I love lipstick.  I have no idea what it is, but of all of my makeup, a good lipstick can make my whole face.  And day, if I’m being honest.  I have a lot of brands and formulas, some I slant toward more than others.  For example, I prefer an actual lipstick formula over glosses because I have long hair and glosses + long hair = sloppy mess and WHY IS IT IN MY EYE.  I’m also dry like a lizard, so liquid formula lipsticks tend to turn my mouth into two slabs of shriveled jerky. UNATTRACTIVE.

At any rate, I have my favorites, and as of right now, this day in . . . May, 2015?  These are ten of my favorites.  I won’t say they are my all time favorites because it’ll change in an hour, but you catch me.  I love these products.  I recommend them and think other humans might do the same.

Onward!

So I say almost right off I don’t love glosses and yet my first pick is a gloss.  Go figure.  Maybe I’m drunk (or maybe it’s Maybelline.)  Nah, it’s actually because this is the least gloss-like gloss I’ve ever had.  It’s smooth, thick like a lipstick, and it doesn’t budge.  The color payoff is intense.  I picked Big Bang for the fuchsia micro glitter because really, whose life isn’t made better by fuchsia micro glitter?  The thing that’s interesting about the glitter is you see it in the tube but it’s not chunky or gunky on the lips nor can you really see it unless you’re so up close to the other person, you’re going to get maced.  I -love- this stuff.  $22

And I promptly go straight into a liquid lipstick after bitching about them being drying in my intro.  I’m batting a thousand so far.  However, this formula made my list because it’s smooth and silky and non-drying.  And look at that color?  It’s such a gorgeous, shiny peach (this is TuTu from the metallic line.)  Speaking of which, I like both the metallic formula and the regular formula about equally.  The pigmentation is insane, the feeling on the lips is divine.  Only thing about Melted lippies is you need a lipliner or it will get messy–like you just did lewd things with a clown messy. Less is more, people.  Less is more.  $21

One complaint I have about Make Up For Ever’s products is their lack of names.  This is #13 and me telling you that communicates absolutely nothing about the color.  It’s described as a pearly plum when you hover over it on the Sephora site, and that is correct, but I personally find the numbering system Meh.  However, the formula is great and just like every other Make Up For Ever product, the selection is overwhelming.  There’s SO MUCH to choose from.  It’s dryer than a lot of lipsticks but it’s not TOO dry if you know what I mean.  It sticks to the lip well and the glitter isn’t overpowering (which is funny–when you look at this particular shade in the tube, it’s very glittery and yet it all but disappears post application.) Weird.  Pretty, but weird. $20

This is quite possibly my favorite lipstick in my collection right now.  It’s the color–Berry Smoothie.  Whereas the Make Up For Ever lippy is plummy, this is a pink with a nude undertone to it.  I’m pretty sure anyone could wear it and look great.  No glitter at all, it’s a satin formula that feels thick and creamy on the lips.  I’ve since purchased two other Gerard lipsticks because I like the quality (1995 and Buttercup, which I believe were Jaclyn Hill designed formulas.) I’ve been very, very satisfied with this brand and can see myself scooping up their Rodeo Drive shade in the future because LOOK AT IT IT’S SO PRETTY AND I THINK I HAVE A LIPSTICK PROBLEM.  $19.

I like a lot of Lush bath products so it was only natural that I’d scoop up part of their color line at some point.  To be honest, I don’t care for their liquid eyeliner.  The formula is uneven and eyeliner is a precise application thing unless you’re using a pencil.  HOWEVER, their lipstick is great.  Pigmented, smooth as silk, this comes in an adorable bottle with a doe-foot applicator.  This is another example of the color selling me on the product–this is Bubbly which, on the website looks peachy, but in person is very pink with a hint of peach.  It’s a lovely, understated color and perfect for daytime, spring looks.  $18.95

Wolvesmouth is one of my “signature colors.”  It’s a glittery wine that’s fantastic for me in the fall and winter when I am at my palest (which is radioactively pale, by the way.  I glow like a second moon.)  The thing about this lipstick is, for all its lovely pigmentation and a FANTASTIC color line, the cap never stays on the goddamned tube and you need to swipe a couple of times so the formula doesn’t come out splotchy.  It’s more drying than other lipsticks, too, and that’s a turn off.  However, the color offerings are so strong, I suck it up.  The shade Adora (red with gold glitter) is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen and I go out of my way to warm up my makeup so I can get way with wearing it even though it’s generally not my jam.  If you want funky, interesting colors with gorgeous sheens, this line is for you, but as I said, there are a few setbacks that might make you want to look elsewhere. $21

Not a lot of people can get away with MAC’S Heroine shade.  For once, my nearly-dead pallor behooves me because I can do intense violets without looking terribad and this is my favorite violet.  This shade is lovely on people who are either very, very fair OR for those with darker skin tones.  If you’re somewhere in the middle, you probably want to test it before buying it.  It’s vibrant, the pigmentation intense, and it’s extremely matte which I prefer in a color like this.  The purple is garish enough without adding sheens or sparkles to an already arresting lip.  MAC makes good lip products, period.  They have a trillion colors and a variety of finishes.  Some of their line are nigh legendary in the makeup circles (see Angel and Ruby Woo.)  You can’t go wrong with their stuff, and with stores pretty much everywhere, you can get in to test your shades before purchasing.  Highly recommended.  $16

Urban Decay has a few great red shades.  The one shown here is from their limited edition Pulp Fiction line and it’s called Mrs. Mia Wallace, but I also have Gash and F-Bomb, which are lovely reds in their own right.  I can’t really say enough nice things about the UD lipstick formula.  Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s glossy and smooth and it just feels wonderful on.  The color payout is extreme.  I’d almost call this a satin formula by and large, and I strongly advise using lipliner to keep everything in place before you apply.  It’s so buttery itt slants slippery, but it’s super moisturizing and will cling to your face for HOURS without needing touch ups.  A winner.  An expensive winner, but a winner all the same.  (Seriously, who needs to eat when there’s lipstick to buy?)  $22

Warm coral pink is an in color this year for the spring and summer and I am all over it.  This is Carina in the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick line and it’s absolutely gorgeous.  It’s hard to do the color justice; there’s a tiny hint of orange but it is, by and large, a vibrant pink that manages to avoid being bubblegum or neon. It brightens the face and just looks . . . well.  Summery, I guess.  I found out the hard way (meaning I bought both colors by accident) that Carina and KVD’s liquid lipstick in Berlin are almost exactly the same color, so if you have a brand preference, you can go either way.  I find the Anastasia liquid less drying, but the lasting power of the KVD lipstick is greater.  It’s a trade off.  $20

So I’ve mentioned a trillion times before that dryness is a thing for me.  When I am at my scaliest, I always ALWAYS ALWAYS reach for NYX Butter lippies (color shown is Fizzies–a pink with a peach tint.)  They are like lipstick and gloss did the nasty and made a baby.  They have the smooth, glide-on feel of the gloss but apply like the lipstick which lets me avoid getting my hair in it and making a mess on my face.  Frankly, NYX lippies are really strong and I feel like you can get a lot of the premiere brand quality for a drugstore price.  I like the mattes (there’s a color called Tea Rose that’s incredibly pretty) and all of the round case formulas are gorgeous.  I’d avoid the Wicked Lippies–the colors are too sheer to carry off such bold shades–but you can’t really go wrong with any of the other products at this price point.  $6