Rima Goes Ga-Ga Over Lipsticks

All those who love lipsticks, please raise your hands!! Okay, I think I will raise both my hands. 😛 The regular readers of this blog are not new to Rima. Earlier she did a Kareena Kapoor’s Kurbaan look for us and now she has come up with her views on different lipsticks that are available in our Indian markets. Also, there is her wish list that she has included towards the end of post. Enjoy! And we must all say thanks to Rima for this useful post. 🙂

—Rati

I am 20 years old and got addicted to lipsticks about a year back. Before that, I was totally immersed into lip glosses and found lipsticks to be the most aunty-ish thing on earth! However, by the end of this post you will realize how crazy I am about them now!

So let’s get started without further delay! The lipsticks have been numbered according to their corresponding numbers in the photos.

With Flash
With Flash

Without Flash
Without Flash

In Sunlight
In Sunlight

1. LAKME FREESPIRIT LIP COLOR

Price – Rs. 220/- .

Shade – D117 Narendra Kumar (A pale powdery pink with lilac undertones)

What I like – It’s cheap! I buy Lakme because it is a brand built on trust. I know many women who use only Lakme, heavily compromising on variety, simply because it has been around since a long time. The packaging is nifty and tidy, not frivolous. The lipsticks are good for women who like deep and dark shades. The colour payoff is very true to the shade of the stick. The texture of the lipstick is a little on the hard side, which increases the life of the product as not much is used up. The lipstick doesn’t wear off soon and stays on for a decent amount of time.

What I don’t like – The lipstick has a bitter smell and taste that I absolutely detest. The colour choice isn’t great either, mostly limited to dull, dark, flat shades. No variety. Totally disappointing for those who like their lips to be on the bright side. My mother, who ran out of her basic maroon, found the colours to be too muddy and dark. The colour I got is a disaster. Due to its lilac undertones, it makes me look darker that I am and also makes my teeth look yellow. I end up looking like a corpse. No wonder I have almost stopped using this lipstick. Also, the silver coloured metallic band around my lipstick turned green like the Statue of Liberty just after a couple of days. Hopefully, the new Satins won’t have all these problems.

Will I buy this again? – No, I am not impressed at all, but I want to try out the Satins that have recently been launched.

Rating – 2/5

2. REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK

Price – Rs 405/-

Shade – 212 Coffee Sip (A creamy, mellow terracotta shade with a hint of dull orange)

What I like – It’s the best colour I have ever put on my lips! The texture is smooooth! The colour I own is the perfect accompaniment to dark eyes, even though it’s a little deep. The packaging is better than Lakme, with a transparent window at the top. A perfect dupe for Mac at less than half the price!

What I don’t like – The lipstick is not very long lasting. An hour of talking, licking lips and sipping coffee later, the colour is gone! Not a big problem for me though, as I actually love reapplying my lipsticks and shamelessly do so even in the middle of the road. Hehe. A problem I have with this particular shade is that it tends to wash out in photographs taken with a flash.

Will I buy this again? – YES! I would definitely buy this shade again and also others. Highly recommended!

Rating – 4/5

3. MAC LIPSTICK

Price –Rs. 970/-

Shade – A19 Taupe (A flat brownish pink, not the taupe we are used to seeing)

What I like – I originally wanted to buy Twig, which is a Satin finish, but the store was out of fresh pieces, so I ended up buying Taupe, which I liked second best. Taupe is a Matte shade, but glides on like a dream without a balm, even on my dry lips. It does not accentuate the fine lines of the lips and stays put. I have worked this lipstick through a maximum of five hours of non-stop teaching, which is great, if you ask me! And we all know how excellent the colour selection of Mac is. And the smell! Aah! The smell! It’s this beautiful baked cake, vanilla scent. Need I say more?

What I don’t like – My lips are extremely dry so I like using a little lip balm before applying lipstick to smoothen out the application. But the problem with this lipstick is that its colour changes if applied over a lip balm! Now I don’t know if this problem is exclusive to this shade/finish, but it’s definitely a problem for me! I simply don’t like applying lipstick on bare lips. But as I mentioned earlier, the good thing is that even though Taupe is a Matte shade, it glides on pretty well even without a lip balm.

Will I buy this again? – HELL YEAH! But I won’t stick to this particular shade or finish. Need to explore others!

