Three weeks ago, I was at Yishan’s Beauty Swatch + Clinique event at Mecca Maxima. You can read more about her amazing achievement and experience here. Anyway, I was there at the strike of noon, which made me her first “customer” of the day. π After she matched me with a gorgeous Clinique lippie, I continued hanging around at Mecca Maxima to see her match lipsticks to other ladies.
Her experience with one particular lady struck a chord in me. This lady was plainly dressed in a jumper and jeans with nary a lick of makeup on her face. I overheard her mention that she’s never worn a bright lippie, that she daren’t wear one in case it didn’t suit her and that she was quite apprehensive in having matched with a bright lip colour. Still, she decided to give it a go. The makeup artist applied a beautiful shade of coral on her lips (not very bright in my books but certainly a lot brighter than what she was used to). I’ll never forget that look on her face when she saw herself in the mirror.
Her face lit up so brightly, it almost matched her lipstick. She looked absolutely gorgeous. She was so happy with how well the bright lip colour looked on her and I couldn’t agree more. She didn’t even need to wear any other makeup on her face. That pop of colour on her lips was beautiful enough. Her look of pleasure at that very moment almost brought tears to my eyes.
That’s what bright lippies can do for you. I too was very apprehensive in wearing my first bright red lipstick. It’s a challenge stepping out of the house in something so in-your-face and I felt as though all eyes were on me, or at least, my mouth. Still, after crossing that red lippie line, I started to wear bright lip colours more frequently. I can dress top to toe in black (Melbourne’s uniform) but that pop of bright colour on my lips jazzes the whole look up.
With that, I’d like to share with you my top ten bright lippies. These are the lippies I like to wear when I want that pop of colour on my lips. They’re all very pigmented; almost all swatches only require one swipe. Best thing about having a bright lippie on? I can be lazier with my eye makeup. π
1. Tom Ford Lip Color in True Coral* – I’ve blogged about this before 2 years ago and it’s still my number 1 bright coral lipstick to go to.
2. Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Runway Coral – This was the shade I purchased at Yishan’s Clinique event at Mecca Maxima. It’s a more understated coral compared to Tom Ford’s, but still bright all the same. I haven’t used Clinique’s Long Last lipsticks in a long time and am very impressed at how creamy it is.
3. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in #14 – This is more orange than coral. It might not look bright when swatched but it sure does on the lips.
4. Maybelline Color Sensational in Vivid Rose* – A pink so bright, it’ll knock your socks off. What a brilliant shade.
5. L’Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Intense Fuchsia* – This one’s more intense than Maybelline’s Vivid Rose. The deep fuchsia is simply stunning. Makes the skin look fairer.
6. Lancome Rouge in Love in 377N – I bought this when I saw this on a few beauty bloggers’ lips. I like how the Rouge in Love lipsticks look different on different lips. This one’s in between Maybelline’s Vivid Rose and L’Oreal’s Intense Fuchsia.
7. Ciccone Cosmetics Lipstick in Voluptas* – My #1 red lipstick. It goes on creamy on the lips but leaves a semi-matte finish. I use this when I need to look truly kick-ass.
8. Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Cherry Ice – I love Estee Lauder’s Gloss Sticks. They go on like lipsticks but look like lipgloss on the lips. I particularly like the Cherry Ice, which is a warm red.
9. Chanel Rouge Allure in 207 Famous – This was my first Rouge Allure lipstick (a gift from Beetrice) and also a beautiful red. It’s not as intense as Ciccone’s Voluptas and contains shimmer.
10. Guerlain Rouge Automatique in #170 – This was given to me by LeGeeque. It looks scary dark on the lipstick but goes on more sheer than it looks. It’s a beautiful shade of berry that also suits warm-toned skin. I’m not normally a fan of berries and mauve but this one’s just lovely.
L-R Swatches: 1. Tom Ford Lip Color in True Coral, 2. Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Runway Coral, 3. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in #14, 4. Maybelline Color Sensational in Vivid Rose, 5. L’Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Intense Fuchsia, 6. Lancome Rouge in Love in 377N, 7. Ciccone Cosmetics Lipstick in Voluptas, 8. Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Cherry Ice, 9. Chanel Rouge Allure in 207 Famous, 10. Guerlain Rouge Automatique in #170
There you have it, my favourite bright lipsticks. They make any outfit look better and my gloomy days seem brighter too. If you haven’t tried bright lip colours before or think you can’t pull it off, I’m here to assure you, YOU CAN. Perhaps the colour that you thought made you look strange and old just didn’t work for you. It’s true that bright lipsticks (especially reds) can make you look more mature but if you pick just the right shade, what a difference it’ll make.
Do give it a go and have fun! π
If you love bright lippies, what’s your favourite?
GORGEOUS. All of them!
Rainy Days & Lattes recently posted..Memorial Day, Purple Eyeshadow, and Loreal
Thanks Jen! I’ve got more but these are my favourites π
I love bright lipsticks but sometimes I feel like people will be staring at me on the street! makes me feel a little subconscious but also oh so fabulous. Especially when I was out and about with Illamasqua’s Eurydice…..omg it’s so gorgeous.
Omg that Eurydice is GORGEOUS. I feel a bit subconscious in the beginning too but then, what the heck, it looks good, so good enough π
Love it!! All of them are so lovely on you! π
Thanks Biianca! π
What a beautiful story! I used to be terrified of bright lips but now I don’t feel dressed up without them!
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Ooh I know, right? I feel the same too! π
I have always have trouble finding the right hue. I feel like a lot of them enhance the yellowness of my teeth. =(
I know blue undertones will be a better choice, but I can never tell which are with blue undertones ;( epicfail
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Swatch the colour on your skin and see if it looks more orange or more pink. If it’s more pink, it has blue undertones π
In the beginning I was a bit hesitant to wear bright lipsticks too I mostly wore pinks and browns but now I am trying out bold colors too and they do brighten up the face .I love the shades you have shown in the post especially the Guerlain Rouge Automatique in #170 omg it’s so pretty.:Loreal color riche in intense plum is also a pretty bold color although it’s name is plum but it is more of a reddish tone if you can get it give it a try I am sure it will look good on you π
L’Oreal’s Intense Plum actually looks more fuchsia than plum π It’s gorgeous!
I’m definitely that lady who has never worn bright lipsticks. reason being that I have an awful set of teeth and I think wearing bright lipsticks draw attention to that flaw.. so I’m usually on soft colors… but they definitely look so good and cheerful!
Aww damn, that really is too bad. You do have a point; bright lipsticks draw attention to the mouth further π
They all look gorgeous, love them!
gio recently posted..Looks: Pink Jewel in Eldorado
So much brightness. LOVE π
It’s definitely not easy to wear bright lips. I say out of all ten, my favorite is the Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Runway Coral, which I’ve never tried before. It’s a bit easier for me to wear compared to the other ones.
And Tine, I got your package. Thank you so much. I’ve been wanting to try some Aussie brands π
Angela @ The Unprofessional Beauty Blog recently posted..Chanel Stylo Eyeshadowο½Splash Some Colorful Summer Shades For A Cooling Sensation
Awesome, so good to know you received the package! Just realised that I didn’t tell you when I sent it. Ooops π
Why is your True Coral in a baby pink tube? Mine is classic Tom Ford black!
OMG, we really somewhat love the same things… I like True Coral too. And it is on my desk, besides my laptop as I type this. I picked it up to check if mine is True Coral, because mine is not pink!
Wish TF would make a baby pink line, and make it permanent.
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It’s not baby pink, it’s actually white! Colours aren’t showing properly π The white packaging is the old one, the black is the new one π