Finding a good lipstick can feel like quite a task sometimes. It takes some trial and error to find a brand that works for you in terms of formula, colour and price range. Sometimes, even expensive lipsticks from the swankiest brands can disappoint because they dry out your lips, feel too sticky or just disappear from your lips within three minutes of application. And then there are those dreaded ones which form a dry layer on your skin, leaving your lips chapped and dried.
While online shopping can be really convenient for many products, it’s complicated for make-up because you can’t try the product before buying (and most times, you don’t have the option of returning it either). One method that’s worked for me is trying out my friends’ recommendations.
For the latest news and more, follow HuffPost India on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter.
At HuffPost India, we constantly share tips with each other about the products that work for us, and many times, that’s how we find our new favourite. This is especially true for lipsticks.
Here are five lip colours that worked for us, come in different price ranges and are suitable for different skin tones. You’re welcome!
Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip Cream
“My current and most recent favourite is Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip Cream. It’s a soft and creamy formula that lasts easily for 6 hours through multiple meals and cups of caffeine, and doesn’t dry your lips out at all! It’s so light and comfortable, I can put on two coats and then forget I have it on. It fades out evenly, not leaving behind splotchy patches.
I use no.55, which is the perfect, everyday nude for me.
Miss Claire has a tonne of shades in pink, red and brown, so you’ll need to watch a few swatch videos on YouTube to pick the one that works for you. Alternately, visit an actual, real-life store where it’s cheaper than the Rs 295 on Nykaa. The brand is also cruelty-free.” — Meryl Sebastian
Nykaa Paintstix! Lipstick
“I came across Nykaa’s Paintstix collection last year while looking for a shade similar to Mac’s Mehr (because that seemed like the perfect pink colour). I am more comfortable with shades of pink than any other colour when it comes to lip products, and shade 17 of the Painstix is a really pretty pink.
It glides on smoothly and my lips have never looked chapped or dry after applying it (probably because it claims to contain vitamin E). It has a soft matte look and one stroke is enough to get the proper colour. The Paintstix collection has a number of shades (about 30, I think). So go forth and take your pick!” — Akshita Jain
Nykaa Matte To Last ! Liquid Lipstick
“My current favourite lipstick is the the Nykaa Matte To Last ! Liquid Lipstick in the shade Chai. I found this shade and formula after waiting for the perfect nude for ages, and now I wear it almost everyday—to work and elsewhere.
The formula is light and stays on your lips all day. The product comes in a diverse range of colours. While Chai is the one that I love the most, I also like Rukmini and Maharani. Priced at 599, it’s not too expensive either.” — Rohini Chatterji
Sephora Colour Lip Last
“A good lipstick is one that sticks through your highs and lows—meaning the fifth shot on a pub night and a work lunch you have to survive—and this Sephora lipstick is just that. It won’t bleed on to your cocktail glass or make your roti look like it has acne.
This range—Colour Lip Last (Rouge Longue Tenue)—has a wide range of shades on offer. Mine is 8143C, it’s a coral-ish peach shade. It adds a bright pop of colour to your attire and can be worn with pretty much every other shade or prints. It feels soft while applying and stays put. The best thing is, if you have dry lips and feel like applying balm six-seven hours after you’ve applied this lipstick, the colour will remain pretty much the same without smudging. I’ve worn it for 7-8 hours at a stretch but never felt my lips dry up.” — Piyasree Dasgupta
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick
“You know how some people wear the same three sets of clothes over and over? Well that’s me with clothes and also lipstick—I only ever have a nude and a red in my make-up arsenal. Because I wear them literally every day, I try to find shades and textures that I can be comfortable in all day (and that won’t vanish as soon as I think about a sip of coffee). Long story short, I recently splurged on a cool-toned but somehow still deep enough to be a fall-toned red from Estee Lauder, in the shade Irrepressible, that goes on creamy and becomes matte as soon as you apply it. It’s wonderful. I can do one quick swipe and rub my lips together for a casual dash of colour on my lips or apply it properly for a deeper effect and both work really well. Note: My lips are naturally dark so it seems a tad darker on my face than the swatch indicates.” — Nehmat Kaur
Disclaimer: This post has not been paid for, and HuffPost India won’t earn any commission on this. All choices are completely independent.