dark burgundy red at the same time. I always get compliments when I wear this, it seems to really flatter me. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it's just slightly magical a shade lol. I definitely recommend Backstage if you're into bold shades. When worn lightly it's a bright fuchsia pink and when built up its a dark vampy pinky burgundy shade. Love the depth of tones in this! Obsessed!!!
NYX Liquid Suede
The Suede Creams are much thinner and liquidy in consistency than the Soft Matte Lip Creams, pigmented yet feel soft and comfortable on the lips, though I find they take quite a while to dry down completely. Like the name suggests it's a suede like finish and feel on the lips. Once dry they do last a while. The formula is actually really really good but it's because they take so long to dry why they've been pushed this far down in my list plus they have the least exciting range of shades in my opinion, I think if they had more wearable shades then I would have liked them more, the shades they have are more suitable for those who like wacky vibrant shades and that's just not my cup of tea.
I have the shade: Soft Spoken: It's another "Lolita dupe" type of shade (Mauvey pink). If you own this you don't need to own Rome or vice versa.
NYX Liquid Lingerie
The Liquid Lingerie are moussy and thick in consistency like the Soft Matte Lip Creams, very pigmented yet dry down matte in a few minutes. I feel like these are the most unflattering on the lips if I use too much, they can sink into the lines and crevices of my lips and have the potential of making my lips look smaller and a bit dehydrated, especially with the lighter colours. To tackle this problem I use a pore filling primer on my lips then I apply a thin layer of lipstick on both my lips, let it dry completely and then go over my top lip once more (as I have discolouration / pigmentation on that lip) and I get a much nicer finish, smoother and plumper a bit like the Soft Matte Lip Creams. Don't get me wrong I adore these but it's because they need the extra work, which has pushed these this far down.
I have the shades: Ruffle Trim: Which is a pinky peachy mlbb nude on me. I used to dislike Ruffle Trim but now I LOVE it reason being it used to look too pasty on me for my liking but ever since I started using this technique of thin layers it's like whole new dimensions and depth of tones came out of the shade, I adooore it and have been asked so many times what I have on my lips when I've worn it!
Exotic: This is a dark reddish mauve shade, similar to Rome and Soft Spoken but with a tinge of berry red in it. Really pretty and doesn't look as bad on my lips as Ruffle Trim does though I still prefer to use a primer underneath.
Maybelline Superstay 24Hr Lipstick
These are what I'd call the early rendition of liquid lipsticks. I've been using these for years! Pigmented and easy to apply. They come double sided, one side has the colour and the other the balm that goes on top. I do like these but it's the fact that they don't dry like modern liquid lipsticks do that puts me off. If you don't apply the balm side then it feels tacky and sticky and your lips will get stuck to each other and if you do apply the balm then you won't get a matte finish, the tackiness does disappear after a few hours. I do sometimes apply some translucent powder and it does help but I find the powder can change the colour so you have to be careful of over applying.
I have the shades: Chilli: Which is a terracotta coral shade, shades like these really flatter my complexion. (Throw on typa shade)
Pink Spice: This is a warm berry pink shade, love this shade, definitely fail proof pink on me. (Throw on typa shade)
Creme Caramel: Think MAC Velvet Teddy but in liquid form. This is more pink than Velvet Teddy and I find it more wearable too. Cute pinky nude.
Last but defnitely not least Sleek Matte Me
I have this in Birthday Suit and I have to be honest and tell you that it's most probably the shade that has pushed this to the lowest rank. Because between the Maybelline 24hr lipsticks and this I do like the formula of the Sleek Matte Me's a bit more because it does dry matte. These are very very similar to the Colourpop formulas, thin and liquidy but very pigmented. But it's because they do feel quite drying on the lips than the rest of them plus I feel it sucks out the life of my lips which makes them look quite wrinkly which is why they're last on the list.
Birthday Suit is a muted pale dusky pink. Many had noticed a colour change in Birthday Suit, the "old" one was more muted and nude and the "newer" one is more pink, I noticed this when I bought another tube and contacted Sleek about this and they basically said that the old one I had had oxidised overtime which I don't really believe because a lot of people noticed this, not just me. Anyway I have a proper love hate relationship with Birthday Suit, even though I prefer the old shade, both are tooooo pale and chalky on me if I apply too much but with the help of a lip liner and a lip brush using the tiniest amount I get a much wearable colour and I do like it, it requires work but it can look really really nice. I would get more shades from the Matte Me range but I feel as if I'd be repetitively owning the same/similar shades already in my collection.
So there you have it, my small liquid lipstick collection. I do want to try so many more brands and formulas like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Coloured Raine, Dose of Colors, Milani, La Splash, Huda Beauty just to name a few, now that you've read my post you probably know what formulas I like so definitely leave me some suggestions down below as well as shades. Those who requested this post I hope you enjoyed and found this helpful, much love!
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