TOP 8 MLBB LIPSTICKS

I asked for opinions on Insta regarding which post I should do first, and lips came out top! In this post I'll be showing you my top 8 favourite lipsticks. They're not all the best lipsticks of all time or my holy grails, but they're my favourites for different reasons, such as texture, colour and longevity. My lipsticks can be separated into my 2 favourite undertones as you'll see, peachy and mauve. 

In case you didn't know, MLBB (my lips but better) lipsticks are usually very neutral - they can have very different underlying tones and colours, but are 1 or 2 tones darker than your natural lip/skin colour.  As such, the lipsticks in this post may not be your mlbb colours, they might be too dark or too light depending on your skintone. For reference, I'm a light-medium, NC30-35, or a moderately tanned Chinese, if you can imagine that LOL.  Anyway, these are all very pretty neutral colours, and I'm sure you'll find at least one here that you'll love, so keep reading to find out more!

I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible! Presenting from the peaches to the mauves...


1. Etude House's Dear My Blooming Chiffon Lips-Talk in BE1o9 
$17.90 (In-store)

On the left is 2-3 strokes, on the right I only swatched it once. 

This and the next lipstick comes from Lily Maymac's collaboration with the brands, and honestly with those lips, she could sell any colour. 

This colour looks a lot better in real life, my photo doesn't do it justice! :(

Colour
This has a really neutral beige colour for everyday wear, that can pull towards either a more peachy or a brownish tone. It pulls slightly more peachy on my brownish lips, and can make my skin look really yellow when I have no make up on. With make up on however, it becomes more wearable. It may be a bit more nude-brown on you, especially if you're fairer, so try it on in-store!

Wear this with a peachy blush, and it gives you a really sweet and bright look! This colour isn't very common especially in western makeup, it's worth it giving it a shot! 

P.S You can get this under $13 on Shopee (:

Texture
According to Etude house, it's a chiffon, which describes the texture perfectly. It's matte, yet glides on super creamy and appears as a cross between a matte and satin on the lips. It's a dream to apply! However, it has it's cons. Being a matte, you have to exfolliate or put lip balm on before you apply, or you can see the flaky skin on your lips. It doesn't feel drying though, and is comfortable to wear. 

Longevity
You have to reapply every 3-4 hours or after meals. Slight transfer. 


2. 3CE's Matte Lipstick in #908 'Warm and Sweet'
$29 (Sephora)

On the left I swatched it only once, on the right is 2-3 strokes. I prefer to wear it sheer-ed out like on the left! Use your finger to smudge it out on the lips.

To be honest, I got this mostly for the packaging. I mean, how can you not?? That pretty copper/rose gold. *Heart eyes* This was a collaboration with Lily Maymac too, and I'm not sure if they're still selling it in this packaging now (I got it on shopee for around $21) but they still have this colour in their normal packaging. 

Colour
It has that pumpkin colour. A slightly burnt, orangey, peachy colour. The pumpkin colour is really strong on my lips, and to pull it off I have to match the rest of my makeup to it (think browns, oranges and peach). My clothes has to be more warm colours too! I like this colour when sheer-ed out, so I usually put on a more neutral colour under, and then dab this colour on. 

Texture
It's a super super creamy matte, but still requires you to have moisturized lips before hand or it'll emphasize the dryness on your lips. 

Longevity 
Gotta keep reapplying man, but this gives you more reason to whip out this baby and show off the packaging! ;)



3. ColourPop's Ultra Matte in 'Speed Dial'
USD $6 (online)

On the left is Speed Dial, on the right is Calypso, also by colourpop. On the extreme left and right I put only 2 dots on my hand, and then used a finger to smudge it out. 

Speed Dial is from Colour Pop's peach collection, and is one of the darker colours. I love wearing this on days where my eyeshadow has more red undertones (i.e when I use the naked heat palette!).

P.S Get this for under $12 in Shopee!

Colour
I actually don't really like strong peach colours, I think they look a little weird on Asian skin, or mine at least. And the usual peach lipsticks are mostly lighter, and more suited for really fair Asians. However, Speed Dial is great for medium skin tones because it is much darker and also incorporates a lot of brown in it, making it a more wearable peach. Try this out if you're my skin tone! Or even if a little tanner.

