My Favorite Lippies

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: MakeUp Forever #19, LimeCrime Velvetine Red Velvet, MAC Girl About Town,  MAC Violetta (Pro Store)

I love my lipstick bright, opaque, and true to it's natural color.   I wanted to do a compilation of my favorite lipsticks that I wear often and some tips on wearing and getting the true color of a lipstick as a woman of color, and dishing on a few of the brands I wear.   

Being a woman of color or a woman who has any sort of darkness in their lips, you know the pains that getting your lipstick to show up in it's purest and most opaque color.  For me, I have brown ring around my lips.  Most makeup artists tell me that my lips are naturally lined.  I guess that's could be a good thing, but it seems to distort the lip color of my lipsticks that have any sort of sheerness.  For me, I often line my lips in a similar color or I put concealer on to mute out my natural underlying darkness on my lips. Then if I want to take it one step further, I will put a matching lip gloss over it. That may sound like a lot of steps, so if you don't want to do all that you may to lean towards lipsticks that give great coverage.  

Make-Up Forever's Aqua Rouge Lip (top left) goes on almost paint and the coverage is great.  I don't have to line if I don't want to.  The only thing is that it can be drying.  They do come an attached gloss for moisture.  You will want to exfoliate your lips just so the drying doesn't make your lips get crusty or peel while wearing (I know that's gross).  You can exfoliate simply by using sugar/honey combo and rubbing it against your lips (See the DIY Lip Scrub Video below). Exfoliation will also help with getting the lipstick's truest color by brightening your lips and making them super soft (added bonus). 

Another lippy I love is the LimeCrime Velvetines.  I am a fan of a matte finish and the velveteens definitely do that.  They are drying as well, but the colors are so magnificent.  I exfoliate before wearing them as well.  

Budget Friendly Lipsticks: The lipsticks featured are a little pricey, but I definitley have some drugstore brands that I love as well.  Milani Lipsticks are probably my biggest "go to" in the drug store.  MAC's Candy Yum Yum is always sold out, but it's much cheaper dupe, Milani Rose Hip, is a dead ringer. I also often pick up lippies from the WetNWild are fabulous.  I bought a lot of the Fergie for WetNWild, her colors were all really nice.  If you are looking for a nice matte finish, the NYX soft matte lips cremes are a inexpensive "go to."  The Velvetines are my favorite, but the NYX run a close 2nd and they have more colors. 

Favorite Milani Shades:  Rose Hip, Black Cherry, Nude Creme, Violet Volt
Favorite WetNWildShades:  Ravin Raisin, Fergie's Penthouse Sweet (very similar to Girl About Town)

Quick Tip: So I hate going into the drug store and all the shades I want are gone.  I will generally order my lipsticks online for the colors that always seem to be sold out.  Drugstore.com gives you free shipping over $35. So I'll order a few household items and the my favorite and rarely in stock lippies.