Which Lip Product Is Right For You?

Bold and bright, neutral and soft – the right lip colour can tie an entire look together.

There’s something quintessentially “Old Hollywood” about a woman pulling a beautifully encased lip colour out of her purse and swiping it across her pout with ease. The amount of time and effort spent on choosing that lip colour, however, is far from easy.

There are so many lip products available now that it can be truly overwhelming to choose the right one. Pencils, crayons, glosses, creams and liquids all have their place, as so matte, satin, velvet and high shine finishes. So where does one begin? And which products do you need on hand to master a red-carpet-worthy lip look?

To help you put that Old Hollywood ease back into applying your makeup, we’ve put together a simple guide to this season’s most glamorous lip looks – and how you can achieve them from home.

The Lip Stain

The Lip Stain is the perfect way to experiment with a bold lip colour without having to stray too far from your regular beauty look (it’s also the simplest new-season lip look to master!). To create a tinted, stained lip look, we love to use a creamy formula like our Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain use your fingertip to press and dab the colour to disperse it. The effect will be a subtle, matte lip look with slightly blurred edges, which means you won’t need to touch up any liner during the day!

Our tip: Try this one with a bright, poppy red hue, like Saucy, for maximum impact. Alternatively, for even longer staying power, try our 

The Old Hollywood Pout

Everything old is new again, and this timeless 1920s film star look is back in vogue. Where the Lip Stain is a look that requires little maintenance, the Old Hollywood is for those who are willing to go the extra mile in the name of beauty. For this classic look, you’ll need a creamy, richly pigmented lipstick and a fine lip liner in a similar, if not the same, hue – we love teaming our Triple Luxe Lipsticks with one of our Lip Liners. With a steady hand, use the liner to trace the outline of your lips. Next, use the liner to colour your lips (this way, if your lipstick fades with wear, the colour will still remain on your pout). The stars of yesteryear always had a precise, defined cupid’s bow, which we find easiest to achieve by applying your lipstick with a fine brush (our Retractable Lip Brush is perfect for this). Build the colour up in layers until you reach your desired opacity.
Our tip: For true Old Hollywood style, choose rich plum shades and work them back with matte skin and long, fluttering eyelashes.

The Victoria’s Secret Gloss

For decades, the Victoria’s Secret Angels have graced the runway sporting full, glossy, caramel-hued lips. The sexiest lip look on this list, the Victoria’s Secret glossy lip is surprisingly easy to achieve. Begin by lining your lips in a shade as close to your natural lip colour as possible. If you wish, you can ever-so-slightly overline your lips to create the illusion of a fuller pout (a nude lip liner will make for a far more natural-looking shape than a red or plum, so your secret is safe with us!). Next, coat your lips in a glossy, caramel lacquer – our PureGloss Lip Glosses are perfect for this, and they’re packed with lip-loving ingredients. The gloss will attract the light, making your pout appear even fuller.

Our tip: For a sexy, glossy Victoria’s Secret-inspired pout, we love using the shade Hot Cider – a creamy, golden peach with a hint of shimmer.

The Au Naturale

For those who prefer a natural lip look but still want some “polish,” this is the look for you. Begin by prepping your lips with a nourishing balm to ensure they’re in tip-top condition (we love using our LipDrink Lip Balm to care for our precious pouts!). As per Victoria’s Secret look, use a nude lip liner to line your lips – this is the key to nude lips that still look “done.” Finish by using the liner to colour in your lips so they’re uniform in colour. The matte finish of the liner will make for the most natural look possible. Alternatively, you could try our Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain, which provides long-lasting, custom colour that adjusts to your own chemistry.

Our tip: To prepare our lips for other products, we reach for the LipDrink in Sheer, however the tinted iterations also make for a beautiful, comfortable lip look on their own!

Shop our entire collection of lip products - there's something for everyone.

Words and images by @gemkwatts