New Favorite Lip Colors

Okay, I feel like I have to admit something to you. Until this year, my everyday lip color was... cherry chapstick. Yep, just like all of those girls Katy Perry is busy kissing. I'm basically addicted to moisturizing, so I was putting that stuff on constantly. But recently I decided to step up my game. My natural lip color is basically no color, so just adding a little hint of color makes such a big difference.

 

I'm not a lipstick girl. I just can't handle the maintenance. Whenever I would wear a bright color, I'd be paranoid the whole time that it was feathering or getting on my teeth or fading away to nothing. And most of the time, when I looked in the mirror, one of those three things had inevitably happened, no matter how often I checked.

That's why I love subtle color. It doesn't require the lip lining process, and if it starts to fade it's no big deal. Plus they're really easy to wear and go with everything. Win win win. Here are my current favorites:

First up is Bobbi Brown's Luxe Lipstick in Pink Cloud. This one is a really pretty light pink that's perfect when I want to feel like a girly girl. I actually got this lipstick for free when some girls from Bobbi Brown did makeovers in my office a couple of weeks ago. What, you don't ever get your makeup done at work?! It was kind of weird really, but I ended up finding a brow pencil that I love (I'm wearing it here in taupe), and getting this lipstick in the process so I'll chalk it up to a win. The formula is super creamy and moisturizing which, as a dedicated chapstick girl, I love. It also supposedly reduces lip lines but that's not really a problem for me yet so I can't tell the difference.

Next up is Revlon Kiss Balm in Fresh Strawberry, which I've been referring to as "Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers for Adults" because really, that's what it is. I mean, I'm wearing strawberry-flavored lip balm, really. I'm actually impressed that it has so much color, and while it looks like it's hot pink in the tube it goes on much more subtly. This one is also super moisturizing but also has a really nice shine to it, like a mix between a balm and a gloss. Plus, it really smells like strawberry lip smackers - I wouldn't be surprised if I found my brother trying to eat it, which he once attempted with one of my chapsticks when we were little.

Next is Covergirl Oh Sugar! Lip Balm in Candy. This one is definitely the least pigmented of everything that I've been wearing, but that's nice because sometimes you want to be able to slap on some color without looking in a mirror and go. I've heard this equated to the Fresh Sugar Lip Balms I love, but they aren't quite an exact dupe - definitely less pigmented. But, at a third of the price, it's definitely something I can live with!

I'm not really a red lipstick girl, but this Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang may have changed my mind! It's a really sheer red that's easy to wear (the description for the color on Sephora's website it literally "easy red"), and is buildable if I want more color. It does tend to wear off quickly, but because it's not a true lipstick it doesn't look bad as it fades. This one is really moisturizing too, which is helpful since I seem to be addicted to lip moisturizers.

Finally is this Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Bound, which I've raved about before. The color is so pretty and natural looking, like my natural color just got a little boost. The gloss also feels nice and isn't too sticky. The color is actually really opaque, which is fine for this color but I haven't liked the other colors I've tried - in case you haven't been able to tell from this post, I like my lip colors sheer ;)

Are you big into lip color, or do you prefer sheer, subtle color like me? Is there a product I'm missing out on?

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