Rating – 4.5/5

4. & 5. LAKME 9 TO 5 LIPCOLOR

Price – Rs 375/-

Shade – 62 Nougat (A dark, muddy plum) and 46 Apple Crush (Bright yet deep pink)

What I like – True to the name, the lipsticks are extremely long lasting. The colours are deep yet bright at the same time, so they don’t make the face look dull. The colour selection is surprisingly varied, ranging from browns to purples and pinks. The lipsticks have an unusually refreshing fragrance. The stick is slim yet strong and the packaging is reassuring because the cap clicks shut. No chance of the lipstick falling apart in your purse or bag.

What I don’t like – On most days, the lipstick feels a bit too dry. So much so that my poor lips get into a wrestling match with the stick. The colour tends to settle a bit into the fine lines of the lips, though not much. This poses a problem for people with normal lips too, so imagine the plight of those with dry lips! You definitely need to use a lip balm underneath, but be warned, this makes the lipsticks less long lasting.

Will I buy this again – No. Honestly speaking, I tried out these lipsticks simply because I want to get a feel of everything out there. I don’t have a requirement for long lasting lipsticks and I am not a big fan of darkish colours. And even if I am in the mood for mattes, I would go to Mac. Their mattes beat 9to5 by far.

Rating – 3/5

6. YSL ROUGE VOLUPTE

Price – Rs. 1700/-

Shade – 5 Divine Mahogany (A powerfully glossy, deep brick with rust undertones)

What I like – It’s hard to miss this gorgeous beauty, with its luxurious gold casing and delicate moulding. Peeping through the middle is the colour of the lipstick, which is true to the real shade. It even has a mirror on top, though I admit it’s not very functional. It’s so tiny that you’ll only manage to see half your lip that too after closing one eye. Oh, it has SPF 15.

Talking about texture, this lipstick is the epitome of buttery-ness! It’s all solid when in the tube, but the moment it touches the lips, it slicks on like mad! It took me a long time to get used to its texture, because every time I would bring it near my lips, I would get scared that the whole thing is going to collapse and melt off! The lipstick is packed with pigment, so just one swipe and you’re a proud peacock! This also makes the tube last a long time. The scent of ripe, luscious mangoes is a definite turn on. The vibrant colour makes the face look very, very striking. This particular shade gives the appearance of an actress of bygone eras! All in all, the stick is delicate looking, the texture is decadently creamy, but the overall package is solid as a rock. If there are any men reading this, gift this to your wife or girlfriend and see her become your slave!

What I don’t like – The colours are either very dark or very light, so many people will end up not liking even a single shade. None of the light shades are suited for the general Indian complexion. And every one will agree that the lipstick is brutally expensive. There is an exclusivity tag attached to it. Also, it has extremely poor staying power if not allowed to settle. So if you quickly apply it and rush off to talk or eat, it’s gonna vanish in under 5 minutes. You need to let the whole thing settle in first. Probably apply a second coat to seal things up. The lipstick also tends to settle into fine lines of the lips. The only way to make it long lasting and prevent it from settling into fine lines is lip balm. I know all this takes off the sheen from this lipstick, but I don’t want anyone to spend so much money and ultimately regret it.

Will I buy it again? – DEFINITELY! Buying this is pure self pampering! I have my eyes on Provocative Pink, a bright fuchsia. But guys, buy this only if you really want to.

Rating – 4.5/5

7. COLORBAR SOFT TOUCH LIPCOLOR

Price – Rs 275

Shade – 033 Flamingo (A deep onion purple)

What I like – This is actually my mother’s lipstick, but since I love the colour so much, I use it when I have a wedding or function to attend. It transforms the face and actually screams celebration! I have never seen such a perfect onion shade before. The lipstick is decently long lasting too. The colour selection is pretty varied and everyone will agree that Lakme has some tough competition here. If this is just the beginning of Colorbar’s revamp, I am pretty excited about the future!

What I don’t like – I find the lipstick a little dry. It pulls on my lips, though not as much as 9to5. Also, the stick is a bit too thick and bulky for my liking. I would have loved it to be a little more refined.

Will I buy it again? – YES! Flamingo is my mother’s choice and I desperately want to buy a couple of shades of my own, especially since beauty bloggers have given it rave reviews!

Rating – 3.5/5

8. ESTEE LAUDER SIGNATURE HYDRA LUSTRE LIPSTICK

Estee Lauder Lipstick 2-1
Estee Lauder Lipstick 1-1

Estee Lauder Lipstick 1-1
Estee Lauder Lipstick 2-1

Price – Rs. 1800/-

Shade – Cocoa Rose (On the lips, it is a glossy, pale white-pink. The left side of the photo on top does perfect justice to the colour.)

