Other people have food memories. I have lipstick memories. Where I was when I wore Mehr by Micky Contractor for the first time. The immigration official at an international airport with whom I shared notes on the lipstick shade I was wearing—M.A.C's Chatterbox. The unexpected compliment from an unexpected person about my favourite Pink Bon Bon from Lancôme. Nothing like a pop of lip colour to make life more interesting, I'd say. Over the years, I've had the chance to try and test hundreds of lipsticks to now cut my kit down to my exact number of needs and wants. Here's my complete guide to building your own lipstick closet.
The ideal number How many lipsticks are an ideal number to possess? In my head, I have a grid. Five key shades and five key textures—pink, red, coral, nude and oxblood multiplied by five textures (lip tint, liquid matte, satin finish, matte and gloss) and you are ready for most situations. Of course, the number 25 is not cast in stone. Every woman has her own grid. I know women who are lipstick hoarders and have up to two hundred in their stash and I know of one woman who decided to wear the one shade she had with everything. She was an ultra post-Kondo minimalist, but for us lesser mortals it is nice to build up a lipstick wardrobe. We do it with clothes, don't we?
Step one There is so much happening in the lip world that it can be very daunting. That rose petal-infused lip stain from China's Kailijimie brand has us all excited this year. Kat Von D's blue glitter lipstick seems like a must-have even if one doesn't use it. So does the green lipstick from Lipstick Queens by Poppy that miraculously turns pink. Beauty wizard Pat McGrath' new lip collection is on everyone's lust list. There are all the indie Instagrammable brands to check out. So where does one begin? “Begin with two basic shades not brands,” suggests ace make-up artist Clint Fernandez, and then build on it. “One should be a flesh-coloured nude and one should be a burgundy or red. Add gloss and matte textures and then start building up. Another way to approach building a lip wardrobe is to get a multiple-coloured lip palette. Bobbi Brown currently has the most comprehensive one.” Charlotte Tilbury has recently launched her K.I.S.S.I.N.G collection which has ten lipsticks, while brands like Urban Decay and Benefit Cosmetics have lip and cheek palettes to experiment with. Estée Lauder and Dior have travel packs of lip trios and quads usually available at duty-free, too.
Skin tones I personally think the whole skin tone thing is too restrictive—use what makes you happy. However, make-up artist Ojas Rajani, whose bridal looks are much sought after says, “For dusky skin, corals and rusts look fabulous while lighter tones can try plums, reds, nudes.” Most Indians have a yellow undertone in varying degrees, so that explains why shades of peach, red and coral will always work. Fernandez suggests two universal colours—“An apricot natural nude and a carmine red work on all skin tones. Velvet matte is a texture that works for most people, too”.
Match it or let it clash Should you match your lipstick shade to your clothes? Or should you create a dramatic contrast? Team millennial pink with a bright red lip or a bright red outfit with a pastel pink to look fashionably trendy. On the other hand, a plum sari is asking to be closely matched with a deep plum satin-finish lip. A black dress teamed with black nails will look perfectly finished with a nude lip to keep it young and fresh. A retro red lip teamed with off white, ivory silk is timelessly elegant but it can also lift browns and teal. Playing within colour families is fun, too. If you wear purple, then try a pale lavender lip.
The bridal lip Lipsticks are really helpful to keep you looking fresh on your big day as they can be easily refreshed unlike the rest of the make-up. “I like to use longwear lipsticks like Huda Beauty's lip stain, which is easy to use and stays for 12 hours without creasing or over-drying,” says Rajani. “Colour-wise, something bright and happy looks refreshing on a bride like rustic colours or brick red or even a lovely pink depending on the outfit colour. On gold outfits, reds look fabulous while on paler outfits like beige or pastels, a pink lip works magic as it is youthful and refreshing and such colours don't allow the face to look tired.”
Cult favourites There are names that we all know or want to own. M.A.C's Ruby Woo, Chanel's Rouge Noir, Bobbi Brown's Red Carpet and Salmon, Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Volupte No 19 Fuchsia, Clinique's Black Honey, Stila's Patina, Huda Beauty's Gossip Girl, Tom Ford's Casablanca and Bruised Plum—I can go on and on. McGrath's Lust MatteTrance launch is already feeling cultish especially the mid-tone rose and deep black purple shades. Rajani swears by Tom Ford's lip stains. Lakmé used to have a great palette of nudes, however, I think Yves Saint Laurent has the best palette of nudes right now—I love the Nude Beige. By Terry's Terrybly Velvet Rouge in Lady Bare is a good nude, too.
Cult favourites will always be available, but here's a pro tip. Lipsticks, if they are not cult favourites, are notorious for going out of stock. “Collections get discontinued,” warns Fernandes, “So even if you know a name and number, it may be difficult to find.” When you find a shade that absolutely works for you and believe me you will know when it does, just grab two of the same.
In case you missed it, here's the previous story from the series: How to get plump lips without an invasive procedure
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