Today, I met a friend who hasn’t bought a lipstick in 6 years. 6 years! As someone who probably buys 6 lipsticks a WEEK, this was almost impossible for me to comprehend. In fact, a lipstick is my desert island product… the one thing I cannot live without beauty-wise! Feeling low and looking drab? Swipe on a luscious red lipstick. Want to channel instant sophistication? Pencil in lips with a nude hue. Need to look pulled together in a hurry? A quick dab of pink will do the trick. How does one manage without this essential makeup accessory?
But what about the lipsticks that dry out your pout, asks one friend (I have been calling around frantically asking everyone whether it’s just me or do they all love their lipstick as well?). Or when it has a tendency to get on your teeth, asks another. And what if there is no mirror in sight for re-application? Or you don’t have a stead hand to paint within the lines neatly? Or they make your upper lip sweat? Or come off on everything? Or… or… or… ugh! I had no idea so many people had so many problems with lipstick.
And that’s when the penny dropped: this is the reason so many beauty brands are launching innovative color-gloss-balm hybrids that leave a wash of color without being overwhelming, come in easy-to-apply forms so you don’t need a mirror, provide hydration and have a shiny yet lightweight finish. I heard someone refer to them as “the training wheels for lipstick” and it seems pretty spot-on. Except that these formulas are so cool that they might just fill in the space for lipstick in your beauty arsenal, whether you actually like lipstick or not!
#CliniqueDidItFirst. The brand actually launched its first Chubby stick in the ’90s (who remembers the originals?). However, it’s the 2011 version that set the market ablaze, launching a whole slew of me-too products by other brands. My favorite, though, is the Chubby Stick Intense
that came out last year, which combines the good-for-you benefits of a lip balm with the ease and convenience of a pencil. $16 / INR 1,025
The Just Bitten
is a rarity: a stain that has good staying power but doesn’t make lips feel like sandpaper. It’s not very moisturising but at the same time won’t dry out your lips. And because it’s a stain, the deeper shades are perfect for creating full-on drama. The color stays on for a good 4-5 hours and even when it starts wearing off there is a pretty stain that’s left behind. The effect is quite matte, however, so you may want to layer with a clear gloss for a glossy finish. $8 / INR 600
Dior has taken the jumbo lip pencil and turned it into one of the coolest glosses I’ve ever seen. The texture is balmy and smooth, while feeling very moisturizing, leaving my lips soft even after the product wear off (2-3 hours). The pens are not hugely pigmented, instead adding a subtly tinted pop of color to balance out a statement eye or blush-heavy look. All the shades are quite shimmery and my favorite is Carioca
, which is the perfect tropical coral for someone who loves a pop of orange yet doesn’t want to go screamingly bright with the color (me!). $26
But what about the lipsticks that dry out your pout, asks one friend (I have been calling around frantically asking everyone whether it’s just me or do they all love their lipstick as well?). Or when it has a tendency to get on your teeth, asks another. And what if there is no mirror in sight for re-application? Or you don’t have a stead hand to paint within the lines neatly? Or they make your upper lip sweat? Or come off on everything? Or… or… or… ugh! I had no idea so many people had so many problems with lipstick.
And that’s when the penny dropped: this is the reason so many beauty brands are launching innovative color-gloss-balm hybrids that leave a wash of color without being overwhelming, come in easy-to-apply forms so you don’t need a mirror, provide hydration and have a shiny yet lightweight finish. I heard someone refer to them as “the training wheels for lipstick” and it seems pretty spot-on. Except that these formulas are so cool that they might just fill in the space for lipstick in your beauty arsenal, whether you actually like lipstick or not!
