My favourite lip finish, by far, is that juicy, lightly glossy, sheer ‘touch of colour’ finish as I think it’s the sort of look that meets everyone; it instantly lifts the face area, giving it light and a pop of light colour that flatters wonderfully. With that in mind, about 90% of my lipsticks which i hold on to are these types of finishes, and so i thought I’d put together a summary of 14 great choices (to suit all budgets) with varying finishes so you can find your perfect sheer lip colour!
All 14 of these lipsticks are a great choice now we’re starting to see warmer weather (er…sort of) as these work really well with makeup that’s a little more low-key – I always favour sheerer formulas in the summertime months, anything that doesn’t involve too much maintenance is fine by me.
Starting with the lip treatments that have colour, which are your typical tinted lip balm type products. I’ve included the Julep It’s Balm within this list, even though it’s actually one of the most pigmented in this post, because it’s a very nourishing product that feels like a treatment. lb14 here – .
Carmex Moisture Plus is a superb example of a tinted lip balm that’s purse friendly; it is less than a fiver and is available in a range of shades, plus it comes in a twist-up lipstick, so no dipping your fingers in messy pots. It’s lb4.69 here – .
If it’s a serious bargain you’re after, then your Nivea Fruity Shines will be up your street! These are also available in a range of colours/flavours, offering the tiniest hint of colour inside a pop of fruity balm. They’re a very purse-friendly lb2.15 here – .
Would it even count as a post on tinted lip treats if I didn’t include the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment? These are truly fancy tinted lip balms that are gorgeous to use and wear, obtainable in a great selection of flattering shades. They’re lb19.50 each here – .
Lanolips is among my most reached for lip treatments (tinted or not) as they are amazing at helping to sooth dry and chapped lips. Ignoring their treatment ability, the shades of the Lanolips Tinted Lip Balms are the most flattering shades around, with the Rhubarb shade providing the perfect ‘my lips, but better’ shade. They’re lb7.99 here – .
The Zelens Lip Enhancer is really exactly as it sounds, providing a flattering muted gloss finish having a touch of colour that gives lips a lovely enhanced look that’s natural yet very pretty. It’s available in two shades for lb32 each here – .
Next up would be the products that still provide a large amount of hydration, but add more pigment towards the lips on a kind of 50/50 split regarding hydration and colour. The complete star of these types of lip products may be the Dior Addict Lip Glows, that are just beautiful; creamy, hydrating but subtle, and also the colours appear to adjust to your most flattering finish. Expect a more thorough post on these soon, but in the meantime, you can find them for lb26 each here – .
Clinique have some great products for this kind of feature, starting with a member of their cult Pop family, the Pop Glaze Sheer Lip Colour and Primer, that is like a more gentle, take on the initial Pop lipsticks. These are lightly pigmented, giving lips a wash of sheer, glossy colour. You will find six shades and they’re lb17 each here – .
The Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss and Hydration is as you’d expect, with a pop of gentle colour alongside some serious hydration and a very smooth, glossy finish. They are quite unlike anything else available, so they’re worth checking out if you fancy something a little different. They’re available in 11 shades and therefore are lb17 each here – .
The Rodial Glamsticks were always the product I associated most with the brand, as I spent ages lusting after them! They seem to be phasing them out, which is a small shame as they do lovely colours and that i really like the packaging too. You will find a couple of shades left for lb12 each – .
The final category focuses on the ones that I think are most lipstick-like, in that they provide quite a bit of colour, whilst still giving lips that hydrated, diffused, slightly glossy finish. One of my favourite launches from this past year was the Armani Ecstasy Shine Lipsticks, that are soooo pretty, especially the newer shades that make up the Tokyo Garden collection (pictured may be the oh-so-gorgeous Sakura pink) which are a true joy to make use of. They’re lb30 here – .
Chantecaille are one of my favourite brands, as pretty much all of their range is all about pretty, sheer and flattering finishes and shades. The Lip Chics are gorgeous, in an amazing shade range that your formula that is buildable and intensely hydrating. They’re lb32 here – .
The SUQQU Extra Lip Glow Lipsticks are another that offers a punch of light and and glossy colour in a huge shade range – that’s extended even further thanks to their recent collection launch. They’re lb25 here – .
The final method is the tarte Rainforest of the Sea Lip Quench, which supplies buildable colour in gorgeous packaging and flattering shades, what more could you want? They’re available in a trio set for lb29.52 here – .
