Happy Friday! It’s been a crazy few weeks and I’m long overdue for a beauty post. A few months ago, it was National Lipstick Day (did you know that was an actual thing?!), and it made me want to put together a post on the latest lip products. But then I decided to head straight to all of the bags I use on a regular basis and pull out the lip products I’m using – and loving – right now. Thanks to this blog and Sephora being across the street from my office, I’ve tried out lots of lipsticks, glosses, stains, balms, you name it, over the last few years.
It wasn’t until my wedding three years ago that lip color became one of the two beauty products that make me feel most put together (mascara is also must for me!). I went to Sephora in search of a natural-looking lipstick that would actually stay on for our big day because I knew I was going to forget to reapply, and that’s when I discovered my go-to YSL lip stain (more on that below). Since then, I try to have some sort of lip color on, especially if I’m out at night.
Read on for my current faves and exactly what it is I love about each, along with my go-to lip treatment that I use daily. Let us know what your recommendations are in the comments below!
Lip Tints & Balms:
- FRESH Sugar in Rose: I scored this in a Sephora VIB birthday freebie a few years back and loved it so much that I immediately bought two more in the same color so I always had one on me. I also love the regular version without color.
- bareMinerals Pop of Passion in Candy Pop: These launched last year and give me just the right amount of hydration and color. It’s actually a lip oil-balm, and because of that formula, the color is stronger and last longer than most lip tints and balms I’ve used in the past.
- AVON True Color Lip Balm in Coral Crush: This lip balm is new – I just tried it out for the first time today and so far, it’s great. For some reason I’m a little skeptical about lip “balms” because many leave a gross taste, but that’s not the case here. I love a good coral and this shade gives you just the right amount of coral tint.
Lip Glosses:
- bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Dare Devil: This is a sheer lip gloss that still gives you lots of shine and color. I love how the formula allows it to stay put while also keeping my lips moisturized. This color is my favorite for fall right now – it’s a blackberry-ish shade, but since it’s sheer, it’s not dramatic.
- Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Isabella: I always stock up on these during the holiday season because Sephora sells gift sets with lots of great colors – and last year I also got my sister-in-law hooked. On its own, this sheer lip polish gives your lips a nice red tint, but I also like to wear it over red/maroon-y colored lipsticks for some added shine. You can feel it plumping your lips with the tingle it gives after it’s applied.
- Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in Mai Tai: Another fun color, which is more of a light coral. The difference between this and the lip polish is that this on is a no-shimmer lip gloss – but it’s still plumping, creamy and makes your lips shine and tingle.
Lip Stains:
- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in 204 Onde Rose and 7 Corail Aquatique: If I had to pick my absolute favorite lip product ever, it would be this. You’ll find it in every single one of my bags, and my love affair with it started on my wedding day. This stuff actually stays put all day long. And with any of the colors, you can layer on as little or as much as you want to give it a different effect. I never cared much about having color on my lips before I discovered this lip stain, and now it’s my day and night go-to.
- Too Faced Melted in Velvet: For the longest time, I never thought I’d wear a red lipstick. This was the first one I loved, and I think a lot of what got me was that it not only looked great, but it stayed put. And while the applicator is very different from the YSL stain, they are both super easy to apply without going outside your lip line or using liner. I also have it in Fuschia, which I also love for a brighter bold lip.
Lipsticks:
- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lip Color in 09 Rose Stiletto: After falling in love with YSL’s lip stain, I had to try out their lipstick, which I inevitably love too. This color is great for everyday wear, as it’s more of a mauve shade. I also wear #19, Fuschia Pink, for a night out.
- bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Live Large: If you can’t tell yet, I’m a big bareMinerals fan, and that includes these lipsticks. They give just the right amount of color and do a good job of staying put. I’ve used this color forever, but there are lots of others to choose from.
- AVON Perfectly Matte Lipstick in Electric Pink: I’d be lying if I said I don’t still have the urge to put a gloss over any matte lipstick, but I’m getting used to it! You just need to find the right one that doesn’t dry out your lips (and a good exfoliator and lip treatment beforehand). This one has a smooth, velvety feel.
Lip Treatment:
- Rodan + Fields REDEFINE Lip Treatment: This stuff is quite possibly my fav lip product ever. I swear I had chronic chapped lips until I started using it back in January. It’s a serum complete with peptides and antioxidants, and I use a little every night before I go to bed and it does the trick. Once or twice a week, I’ll exfoliate my lips first with either R+F’s Micro-Dermabrasion Paste (amazing on your face too!) or FRESH’s Sugar Lip Polish. For more on R+F, head over to this post – and comment on this post or send me an email (katy at dailykaty dot com) to save 10% off and get free shipping on any order. They also just launched Lash Boost, an amazing serum that gives you longer-, fuller- and darker-looking lashes in just a few weeks.
*While samples were provided over the past few years for all of above other than the Rodan + Fields lip treatment, these are truly the products I use on a regular basis out of all of the lip products I’ve tried out! I am a Rodan + Fields consultant, so I do make a profit off of any purchase, and the other links throughout the post are affiliate links.*
