When it comes to beauty products, a lipstick is inevitably one of the first products we buy. Over the years, we collect, try, love, hate, and collect some more because let's be real, you cannot have enough lipsticks! What's great about them is that some of them develop such a cult following that the shade and lipstick name becomes synonymous with the brand itself. Like MAC's Ruby Woo, or Charlotte Tilbury's Pillowtalk. Similar to these ones, if you're a lipstick lover, we've scoured the internet to find which lipstick shades people have been wearing, loving and buying for years for the sake of fail-safe lipstick shade recommendations. We can bet you have at least seen or heard about one of these. Who knows, you (or your mother or grandmother) might even own one or two of them, so what better way to find out than to check them out for yourself below!
10 Iconic Lipstick Shades Every Beauty Connoisseur Has On Their Wishlist!
Clinique Almost Lipstick In Black Honey
Clinique's Almost Lipstick In Black Honey has been around for over fifty years. This one was a staple in everyone's grandma's purse, mother's purse, and now, thanks to TikTok, has earned a non-negotiable spot in our tiny purses too. Clinique claimed that their Black Honey lip shade is universally flattering and we have to say that it lives up to what it claims; because the shade is most definitely flattering on most people thanks to its neutral berry hue. The finish is a cross between a lip balm and a lipstick (or simply a tinted lip balm) with a glossy plum tint so your lips will be moisturised and look super juicy after application.
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick In Ruby Woo
Pro makeup artists consider Ruby Woo to be the 'reddest red' lip colour to exist in the beauty industry to this day. Once you befriend the MAC Ruby Woo shade (be it the Retro Matte bullet or liquid formula) you can't go back to using any other red in your makeup journey. It has the right amount of blue pigments which make it a cool and crisp red with rich vibrancy to kick off as a universally-suitable red lipstick that looks fabulous on everyone. Also, it has oodles of pigment so you only need one swipe for the most opaque finish.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick In Rum Raisin
Another one gifted a new lease of life by TikTok, the Revlon Rum Raisin is the perfect nude with subtle auburn and rose undertones. While the OG satin-finish Lustrous Lipstick was every boomer's go-to brown lip back in the day, the new Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick's super glossy finish is what has put this lipstick back on the beauty map. Speaking about the colour, Rum Raisin has become synonymous with Revlon as a brand with so many beauty enthusiasts around the world obsessing over its perfectly neutral brown-toned shade that looks flattering on the lips without standing out much.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution In Pillow Talk
Undisputedly the lipstick of the year (and last year and maybe the year before that too), Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk lip shade might have broken all records for being the most desirable rosy nude lip shade. With celebrities like Britney Spears and Alia Bhatt even sporting this 'your lips but better' lip colour on their wedding days, you can't question the hype here. Charlotte Tilbury's website claims that the Pillow Talk lipstick 'enhances the natural hue of your lips' because of its formula with the 3D glowing pigments. However, this may or may not stand true for majority of the folks as medium and dark skin tones might look washed out with this natural-hued pink. But still, nothing takes away the cult following it has garnered over the years.
Pro-tip: Want to get your hands on CT Pillow Talk but loathe the price? Check out affordable dupes of the lipstick here.
Dior Rouge 999
A timeless and luxurious crimson red with a touch of orange so it leans on the warm side, this is Dior's most iconic lipstick shade that is perfect for getting that French girl look (think of Lilly Collins from Emily In Paris). What's with the number 999 you ask? Well, this perfect crimson hued lipstick derived its triple nine from the first two lipsticks launched by Christian Dior, the 9 and 99. It is now available in four finishes — metallic, matin, satin and velvet, each of them equally spectacular and wearable for all skin tones with all undertones so you pretty much don't have to doubt this purchase.
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Reno In Backtalk Matte
Urban Decay finally launched on Nykaa and there's no better time to get your hands on their extremely popular vegan Vice Lipstick which claims to give you a long-lasting colour in a single swipe, while also keeping the hydration of the lips intact. In our experience, the shade Backtalk is a mauve that isn't too deep and doesn't lean too far pink. Consider it a mauve shade that balances the orchid colour with a slightly nude undertone, making it a great pick for light to medium skin tones. All in all, this one's the perfect mauvy-pink matte for people who enjoy wearing slightly glossy or satin-finish mattes that stay put throughout the day without giving you that crusty Sahara-like lips feeling.
Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick In Gula-Bae
We have lost count of the number of Indian beauty content creators we have spotted gushing over this liquid matte lipstick shade from Smashbox. It is said that this shade was especially created to suit different Indian skin tones featuring a cool-rose shade that leans more towards the mauvy side. It's slightly more on the cooler side so you might want to swatch it in-store before buying if your skin has a warm undertone. Another thing to note about this lipstick shade is that it dries down into a slightly darker shade after it settles so expect it to look like a deep mauve post application.
Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color In Babe
A satin-matte finish lipstick with a balmy-texture and punch of colour? Sign us up! With plump glossy pouts and a hint of colour becoming the beauty norm of the year, Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color should be your go-to if you can't get over tinted lip balms but also need some extra pigment on the lips that's also transfer proof. The shade Babe is the most stunning (and true to its description) medium pink. One swipe of it gives healthy-looking moisturised pink lips which can also be built up with a few more swipes if you want an opaque pink pout.
L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Moist Matte Lipstick In Beige Couture
L'Oreal is undisputedly the best drugstore brand when it comes to quality makeup formulations that are easy on the pocket. And with L'Oreal being the parent company behind renowned luxurious beauty brands like YSL Beauty, Urban Decay and Lancôme, you know their products are going to be top notch. The same stands true for their most iconic lipstick shade, Beige Couture. It is the perfect everyday light nude shade with a hint of neutral pink. The formula is comfortable and satin with a high-shine finish which looks quite nice. The only drawback is that it doesn't stay for long on the lips so you will have to reapply a number of times throughout the day.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil In Dolce Vita
Another game-changing international makeup brand that launched in India recently (yes, 2023 is the year of major launches). The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is technically a lip crayon but gives you the opacity of a matte lipstick with one sweep. The pencil shape design makes it easy to apply plus also line the lips to give you complete control on your coverage. What we also love is that it keeps the lips moisturised because of the spectacular formula enriched with vitamin-E and emollients. Dolce Vita is an iconic shade across all categories of Nars (blush, lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss) but takes the crayon most definitely takes cake for its perfectly neutral dusty pink shade that complements different Indian skin tones and doesn't make you look washed out.