What I like – This lipstick was a birthday gift from my dearest friend. The packaging is very beautiful and very old fashioned. Classic. The tube is a rippled gold case with the logo stylishly embossed on the top of the lid. The stick in itself is thinner and longer than ordinary ones, though the shape is the same. The vanilla fragrance it has is somewhat similar to Mac, but definitely more subdued. The lipstick looks dry in the tube but is quite smooth to apply on the lips. What I love is that the lipstick has almost no taste, making it less susceptible to being eaten up (by our own self, you naughty mind!). It lasts as long as the Mac lipstick. Something that I absolutely adore in this lipstick is that even if you apply two “coats”, you will feel like there’s nothing on your lips at all! It has a magically light formula, thereby giving the feeling of bare lips. The colour selection is very decent.

What I don’t like – I am yet to find something that I don’t like!

Will I buy it again? – I would be an idiot not to! If I had to recommend one lipstick from the ones that have been mentioned, it would be this one. Definitely.

Rating – 5/5

Order of Recommendation

1. Estee Lauder Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick
2. Mac Lipstick
3. Revlon Super Lustrous
4. Colorbar Soft Touch Lipcolor
5. Lakme 9to5 Lipcolor
6. Lakme Enrich Lipcolor

I have not ranked YSL Rouge Volupte. Buy it whenever you want to treat yourself.

Lipsticks- Full View
Lipsticks- Full View

Lipsticks
Lipsticks

Lipsticks
Lipsticks

My hit list now includes lipsticks from Chanel, Lord & Berry and Inglot.

What is your lipstick wish list?

Further Readings:

IMBB RECOMMENDS

16 thoughts on “Rima Goes Ga-Ga Over Lipsticks

  1. Hey Rima…this was a gr8 post!!! If dry lips after applying lipstick is a problem u face often then u shud try the Maybelline Moisture extreme lipsticks….I really like these and infact it is one of the first lipstick i have re-purchased after hitting pan…like the name says it provides goood moisturisation to the lips so they dont dry out and it has some good colours too…not very high on price too infact maybelline comes out with B2G1 free offer when this cud be a good catch..

  2. Great post Rima , the colors are gorgeous , em particularly lemming for flamingo .. There’s a certain shade called “twig” in colorbar .. do try it , seems flat brown in swatch buh turn into a b’ful MLBB with a hint of coral .. loves it !!

    n OMG , rouge volupte seems to be a MAJOR splurge , maybe maybe I’ll get it on my wedding Which is FAR away.. hehe !!
    Love yer recos , will make it a point to check out coffee sip 🙂

  3. Hey Rima!

    Gr8 post! I loved the detailed analysis that you have done.. As of till date I have just used the Lakme lipsticks (both regular & 9to5) and Colorbar. All the colors look nice, I liked coca rose & apple crush the best!

    Somehow I just can’t get myself to spend a lot on lippies as they look really bad on me – no matter wht the color – I start to look older and less fresh. Somehow my features are such that I just can’t carry off lippies 😀

  4. yeah ratty, the post looks good up here!

    HD, thanks for the recommendation. i will definitely try out one maybelline moisture extreme lipstick.

    palak, flamingo has the ability to turn any face into a party. and i will definitely swatch colorbar’s twig on my next trip and see whether it suits me or not. maybe that can be the first colorbar lipstick i have of my own choice! and definitely let us know whenever you pick up a rouge volupte!

    shivani, you sound exactly like i was two years ago. do be careful while choosing ysl’s rouge volupte! for a starter, they might appear too pigmented! approach with caution!

    tanveer, all that sounds great, coming from you! i really respect the intense research behind all your posts too. cocoa rose is definitely one of my favourites as well and apple crush is a colour that will look good on all age groups. and dont worry if full pigment lipsticks dont work for you, opt for sheers. i am [i]pretty[/i] sure that will sort out your lipstick problem!

  5. umm .. just noticed , Rouge Volupte is 2700 !!??

    I checked the website , its $34 . Could it be typing error or do we really have to pay 25% more for a YSL lippie ??

  6. hey guys sorry for the mistake! the ysl rouge volupte is for 1700 and not 2700! strange how i added a thousand bucks without batting an eyelid. 😀 all thanks to palak for planting the seed of doubt in my mind. i have double checked with cynthia’s blog. big thanks to cynthia as well!

    once again, SORRY! my bad!

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