We’d only assume all you beauty enthusiasts own a slew of lipsticks – but can you tell them apart? For the uninitiated, there aren’t just two or four, but many more variants of this versatile beauty offering. Different lipsticks boast different textures that can lend a unique finish. Below, we explore the many kinds of lipsticks that should be on your radar (and in your makeup kit).
1. Satin or Sheer Lipsticks
Satin or sheer lipsticks feel feathery-soft on your pucker – perfect for dressed-down days with minimal makeup. This lightweight formula adds a hint of tint to your lips while delivering ample moisture. For more colour, add multiple coats of sheer lipstick. The downside of this lipstick is that it’s not long-lasting and requires touch-ups throughout the day.
2. Matte Lipsticks
Matte lipsticks deliver on the promise of high pigment payoff and extended staying power. Order lipstick as It hugs the contours of your lips once applied, holding on for dear life. Super-saturated, they lend a mattified finish but can quickly dry your lips out. Hence, it’s advisable to prep your lips beforehand with a lip scrub, a lip oil or balm, a lip mask, and a lip primer.
3. Creamy Lipsticks
Creamy lipsticks sit somewhere between sheer and matte lipsticks. They glide effortlessly onto your pucker, delivering high pigment while not drying them out. With greater staying power than satin or sheer lipsticks, this variant offers more coverage while lending adequate moisturisation.
4. Metallic and Frosted Lipsticks
Frosted lips are a ’90s trend that has seen a resurgence in the Gen-Z era. All the rage on and off the runway and red carpet, these lipsticks leave your pucker all sparkly, owing to flecks of glitter. Reflecting light to make your lips glisten, frosted and metallic lipsticks can help create the illusion of plumper lips.
5. Glossy Lipsticks
As the name suggests, glossy lipsticks deliver a high-shine, gloss effect on your pucker with a wet, glass-like finish. Unlike matte or creamy lipsticks, they offer light to medium opacity and have limited staying power. However, they work well to keep your lips moisturised all day long – often infused with ultra-hydrating, skin-loving ingredients.
6. Powder Lipsticks
Powder lipsticks boast a powdery texture that melts when in contact with your pucker. This weightless product stays on for extended periods and doesn’t require regular touch-ups, giving your lips a blurred, matte finish. Available as bullets, liquids, slim sticks, pots, and even loose powder formulas, they promise a punch of pigment with a smooth and velvety finish.
7. Lip Liners
While lip liners may not fall directly into the lipstick category, they can double up as lipstick and go far to improve the longevity and appearance of your lipstick. Lip liners can prevent your lipstick from bleeding or feathering, can help create the illusion of fuller, luscious lips, fill any cracks on your lips, and help define your cupid’s bow. When you don’t have lipstick handy, you could use your lip liner to fill in your lips, as they often possess a texture similar to that of lipstick.
8. Lip Stains and Tints
Lip stains and tints go far to add a flush of colour to your lips sans the sensation of heavyweight lipstick. Lip tints are long-wearing and available in multiple pigmentation levels – depending on the occasion and your mood. They rarely require touch-ups and may double up as cheek tints, too! However, beware, as they can dry out your lips.
9. Lip Crayons
Lip crayons are packaged as crayon pencils, delivering a matte, creamy, or satin finish. These can be sharpened as and when required – lending intense pigment for extended periods. Easy to carry, apply, and reapply, lip crayons are dominating the beauty market, often available in myriad shades.
Conclusion
Apart from the lipstick mentioned above, you will find several splurge-worthy lip offerings on the market, including lip gloss, lip oils, lip balms, and lip plumpers. Order Lipstick: Lipsticks’ primary selling point is their staying power, shelf-life, colour payoff, and whether they make any sustainability claims or are waterproof, smudge-proof, and transfer-resistant. You should also consider your skin’s undertone when narrowing down on lipstick. The wrong shade can quickly wash you out, making you look pale.
Did you know your lipstick can double up as a blush or an eyeshadow? Yes! To ensure your lipstick lasts longer than usual, consider prepping your pucker before application, leverage your loose powder and concealer, and brush, blend, puff, and blot. These clever makeup hacks can limit the need for touch-ups, ensuring your lipstick doesn’t budge for hours. Since lipstick doesn’t sit well on dry, chapped lips, exfoliation and moisturisation are vital. Lastly, avoid using any beauty product past its expiration date, as the oils and pigments in the formula can cause an unpleasant or adverse reaction on your skin.
