My lipstick stash
UNLIKE skincare, I am stingy when it comes to makeup. I stick to my trusted, and holy grail brands, stocking up on back-ups in case the stores run out and buying only those that I know I’ll really use.
Being a creature of habit, I only have one routine for my everyday look, and one routine for my events look. While that may sound quite boring to the adventurous type, I find this very beneficial especially since I have sensitive skin.
When it comes to makeup, less is always more, and this holds true for my primers, foundations, blushes and contouring kits. My lipsticks, however, are a different story.
Some beauty blogs say that there’s a nude for every mood. I did not really understand this until I became a convert myself. You see, I used to prefer the bolder side of the color spectrum —reaching for reds and hot pinks more in my early 20s, as often as I do now for my nudes and mauves in my early 30s.
My husband can’t understand why I have so many lippies in the same color (a good thing, of course, or else that would be alarming!), and I don’t blame him because I too often get confused as to why I have so many, but then again, a girl can never have too many lipsticks!
Deciding whether to get the high-end ones or the drugstore variety can be daunting, but given the price point of the more expensive brands, it’s a no-brainer that I would easily reach for the latter.
If you’re looking for your next favorite nude or mauve, I’ve rounded up my 12 favorite MLBB shades that I find really flattering on my medium skin tone.
M.A.C. Kinda Sexy vs. Revlon Mauve It Over
Beautiful peach nude shades that are perfect for your barely-there makeup or dramatic eyes look. A word of caution: These are both matte, so they can be a little drying. Moisturize while you’re getting ready, wipe off lip balm before application.
M.A.C. Mehr vs. Matte Me Birthday Suite, Etude House Soft Touch Lip Liner in Soft Rose, and Milk Brown
Mehr is my favorite MLBB shade! I remember raving about this to my sister the day I bought it, and it has not left my makeup kit since.
For everyday wear, I use Etude House’s Soft Rose which costs a bare fraction of Mehr.
Kat Von D Lolita
M.A.C. Smoked Almond vs. NYX Euro Trash, and Maybelline Touch of Spice
For the love of all shades Rose, I bought Smoked Almond after I saw a video showing the use of this liptensity lipstick as both lipstick and blush.
I love that it comes in satin formulation but for some reason, it dries to a semi-matte finish on me.
Maybelline’s Touch of Spice comes close to a second, making it an everyday favorite because of its highly pigmented formulation, and price point.
Euro Trash is another MLBB favorite—I always get compliments every time I wear it.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita vs. Maybelline Nude Nuance, Happy Skin Jigs Mayuga
The only liquid lipstick I could ever tolerate!
It’s matte but not as drying as the other liquid lipsticks I’ve tried.
Plus points too for it being very light-weight! Cop this look and save as much as half the price with Maybelline’s Nude Nuance or Jig Mayuga’s liquid lipstick as part of their collaboration with local brand, Happy Skin.
Most of the lipsticks I mentioned here are mattes, so make sure to exfoliate and moisturize before application.