CLINIQUE CHUBBY STICK INTENSE
#CliniqueDidItFirst. The brand actually launched its first Chubby stick in the ’90s (who remembers the originals?). However, it’s the 2011 version that set the market ablaze, launching a whole slew of me-too products by other brands. My favorite, though, is the Chubby Stick Intense that came out last year, which combines the good-for-you benefits of a lip balm with the ease and convenience of a pencil. $16 / INR 1,025REVLON JUST BITTEN KISSABLE BALM STAIN
The Just Bitten is a rarity: a stain that has good staying power but doesn’t make lips feel like sandpaper. It’s not very moisturising but at the same time won’t dry out your lips. And because it’s a stain, the deeper shades are perfect for creating full-on drama. The color stays on for a good 4-5 hours and even when it starts wearing off there is a pretty stain that’s left behind. The effect is quite matte, however, so you may want to layer with a clear gloss for a glossy finish. $8 / INR 600DIOR JELLY LIP PEN
Dior has taken the jumbo lip pencil and turned it into one of the coolest glosses I’ve ever seen. The texture is balmy and smooth, while feeling very moisturizing, leaving my lips soft even after the product wear off (2-3 hours). The pens are not hugely pigmented, instead adding a subtly tinted pop of color to balance out a statement eye or blush-heavy look. All the shades are quite shimmery and my favorite is Carioca
, which is the perfect tropical coral for someone who loves a pop of orange yet doesn’t want to go screamingly bright with the color (me!). $26FRESH SUGAR LIP TREATMENT
This one’s gone rapidly from being a popular chapstick to becoming a cult product across the world. Buttery smooth, it’s made up of essential oils and reparative waxes that contain hefty doses of Vitamins A, C, E and SPF 15. It’s super-moisturising and slightly glossy, without being too high-shine. The color payoff is good but not so bright that it would look out of place at a Sunday brunch. Only issue? It doesn’t last for more than a couple of hours. $22
Baume in Love is terrific for women with pale lips. The color is pretty sheer but works beautifully to create a bitten-lip effect. However, if your lips are dark, all you may get is a sheer glossy effect so try before forking out the money. The consistency is that of a heavier, thicker balm that feels super-moisturising and maintains its subtle glossiness for almost an hour – which is pretty good for a lip balm. $26 / INR 1,650
Maybelline’s Color Whisper
is quite opaque and extremely buildable, especially where the darker shades are concerned. There are no heavy waxes or oils here, only “pure color pigment surrounded in weightless gel”, which gives lips a cool, refreshing feel. They have a sheen, rather than glossiness or shine and wear for a good 3-4 hours without fading away. Plus, the hydration quotient is quite high, though being gel-based, I feel the moisture mostly sits on the surface of my lips, and does not actually get absorbed. $7.49
LANCÔME BAUME IN LOVE
Baume in Love is terrific for women with pale lips. The color is pretty sheer but works beautifully to create a bitten-lip effect. However, if your lips are dark, all you may get is a sheer glossy effect so try before forking out the money. The consistency is that of a heavier, thicker balm that feels super-moisturising and maintains its subtle glossiness for almost an hour – which is pretty good for a lip balm. $26 / INR 1,650
MAYBELLINE COLOR WHISPER
Maybelline’s Color Whisper is quite opaque and extremely buildable, especially where the darker shades are concerned. There are no heavy waxes or oils here, only “pure color pigment surrounded in weightless gel”, which gives lips a cool, refreshing feel. They have a sheen, rather than glossiness or shine and wear for a good 3-4 hours without fading away. Plus, the hydration quotient is quite high, though being gel-based, I feel the moisture mostly sits on the surface of my lips, and does not actually get absorbed. $7.49TOM FORD LIP COLOR SHINE
Though my heart belongs to Tom Ford’s ultra-pigmented lipsticks, lately I am never without his Lip Color Shine in Ravenous – a completely decadent concoction of soja seed extract, Brazilian muramura butter and chamomilla flower oil among other rare ingredients. It glides on just like a stick of butter and you can actually feel it nourishing your lips. And even though the color is semi-transparent, the concentration of high quality pigments give it enough of a kick to add high doses of drama to your look. $48
CHANEL ROUGE COCO SHINE
This one’s more sheer than Tom Ford but works perfectly to complete a daytime look. I would look for something a tad more pigmented in the night, though. $34 / INR 2,000
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