Actually 'Wearable' Lip Colours

I have a gazillion lipsticks yet rarely wear any of them. It's probably a combination of not liking the feeling of something on my lips, not liking having something on my lips when I need to eat/drink, and not feeling the occasion warrants wearing lipstick. The other night, I went through most of my lipstick collection, trying on each lipstick with a bare face, and I set aside those I deemed acceptable to put into a daily rotation. I suppose you could describe them as the more "wearable", everyday colours that were more flattering than unflattering. Not too opaque, relatively comfortable on the lips, fuss-free and easy to throw on. What emerged were fairly similar colours and textures — warm pinks and rosy nudes in sheerer, glossier formulas.

l-r: L'Oréal Shiny Grapefruit, Revlon Pink in the Afternoon, Australis Jive, Face of Australia Sundae, Face of Australia Cupcake, Revlon Rose Nectar, Lancome Blush Classique

What I pulled out of my collection:

• L’Oréal NutriShine by Colour Riche Lipstick in Shiny Grapefruit
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon (415)
• Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Jive
• Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Sundae
• Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Cupcake
• Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Rose Nectar (028)
• Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in Blush Classique (337)

The most amusing thing to emerge from all this is I've swatched and mentioned each of these before in separate posts (links are above). I guess lipstick is a favourite topic to feature, photograph and write about, just not actually wear.

Bottom to top: L'Oréal Shiny Grapefruit, Revlon Pink in the Afternoon, Australis Jive, Face of Australia Sundae, Face of Australia Cupcake, Revlon Rose Nectar, Lancome Blush Classique

l-r: L'Oréal Shiny Grapefruit, Revlon Pink in the Afternoon, Australis Jive, Face of Australia Sundae, Face of Australia Cupcake, Revlon Rose Nectar, Lancome Blush Classique

L'Oréal Shiny Grapefruit is a warm rosy pink with subtle silver shimmer. Revlon Pink in the Afternoon is a semi-matte medium warm pink, similar to the L'Oréal but a touch darker. Australis Jive is a dusty, retroish, slightly cool-toned medium pink. Face of Australia Sundae is a "my lips but better" sheer rosy nude. Face of Australia Cupcake is similar to Jive, but sheerer and glossier, slightly darker and more cool-toned. Revlon Rose Nectar is a coral pink with prominent gold shimmer. It has a jelly texture — lightweight, translucent and glossy. Lancome Blush Classique is even glossier than Rose Nectar, almost wet look. It's a brighter strawberry pink.

Will I actually wear these now I've picked them out individually? Well, that's the goal. Though the couple of lip products I've kept in my makeup bag that I bring to work have barely seen the light of day. I don't know about you, but these days, work is one of the last places I feel like wearing lipstick to. Unlike the rest of my makeup (foundation, eyes, cheek colour), lipstick to me is purely for the fun of it. It's that extra, finishing step that makes your entire look just that bit fancier and more polished, or becomes the focal point of your whole makeup (as in the case of a bright, dark, or unusual statement lip). These 7 shades I've picked out are more to enhance one's natural lip colour and to add a non-threatening, natural, plumping tint. Beginner's shades for those that prefer their lip colours to be conservative and unassuming. If I need something easygoing and foolproof on the lips that will complement whatever other makeup I have going on, I know what to reach for.