• Quick tip: Some people might be getting sick of the liquid lips trend right now; it may be too opaque or too dry for everyday use. Here's a way to change it up though: Apply lip balm, then put 2 dots of liquid lipstick on the bottom lip and 1 dot on the top lip. Use a finger to smudge the colour out evenly across the lips. What you get is a much softer look as well as moisturized lips! Double win. This will also give you an effect similar to colourpop's blotted lips. 

Texture
It's no secret, colourpop's matte lips can get really dry on the lips. It's easy to put it on, but a pain to get it off. 

• Quick tip: Use balmy or oil-based make up removers if you're having trouble removing it. If I only have light makeup on and don't want to use heavy duty removers, I use an oil-based lip balm over my lipstick first and then wipe it off with a tissue/makeup wipe, which makes liquid lipsticks come off way easier! 

Longevity
They can probably last a decade on your lips if you don't remove it. They're so pigmented, that unless you eat extremely extremely oily food, you won't need to touch up. CP's ultra mattes are superb if you don't want to carry around your makeup in the day. 


4. NYX's Lip Lingerie in 'Cashmere Silk' (18)
$20 (in-stores)

Cashmere Silk is from the extended collection of NYX's Lip Lingerie lipsticks. 

P.S Get it from ...you guessed it, shopee, for cheaper LOL #bargainqueen
NYX standalone stores also have sales quite often (e.g 2 for $30), so you can keep checking back to see if their lippies are on discount!

Colour
This is almost the exact colour of my lips! It's like a beige brown with a very slight pink tone that's noticeable when I wear it. If you're tanner than me you might want to stay away from this, but otherwise this colour is perfect for an everyday look, or if you need nude lips for an intense eye! I also wear this when I want to look more serious/professional as it's less warm-toned than the other colours. 

Texture
It goes on super creamy and is really easy to apply. The applicator is really long and flat, making it easy to fill in the lips quickly. However, it's not as pigmented as colourpop, and you may need to go over it twice or thrice to get an even application. It's matte to the touch, and also appears so, but when you press your lips together it feels slightly tacky, so take note if you hate that. It also feels really drying, which can be solved by putting lip balm under, but you'll probably have to apply more throughout the day as well. For me, I absolutely have to wear lip balm under because my lips are so dry.

Longevity 
It can last the whole day if you don't eat anything oily, but most likely you'll need to apply 2-3 times in a day as it isn't that pigmented. However, it's a really nude and neutral colour, so it isn't that noticeable when it fades off. 

5. Tarte's Amazonian Butter Lipstick in 'Plummy Rose'
$26 (Sephora)

The rightmost line was swatched once, middle second and the leftmost three times. As you can see the colour is really buildable from sheer to some pretty good coverage!

I got this on sale from the Sephora app (it's not available in-store) for $18! I couldn't resist because it seemed like such a steal, being from tarte, plus the packaging looks so pretty. However, I was nervous about my purchase, since 1) the packaging is made out of cardboard, and 2) would I be buying an $18 lip balm? Because according to reviews it's sheer and minty. BUT I LOVE IT. This may be my favourite lipstick of all. Or at least one of the top 3. 

Colour
It's true to it's name with a pinkish plum colour that is buildable from sheer to full coverage. As it's not matte, it blends in with your lip colour, and gives you a really natural look! Anyone could pull off this colour, really. You wouldn't even need a mirror to put this on. If you don't like full coverage lipsticks and just want a hint of colour that's fuss-free, GET THIS!

Texture
This goes on so smoothly like a lip balm, and while I hate mint, this only gives that minty sensation for the first few minutes which is such a respite especially if you're putting it on dehydrated lips like mine. I've been reaching for this non-stop because I don't regularly moisturize/exfoliate my lips enough to use liquid lipsticks when ever I want (and yes, if I want a flawless application for liquid lipsticks I always moisturize and exfoliate the night before so I have to plan ahead). 

Longevity 
This definitely will not last long; it disappears once you eat, but I love putting it on because of the minty sensation and how moisturized it makes my lips feel. 

P.S the cardboard packaging is really sturdy and doesn't feel cheap whatsoever. 


6. ColourPop's Ultra Satin in 'Calypso'
USD $6

The 2 swatches on the right are Calypso. 

