Happy National Lipstick Day — These Are Our Favorites

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It's National Lipstick Day today (woohoo!) and there are a lot of sales afoot… so I asked the Corporette team to list a few of their favorite lipsticks, lip stains, tinted balms and more. Nordstrom, Ulta, Sephora, and more are all having great deals today on lipsticks! (Even Target has a “buy one get one 25% off” sale!)

• Nordstrom's deal features Chantecaille, Westman Atelier, Charlotte Tilbury, Lancome, NARS, MAC, Clinique, Valentino, and more.
• Ulta's deal has a ton of Clinique and Winky Lux
• Sephora has deals on Fresh (reader favorite!), MAC, Charlotte Tilbury, Summer Fridays (love this one in Midnight Berry I think), Westman Atelier, Kosas, Laneige, OleHenriksen, Too Faced, and Anastasia

Kat's Favorite Tinted Balms, Lip stains, and Lipsticks

I'm very much a collector of lipsticks, tinted balms, lip stains, etc, almost all in a mauvey pink, sometimes leaning more towards a darker raspberry or a pinky taupe. I tend to switch between 20 at any given time. These are some of my favorites at the moment, but I will say at the start that I've bought the Clinique Chubby sticks (7/29: down to $13!) repeatedly over the past 10+ years … they discontinued my preferred color, though, and I haven't yet tried the newer version of the color. I've also bought Dior's Lip Addict (hat tip to the readers, who turned me on to it!) as well as Clinique's Black Honey (down to $15 at Ulta today 7/29) many times over the years. Oh, and I'm still loyal to my Caudalie lip gloss and Neosporin for when I'm chapped.

(You can read about Kat here, or see all of Kat's posts here).

Chantecaille Lip Chic Lipstick

I realized after I got this one that I had meant to order their Lip Veil, which looked more like a tinted balm instead of a lipstick — but I'm not mad about my mistake because I love this one. It goes on nourishing and very balmy, to be honest, with a good color payoff but it's got a bit of sheerness with only one coat. Love. It's $45 at Nordstrom; if memory serves I bought it on sale so it was closer to $36. (Today 7/29 it's even lower — down to $33. I just may have to try the color Foxglove, and I think I'll try Baobob in Lip Veil, down to $41.)

Kulfi Lassi Lips Long-Staining Moisturizing Lip Oil

This Kulfi lip stain is a newer favorite and a bit of a deeper color than I normally go for, but I feel like it wears really evenly. (I also have the similar product from Violette and I kind of prefer this one, I feel like it has better color to start and wears better, but maybe I just chose the wrong color for the Violette one (caramel). The Kulfi lip stain is $24 at Sephora.

Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick

I bought and kept a few very similar lipsticks a year or two ago and honestly I'm still happily switching between them — so it's a close call between this one, Charlotte Tilsbury's Hyaluronic HappyKiss lipstick in PillowTalk, and Lancôme Lip Idôle Squalane-12 Butterglow™ Hydrating Lip Balm in Mauve-Tivation… but I think the Merit one takes the prize. It glides on smoothly but definitely feels and wears like a lipstick; compared to the shinier finishes of the other two this one is more subdued. But I feel like it's the perfect shade of pink, at least for me. (I spent waaaaaay too long debating back then between this color and another pink (Sunday) back then, but I preferred the satin finish much more than the matte. More recently, the brand was kind enough to send me a few products, including their Baby Pink, another satin. Both are great shades, but there's just something about Millenial Pink that I love more!

(Today 7/29 the Charlotte Tilbury one is 30% off, and the Lancôme is 40% off at Nordstrom — Lancôme is also on sale at Sephora, Amazon, and Lancôme.com!! Merit doesn't really do sales, but you can get Millennial in this bundled set!)

Elizabeth's Favorite LipstAINS & GLosses

I am not a huge lipstick wearer, mostly because traditional lipsticks remind me of getting dolled up for dance recitals as a little kid and hating the feeling of the 1980s Cover Girl products. Today, I prefer a lip stain with some balm or gloss to add a little moisture.

Here are my favorites…

(You can read all of Elizabeth's posts here.)

Wonderskin Blading Lip Stain

This lip stain was the rare social media-influenced purchase that I haven’t regretted. I put this blue-hued lip stain on while I’m finishing the rest of my makeup and wipe it off for a stain that lasts pretty well for a few hours. I like the “Romance” color for a shade that’s a slightly better version of my natural lips. 

The stain is $22 at Nordstrom and comes in 16 shades — but it's on sale today 7/29 at Sephora!

Benefit Benetint

For me, this is the OG of lipstains. I have one in my car, one in my purse, and one in my bathroom at all times. In a pinch, it can also double as blush. I like the original rose color, but I’ve also been wearing the “pink lemonade” shade this summer. If I put it on in the morning and layer lip balm over the top, it usually lasts me until lunchtime before fading. 

The stain is $28 at Nordstrom and comes in eight different shades. 

Summer Fridays Lip Balm

I picked up this lip balm on a whim while I was waiting on line at Sephora recently and I really enjoy using it. I’m usually an Aquaphor or Vaseline girl, so this makes me feel just a little bit fancier. I’ll probably go back to my typical favorites when it runs out (or when I lose it), but I do like the scent and it does a great job hydrating my lips after applying lip stain. 

The balm is $24 at Sephora and comes in 11 different flavors and finishes. 

Ann's Favorite Lipsticks

National Lipstick Day is a holiday I can get behind! To properly celebrate, I’m going to treat myself to a few new tubes…

(You can read all of Ann's posts at CorporetteMoms here!)

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick

Many long-lasting lipsticks make the trade-off between staying power and dryness — not this bestseller from Maybelline. With thousands of five-star reviews, Maybelline’s Super Stay Matte Ink delivers rich, saturated color for up to sixteen hours without smudging or transferring. The waterproof, thin film formula ensures flexible wear without flakes. At just over $10 at Target, it’s also a bargain — you can try a few of the over two dozen shades available. 

e.l.f. Plumping Gloss

e.l.f.’s Lip Plumping Gloss is my tween’s pick — she likes the sheer color, allowance-friendly price point, and smooth finish. This high shine gloss moisturizes lips with vitamin E and coconut oil. It also has a soothing, cooling sensation that's refreshing for summer. You can find this lip gloss at Ulta or on Amazon for less than the cost of a DC Metro ride. 

Violette Lip Nectar

I’m a sucker for anything French. Violette’s Lip Nectar is an Allure Best of Beauty award winner. This stain saturates your lips with a rich pigment in a high shine finish. The hydrating formula includes time-tested ingredients like squalane, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. Sephora carries six shades (I like Rose de Moab, a warm caramel) and each one is $29. 

(VioletteFR.com has 15% off lipsets today!)