086. Color and Intent - Part I
Nuanced lip colors
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There’s a special feeling you stumble upon a color so remarkable that it seems it was custom-made for you. Every detail is just right: it is naturally your shade, clicks into place next to your features and nuances, all while it enhances and enchants. The following three are lip colors of exceptional hues that I’ve been rotating and wearing nonstop. I purchased them last year at various times, and not all of them were loves at first sight, but I’ve grown to love each one deeply.
Since we’re focusing on color today, let’s start with a closer look at each of these on skin. Of course, everyone’s skin tone, lip tone, and body chemistry are different. For reference, I have fair olive skin and quite cool-toned, purple lips. Colors tend to turn pink on me often, whether on the cheeks or the lips. Another thing to consider is that each of these items is a different formula and finish, but more on that later.
I tend to wear everything sheered out. This is because of my fair skin tone, and I don’t like feeling any sticky textures or weight on the skin. All three can be built up for fuller opacity and color impact, but the right side of the image gives a good look at how I tend to wear them and what I’m basing their unique color on. *Underlined item names are their links!
Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm - Nana
($38, .21oz/6.5ml)
Up first is the one most outside my comfort zone. If you’re a long-time subscriber, you know I am not a gloss person. Yet, I’m reaching for this countless times because the hue is simply perfection. The brand describes it as a “cool beige,” and I agree. But it’s so much more nuanced than just that. I suspect this is one of those items that looks incredibly different from one person to the next, mainly because of its opacity and finish. Though named a “liquid lip balm,” this is really a gloss, so there’s higher transparency, meaning your natural lip tone will affect the result. Alone, I would describe this as a milky mauve beige. The “milkiness” definitely helps the overall opacity, and when worn on my lips, it turns ever so slightly rosier and becomes a milky rose nude. This hue steals my breath away every time I wear it. It’s notoriously difficult for anyone to find their “perfect nude,” but I’m thrilled to say I’ve found mine. I only wish it were in a different finish (not a gloss)!
Aside from mixing seamlessly with my natural lip tone, let’s talk a bit about the packaging and formula. As expected from Westman Atelier, the packaging is the definition of luxury. When I first received it, I was slightly alarmed by how small it was, but don’t let that deter you! This short stack gives you almost double the amount of the following item. It also is my favorite liquid lip product packaging, period. The exterior is a mix of finishes: the cap glossy, the tube matte with a sliver of a window to show the color inside. On the interior bottom edge is a rim of gold with the brand name debossed. The applicator is a flat paddle, and I find it grabs my ideal amount of product. I only have to use one side for my preferred layer of lip product, but I can use what’s on the other side if I’m looking for a glossier finish that day. The pièce de résistance is the oh-so-satisfying click closure. Unlike other lip products that twist close, this noticeably clicks into a locked position. No other packaging comes to mind that does this, whether it be another lip tube, concealer tube, or skincare rollerball—c’est magnifique.
As for the formula itself, its high-shine gloss gives the lips an ultra-healthy and hydrated look and appears blurring and beautiful on zoom calls, if I do say so myself. It also feels like a “drier” gloss to me somehow. It’s slightly thicker, making “liquid lip balm” an apt description, so it’s not slippery. It stays in place and is surprisingly long-wearing (until you eat). Even with drinking water throughout the day, I find this lasts and has a certain amount of grip to it. And while it’s called a liquid lip balm, it doesn’t moisturize as deeply as a lip balm should, so word of caution for those seeking a 2-in-1 product. The one point I notice enough to categorize into a “dislike” is the scent. And that’s just personal preference. I think Kackie describes it best as the scent of limoncello. It smells sweet and almost lemon candy-like to me, and you know I’m not one for the sweeter scents. Nevertheless, I love the color so much that I’m willing to overlook this detail.
Kjaer Weis Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick - Enthralling
($30, .12oz | 3.5ml)
I am surprising myself because this is another formula outside my comfort zone: a liquid lipstick. However, this is my perfect multi-use peach-rose nude. Remember how most lip products turn pink on me? This has to be one of the few, if not only one, that turns peach instead. It’s most noticeable in the swatch photos if you look at the difference between the heavy swatch and the blended swatch. The applicator is an angled doe foot which I find helpful no matter where I apply it on my face. Yes, I apply this to multiple areas on my face, and it’s glorious. Here’s the where, how, look:
LIPS: color is closest to its original description of “warm dusty rose.” But it leans warm and turns into a beautiful nude. I go in with my usual lip balm, the URB APOTHECARY Basil Mint, and do one swipe on the bottom lip and blend out with my finger over both top and bottom. It wears comfortably on the lips and is long-wearing! It fades slightly after eating, but that’s to be expected. It’s a satin-matte finish, but depending on how light a layer I apply, some of the glow from the layered lip balm beneath peeks through, changing it from satin-matte to satin-shine. If worn entirely alone, it would be a matte finish.
CHEEKS: a true peach rose. I do either a few dots or one short swipe and blend using a nice big fluffy brush—a beautiful, healthy nude, satin-matte finish. If I layer on too much, then it becomes slightly tacky, and I’ll powder over the top.
EYES: a true peach rose. I usually do a dot or two on the eyelid and blend with my finger. It gives a beautiful wash of color, and my sensitive eyes don’t react to it (no watering or itching)! Same as on the cheeks, satin-matte finish, unless overapplied, then I would set with setting powder or powder eyeshadow.
