The 12 Lipsticks My (Also Crazy) Followers Use Religiously

By,a beauty columnist at the Strategist since 2017.She's also an esthetician and the author of 'Let's Face It: Secrets of a Skincare Obsessive.'
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Three lipsticks on a colored background.
Three of the favorites.Photo: Mac, Lipstick Queen, Charlotte Tilbury.

Shopping for a newlipstick shadeis one of my biggest beauty stressors. Figuring out what shade suits my skin tone best, while simultaneously deciding whether to go satin, sheer, matte, cream, or liquid can make me — to put it mildly — flustered. The last time I went into a Sephora with the intention of buying a new nude, I came out sweaty and empty-handed, with two arms covered in rectangularlipstickswatches. I’ve found that all of the lipsticks I’ve loved the most have actually come from recommendations from friends — most women I know have had enough lipstick trial and error to have found a conclusivefavorite, one that suits their skin tone, doesn’t slide off their lips and onto their teeth, and whose application never results inshriveled lipsfrom an overly matteformula.

So last week I decided to conduct an experiment: I took to the question app on Instagram Story and asked my followers to submit their all-time favoritelipstick, along with an explanation of why it’s their No. 1. I then sorted through the answers and pulled the most-oft-submitted shades and formulas. Below, a list of lipstick recommendations to make your life a little bit easier, whether you’re looking for a newred, nude, brown, pink, berry, or orange.

Orange

Mac’s Lady Danger
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“Mac’s Lady Danger is the perfect orange-red for my medium skin tone with warm undertones. If I feel tired looking, I apply it and myunder-eye bagsmagically disappear.” —Jenna Perry, colorist at White Rose Salon

Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Sunset Orange
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“I love the Bobbi Brown art stick in Sunset Orange for my light, freckly skin tone. The main reason is that my friend gave it to me and when I wear it I think about her, but aside from that, it’s the perfect orange-red for me. Itstays onso well, it made it all the way through a cooking class. And cooking classes are really just eating and drinking classes!”—Elizabeth Monson, marketing consultant

Red

MAC Lipstick Matte in Ruby Woo
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“I love Mac’s Ruby Woo because it complements my almond skin tone so well and gives me the perfectpop of color.”—Natania Boyce, producer

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Bond Girl
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“Charlotte Tilbury’s Bond Girl is so pigmented without being drying — it doesn’tdrageven if your lips are really chapped. The formula is a bit emollient without showing shine. My skin tone is fair-neutral so it’s the perfect red for me.”—Joelle Hyman,photo researcher at Allure/the Creative Group at Condé Nast

NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita
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“I remember reading about NARS Dolce Vita in a magazine forever ago and I bought it. I have light skin with olive undertones. It went on likechapstickand never made me feel dry — even when I was on Accutane!”—Erika Rankin, comedian

Pink

M.A.C Matte Lipstick
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“Mac’s Taupe is the perfect neutral for my skin (I’m medium with warm/olive undertones) and I’ve noticed that my friends with really warm/olive undertones really like it too. It’s easy to make it look more dramatic if you layer it on top of a brownlipliner too.”—Ruby Thiagarajan, editor-in-chief, Mynah Magazine

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin
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“My skin tone is on the lighter side with yellow undertones, so Jeffree Star’s Celebrity Skin is among my favorites because it basically erases my lips but doesn’t wash me out — it’s super-sexywith a heavycat eye!” —Teresa, high school teacher

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Crème Lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
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“Okay, okay. I know I work at Marc Jacobs so this probably sounds like a promotional thing, but I’m not kidding you: Marc Jacobs Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the perfect everyday lip. It doesn’t budge and is basically just a better version of my ownlip color.I have pale skin andplatinum hairso it brings my skin to life.”—Phoebe Gillan, Marc Jacobs International PR

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Collection Lipstick
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“For a slightly moresubtlelook, my runner-up from Mac’s Lady Danger is my all-day bae Frog Prince. I basically wear it to the gym”—Jenna Perry, colorist and White Rose Salon

Berry

Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks in Shade 10
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“I love YSL’s Volupte Lips & Cheeks in shade 10 — it’s the perfect plum. I like that it’s really easy to dab on mylipswith my fingers when I want a more subtle shade. It also goes on really smooth and never dries my lips out. I love how it gives my fair complexion life instantly.”—Reece Soloman, fashion consultant

Tom Ford Lip Color
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“My skin tone is fair-neutral, and I love Tom Ford’s Indian Rose. The formula is wonderfully smooth andlong-lasting— it’s the perfect your-lips-but-better shade.”—Jenny, manager at Bloomingdale’s

Brown

Glossier Generation G
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“I would describe my skin tone as warm almond, and Glossier’s Leo is really the ideal everyday nudelipstickfor me. It’s not too intense but lasts all day long.”—Natania Boyce, producer

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