Colour
Calypso is a dusty rose that is perfect for every occasion and could match almost any eye look and any skin tone. Whether you're fair or dark, this colour is just gor.geous. Everyone needs this. If you blot the colour in with your fingers and very slightly smudge the edges with your finger or a q-tip, it instantly softens up your makeup look, adds an extra touch of femininity to your appearance and also makes your lips look fuller. 

 

Texture
It's still matte but not as drying given that it's an ultra satin. Not hydrating by any means though, so you may still want to layer this or mix it in with a lip balm if you have dry lips.

Longevity 
Lasts almost as long as the ultra matte!

7. Bite Beauty's Multistick in 'Brioche' 
USD $26

(Sorry I think you can only get this overseas in Sephora!)

This is just ONE swipe, that's how pigmented this is. 

This is a multistick from Bite Beauty, meaning that you can use it on your eyes, cheek and lips! It comes out as a flat bullet, not pointed like your usual lipstick, but is still really easy to apply. May not be as accurate but I prefer to use my finger to soften the edges of my lips so it doesn't affect me. 

Colour
This is a dusty brownish plum that is really neutral, meaning it seems to have equal cool and warm tones in it, so everyone can wear it! This is a little dark for daytime use (for me), so if I do wear it in the day, i'll just blot it in. Otherwise, I love wearing this in the evenings! It's also perfect for date nights. It also immediately dresses up the face, giving you that classy yet sexy feel. 

If you're tan-dark skinned, this would be a really pretty mlbb colour for you! It would also look great as a blush that could also work as a contour (i.e you could skip contour if you use this as a blush). 

• Quick tip: After spreading lipstick on my lips for even application and to smudge out the edges, sometimes I'll use the excess on my finger and tap it onto my cheeks for blush! 

Texture
It's so creamy it just glides right on. No tugging at all on the lips nor does it feel drying. It's moisturizing yet it lasts really long because it's so pigmented. Apparently you can also eat it because it's made with natural food-grade and organic ingredients! 

Longevity 
If you're not going to be eating a lot, this could probably last a lot longer. However, even when it fades, it does so nicely and doesn't leave weird patches. It's neutrality also makes it less noticeable when it fades. 


8. NYX's Liquid Suede in 'Soft-spoken'
$20 (Sephora)

I think this is my all-time favourite lipstick, and it's also a true MLBB lipstick for me being just one tone darker than my lips. The liquid suede line is matte, and it's also very much true to it's name. It feels like suede on the lips, super smooth yet not sticky!

Colour
It's a true dusty rose that is honestly... exactly like Colourpop's calypso. DUPE ALERT HAHA, I only realized after swatching for this blog post. Here is the comparison below. While Calypso is half the price of Soft-spoken, I would definitely say go for NYX instead. I truly love this colour, but NYX's liquid suede is a lot more comfortable to wear. However, if you do own Calypso, you can apply it on top of lip balm to make it as moisturizing and as comfortable as Soft-spoken! I love wearing this for day time looks and it's my go-to colour for interviews. 

Calypso looks a little darker than soft-spoken because it's more pigmented, but on the lips they are exactly the same. I tried them on side by side and couldn't tell the difference at all!

Texture
Super creamy and super smooth. It also doesn't emphasize your lip lines or dry lips, which is also why I love it. It's also really comfortable and you can't tell that you're even wearing anything on your lips! It's not extremely pigmented however, you have to go over a few times to get an even application. While this is alright for a nude-ish colour, I'm not sure how this may affect the other brighter/darker colours they have in the range, so be careful when buying! 

Longevity 
It can last  maybe 4-5 hours if I don't eat? But even when it fades, it takes me a while to notice because the colour is so similar to my lips. This is a low-maintenance lip colour that you'll definitely get a lot of use out of. 



Okay, if you got through this entire blog post, here's a virtual bar of chocolate for you! :* I tried to make it as concise as possible to prevent this from becoming my next dissertation, but if you need any more information, leave a comment or send me a message! 

Here's a swatch of all the colours for reference:

These colours may look very similar, but often the resulting colour on your lips can differ, depending on the colour's undertone (e.g warm or cool, pink/brown/grey/yellow etc.), the natural colour of your lips, and how it contrasts against the colour of your skin. For a more cohesive look, always try to match at least the base tone of your lipstick to your eyeshadow and your clothes!


Till next time, 
Val <3