Whenever I’m having a bad day, I swipe on my favorite shade of lipstick or lipgloss, which I embarrassingly admit, tends to change week-to-week. As a beauty editor, I’m required to hoard and test approximately 1,000 lipsticks a year. I’m not complaining; instead, I’m here to tell you that this is a job I don’t take lightly. To help you make an informed decision about your next unavoidable beauty splurge, I’ve tested the good, the bad, and everything in-between. Today’s focus? Luxury lipsticks.
Right now, I’m loving YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm, which comes housed inside of gold packaging that looks and feels luxe. The oil-infused formula applies like lip balm and gives lips an instant hydration boost and high-shine color. I’ve been reaching for the neutral-toned shade named Nude Lavalliere over and over again, which is making it very difficult to test out new lip launches.
As much as I love my YSL balm, there are plenty of more luxe options worth raving out: stay-all-day mattes, date night reds, and environmentally friendly lipstick refillables. With so many options on the market, it can feel impossible to shop for just one, especially when finding the perfect product really comes down to personal preference.
To make your search for the perfect luxe lipstick easier, we’ve curated a list of popular picks loved by stars (and normal people, too). Take note: Tracee Ellis Ross loves Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick and Kaia Gerber loves YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick Balm just as much as I do. Obviously, they have great taste.
Keep scrolling to shop our picks and find the perfect match for you.
This formula is so thin and silky that it feels like a balm, but delivers intense, glossy color.
You can always rely on famed makeup artist Pat McGrath’s products for serious color payoff. Celebs sure do. Naomi Campbell, Hailey Baldwin, and Jennifer Lopez are just a few of the stars who wear McGrath’s beloved cosmetics.
If you can’t live without Christian Louboutin pumps, then you might as well add this one to your shopping list. This isn’t one that we recommend losing in the bottom of your handbag. It deserves to be shown off as frequently as possible.
Everyone needs a budge-proof lipstick in their makeup bag, especially for wearing under a protective face mask. This lightweight formula will lock into your lips for eight hours of wear (if not more—just be sure to survey the damage if you eat something greasy or oily).
British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has more celebrity clients than we can count and it makes sense! Her products are top of the line. We’re particularly obsessed with this vibrant shade of pink that looks double take-worthy on all skin tones.
Here’s how Guerlain’s Rouge G lipstick collection works: Simply choose a shade of Guerlain lipstick on the brand’s site and then pick a case that best fits your aesthetic. And that’s not even the best part. The packaging features a double-mirror design so you can expertly swipe on lipstick on-the-go.
French fashion designer Pierre Hardy is responsible for dreaming up these stylish and sustainable lipsticks cases. When you near the end of your favorite shade, you can easily purchase a refill of a new shade or the one you’ve been loving.
Meet the elevated version of the tinted lip balm you reach for time and time again. This silky formula is as addictive as it is stunning and its weighed gold casing makes it feels extra luxe.
This lipstick features an innovative petal-shaped tip that’s designed to make it extra easy to apply your favorite shade—no selfie camera or mirror required. Seriously.
You can’t go wrong with scooping up any Tom Ford lipstick (or any of the aforementioned options, either, TBH) but this one’s made for the makeup-lover who can never have enough shimmer. Achieving a glitter lip quite literally has never been so easy.
What’s your favorite high end lipstick?Lipstick is my favorite splurge item these days since it’s so easy to apply and it can change my entire look in just a few seconds. Truthfully, I think long and hard about adding new makeup items to my collection these days because I have SO MUCH of it. The last several times I went makeup shopping I went in with a huge wish list and left with nothing despite really liking everything I tried!
Recently, I got my hands on the Perfect Pink Kiss Lip Trio by Charlotte Tilbury, and it’s really checking every box for me! I love that I am able to add some dimension to my lips when I use the three products together. It’s not often that I take the time to line, lipstick, and gloss up my lips all in the same sitting but it’s worth the tiny bit of extra effort involved. The fact that these three come packaged together also takes the guesswork out of which shade I should buy to line vs. lipstick to fill in my lips.
This set comes with Lip Cheat liner in Pink Venus. It’s a matte pinky nude shade that I have worn on its own and layered. I remember lip liner being somewhat popular in the early 2000s when I was in high school but they’re increasingly popular lately because of Instagram and the Kylie Jenner craze. A lot of people are using a liner like this one to over line their lips and make them look plumper, but that just looks silly on me. I’m using this to line and lightly fill my lips in so the lipstick sticks better!
K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Coachella Coral is the next step. This will be an easy splurge buy for most people because coral looks good on everyone. I find this particular shade to be a perfect coral for me because it’s not too electric, not too orange, and not too pink. It is lightly scented with vanilla and goes on just creamy enough that it leaves my lips feeling soft but not so creamy that it feathers everywhere. It’s pretty long wearing (especially when worn as a trio) and the color is super flattering!
On the center of my lips I am using Lip Lustre Lip Lacquer in Portobello Girl. I like the way wearing this just in the center of my lips makes them look a little more full. Of course when I eat, drink, and talk throughout the day the gloss distributes a little bit but I like the way it catches the light when it’s first applied. This is a milky light pink that doesn’t have as much pigment as the lipstick but it’s very complementary.
The Perfect Pink Kiss has been so much fun to use recently, it’s definitely taken the cake for my favorite high end lipstick recently. I’ve been eyeing some of Charlotte Tilbury’s palettes as items I’d love to spring for next time I have a reason to treat myself. Everything in her line is so pretty and high class!
Do you have a favorite high end lipstick that you turn towards? Now that I pose the question I am already wondering what my next high end lipstick purchase will be. I was eyeing some Marc Jacobs lipsticks and glosses the other day at Sephora and couldn’t quite pull the trigger but that might be my next lipstick purchase! Stay tuned 🙂
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