I love that I can do my entire face and achieve a soft, romantic, and healthy look with this one product. What more could one want?
Also to be expected from Kjaer Weis is their stunning and hefty packaging. This has both its pros and cons. The pro is that it’s gorgeous; I love chrome finishes (in moderation). The monogrammed cap set against the pop of color through the frosted glass tube is a sight to behold. The con is the unbalanced weight. The cap is extremely weighty, and even the slightest brush against it will cause it to topple over. You could opt to go without it, but the refill’s cap portion isn’t the most visually pleasing (it’s a vertically ribbed, slightly transparent plastic) and looks out of place against its cool frosted glass counterpart. (Granted, this is how I choose to use the concealer, only using the refill, no weighted brand cap. Functionally it’s more than fine, but I wouldn’t choose to display it anywhere.)
Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint - Chérie
($36, .19floz | 5.7ml)
Over the holidays, I purchased two shades (Amour and Chérie): one for my Mom and one for me. I let her choose come Christmas Day. She went with Amour, and I’m so glad she did because I’ve fallen head over heels for Chérie. I’m surprised I don’t hear more people speak of this shade aside from Kait, who always does an excellent job describing every aspect. If I had to choose one type of lip product to use for the rest of my life, it would be a stain (no matter the delivery formula: gel, powder, cream, etc.). I just love the look and feel of a stain: a pop of long-lasting color with a weightless feel. VB’s lip tint in Chérie is an exquisite one. It’s a gel formula, and the angled pear-shaped doe-foot hugs my lips and allows for precise application. The formula is very interesting because it gives a cooling effect on the lips. The brand describes it as a “sheer pink rose,” and that’s true for the color of the stain. However, if you apply a thicker layer, the color is much deeper before it dries down. You can see in the swatch photo that it’s closer to a cranberry red than a sheer pink. And as with all lip tints, if over layered, they will settle into lines. And I won’t lie; it took a bit of troubleshooting to find the best way to apply it to my lips before I fell in love with this item. Here’s how I go about it:
Since my lips are always dehydrated, I layer my URB APOTHECARY lip balm first, let it sit for a bit (while I’m doing the rest of my makeup), and then remove any excess.
Then I go in with the VB lip tint using the applicator and apply it to the very bottom portion of my bottom lip and the entirety of my top lip. *I have a fuller bottom lip, so the inside of my lip protrudes a bit. The outer lip and inner lip obviously have different textures, so the edge that divides them is a “line” for me and a place where the lip tint would settle into. The applicator’s shape allows me to get a precise application along my pointy cupid’s bow and the inner corners.
I use my ring finger to gently swipe and dab the lip tint into the lips, then do a final “smush” of top and bottom lips to transfer a tiny amount to my inner lip portion that shows through. I know it sounds complicated, but it takes no time once I got used to it. This gives me an even layer of the lip tint without it settling into any lines!
Now let’s talk about the glorious hue that is Chérie. As mentioned, it’s a deeper cranberry red when first applied and before the complete dry down. But once it becomes its true stain, it is my perfect shade of pink. It gives my lips such a healthy hue, and as the gel “fades,” the hue becomes brighter and “lifts” my overall complexion. The color is so sweet and vibrant (don’t worry, not neon) that it makes me smile when I catch myself in the mirror. It looks better the longer it wears, and to my joy, it lasts. I apply this around 7:30 AM on a workday, and through the day’s eating and drinking (smoothie, water, coffee), it will still be there when I’m removing my makeup at 6 PM.
This is my first Victoria Beckham Beauty item and the quality of the packaging is as everyone says: luxe. The lip tint is housed in a glass tube and plastic cap in her signature tortoiseshell pattern. Because I have the Westman Atelier, I do wish the VB cap clicked closed as well. But that’s a minor detail. One thing to note is that there is a pretty powerful stopper. When taking out the applicator, you have to tug slightly to remove it all the way. The stopper is great because if you happened to topple this over, the gel formula doesn’t run out, plus it helps control the amount that adheres to the applicator itself. Just sharing this word of caution in case you remove it with force and the gel happens to fling elsewhere (this hasn’t happened to me but you never know).
If you haven’t had the chance to try any of these and are searching for a new lip product, I can’t recommend any of them enough, especially if you’re drawn to these colors. They all serve a different purpose and look, but I love each equally for their unique qualities.
Thanks so much for reading! Have you tried any of these lip items? What are some of your favorites? I’d love to know! You can always leave a comment or reply to this email to chat privately.
I also want to add that Substack now has an app! It’s a one-stop-shop for all things newsletter-related, meaning my previous newsletters that are Podcasts can also be heard directly through the app. Substack also just launched video capability, so stay tuned for some fun things. In the meantime, check out the app below.
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you next week!*
*The people have spoken! I put up an Instagram poll to see whether you’d like this particular newsletter to be an ultra lengthy one or split and released over two consecutive weeks. You voted the latter so Part 2 will be in your inboxes (or app) next week!
I have been head-over-heels over colors lately, having fun with finding the colors that works for me. The state of my makeup usually relate to the emotions I've been having lately i.e: when I'm feeling really good, all I want is to wear a bold bright lip, feeling centered is when I reach out for monochromatic neutral look etc. You're always so calming to me, for some reason, I'm not surprised these colors are your favorite! I have not tried none of the shades or product you have though, nude colors are tough for me to wear because my skin is pretty deep, so I always feel like nude colors wash me out, but I guess that could also depend on the rest of the make-up?