With Fashion Week here in New York (yeah, try getting a cab these days), it’s a signal to me that it’s time to put away my favorite pale pink glosses (sniff) and make way for the bold lipsticks for fall that are popping up in every fashion magazine right now. There are so many fantastic shades of plum, deep berry, sultry wine, bright red, or even punchy orange; and what’s especially nice is that these days, you can find them in so many forms. There are traditional lipsticks in tubes, wand applicators, or even lip crayons. So fun to play!
Here are just a few of the hot colors from brands I really like, that all go on nicely, stay on nicely, and make you look fabulously polished on date night–or heck, at the PTA meeting. Bring it, mamas.
Just remember if you’re going dark, start with a lip pencil that’s close to your natural lip color to keep it all contained without that cheesy outline. You know what I mean.
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WINE LIPSTICK
I am so into the new lip crayon trend, and the new Nars Night Color Satin Lipstick is one to add to the list, especially in this wine-colored Mandore shade. It’s got a bit of a glossy, satiny, finish that I like and it feels quite moisturizing–all of which keeps me from feeling like my lips are crumbling off. Kind of a requisite for me. ($25, Nordstrom)
SCARLET RED LIPSTICK
For another crayon that isn’t as heavy on the pigment, I’m already a die-hard fan of the Chinatown Lip Gloss Pencils by Lipstick Queen. With the cooler weather encroaching, time to move into bolder shades like Thriller. There are plenty of great lipsticks this shade, but Lipstick Queen lets you rock a sheer scarlet red that’s not quite as imposing as a traditional matte lipstick. Perfect for daytime. ($22, Lipstick Queen)
DEEP BERRY
Another option from LQ are their high-end Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope lipsticks, which you can find in high-end department stores like Barney’s. I haven’t personally tried this one but the reviews are sensational–as I would hope for this price. Because, whoa. For a perfect deep, blue-red shade, Private Party looks magnificent and not just because the name makes me smile. But for something really striking, check out the deeper berry/bordeaux color of Black Tie shown here. ($50, Barney’s, with a free lip brush while offer lasts)
BRIGHT RED
Another one for you lipstick splurgers (you know who you are) that’s not entirely as splurgey: I’ve been consistently impressed with YSL lipsticks for years, because they go on so evenly and stay on beautifully. I’m eyeing the YSL Rouge Pur Couture with SPF 15 which gives nice coverage, and again with the not-too-matte feeling that I prefer; though the result is still a deeper, richer pigment than you get from a traditional gloss. If you’re up for it, go for this bright red Le Rouge and relive your Robert Palmer music video fantasies. You’ll be seeing a lot of this color on the town this fall. ($35, Sephora)
SOFT RED
Not every hot lipstick has to cost a fortune. On the other end of the price spectrum, Burt’s Bees Lip Crayon is now out with an easy-apply formula that feels more like their balms than a traditional lipstick. It twists up, so no worries about sharpeners. It definitely feels a little waxy, but you get nice coverage that lasts pretty decently and you can’t beat the price. I tried the Hawaiian Smoulder which is far more of a pale pink than you’d think from the product shots and probably not the best fall color choice (unless fall means Palm Beach to you). On the other hand, the Napa Vineyard (here) looks perfect for a slightly stronger but still soft red color boost on that pretty pout, and with more pigment than the summer-y colors, the staying power is quite good. ($8.99, Target)
ORANGE-RED
One of my very favorite beauty product steal recos comes courtesy of a professional makeup artist friend who turned me onto Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain. I truly can’t believe how well it goes on and stays on, and I find myself reaching for it in my bag, even when I have more expensive options cozied up next to it. (You think I only travel with one lipstick in my bag? Ha.) Smitten looks like a gorgeous wine color I know I’d wear a lot. Or if you can pull off a fun orange-red–I can’t–try Rendezvous (shown here), which looks just like the lip shades showing on the runways of DKNY, Dsquared and Rag & Bone this year–all for under seven bucks. ($6.89, on sale at Target)
BRIGHT ORANGE
In my mind, no hot lipstick trend roundup would be complete without a little something from Chanel, which never disappoints both in terms of formula and on-trend color choices. The Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Color comes in 28 gorgeous shades that stay. If you’re a no-fuss gal who doesn’t want to be reapplying every four seconds, you may have found your #1 beauty essential right here, and the fire-engine orange Incandescente is a spectacular way to wear this shade–don’t think bright orange lipstick is just for summer. I think it might even look better on you than you’d expect; I recently saw Kristen sporting a similar color for the first time and was like, va-va-voom! ($35, Nordstrom)
DEEP PURPLE
Because Chanel is so good I have to include it twice. The rich purple Envoutante shade is perfect for lips that walk into the room before you do, without cosmetic surgery. I like to think of them as fearless lips. And if you can pull them off, I will the woman across the room at a cocktail party, admiring your look, and thinking darn, I should have pushed myself a little harder. ($35, Nordstrom)
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