If there’s anyone you should trust with your lipstick selection, it is Sephora employees.
This series has been at once the most helpful beauty series I’ve ever written and the most devastating to my bank account. Of course, every time I go to a new Sephora and ask a bunch of employees their favorite products, I’m going to have to buy the one they suggest the most. That’s just common sense. I can take consolation at least, in the fact that I’m helping you, my Internet friends, buy products that are actually worthy of your beautiful faces — and also the financial investment.
(Related: We Asked, They Answered: Real Sephora Employees Tell Us Their Favorite Mascaras)
For me, at least, lipstick is always a tough one to nail down. No matter how ardently someone insists that a particular lipstick “lasts all day,” I will always amend that in my head to “lasts until you eat something.” Surely there must be a lipstick that can withstand my morning bagel and coffee, but I have not encountered it yet. However, there are certainly some that perform better under pressure than others. There are also the factors of mouthfeel, color options, pigment intensity, bleed potential, and finish (matte, glossy, metallic).
With all those factors in mind, I took to Sephora to ask employees a simple question: What is the best lipstick in this store? I think it’s pretty telling that about 15 employees at two different stores only gave me FOUR responses, meaning there was a whole lot of agreement.
1. Sephora Collection Color Lip Last
To keep this as unbiased as possible, I’m sure Sephora employees are encouraged to promote the Sephora brand as much as possible. However, a majority of the lovely ladies I spoke to said this is the lipstick they use, especially when they want a long-lasting matte look. I personally haven’t tried it yet, but after this overwhelming show of support, you can bet I’m going to. When I asked about long-wear specifically, the responses were almost exclusively “Sephora brand.” Not to mention that it’s a more attractive price point than many other lipsticks in the store.
2. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar
Over and over again, I heard some variation of, “But if you want fun colors, it’s gotta be OCC.” And we here at Blufashion tend to agree with them—you may remember that when I tried blue lipstick, it was theirs. To be completely honest, I do find them slightly difficult to apply and slightly stickier than I normally like my lip product to be. However, if you’re looking for something vibrant, there is no better option. The OCC Lip Tars have super intense pigment and come in an array of colors more often seen at the M&M store than Sephora. They are also available in mattes, metallics, and several fabulous sets if you want to try a bunch of different colors at a discount.
3. Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick
Kat Von D is right there on the bold colors train with OCC. She’s also been subject to (deserved) scrutiny over some of the names of her lipstick colors, like “Lolita” (sold out in both the Studded Kiss Lipstick and the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, go figure) and “Underage Red.” But, many of the Sephora employees I spoke to seemed very devoted to Kat’s lipsticks due to their bright shades and long-lasting wear.
4. NARS Audacious Lipstick
Oh, NARS. Always an employee favorite, always my least favorite price tag. But hey, there has to be a reason for this level of devotion. The Audacious line is a newer extension of the NARS lipstick family, and Sephora employees seem to be laughing at it.
(Related: Controversial Cult Face: Does NARS Orgasm Blush Live Up To The Hype–And $30 Price Tag?)
I was pointed in particular toward the Anita color, which is an “antique rose” (very similar to Kat Von D’s Lolita if you’re looking for an emergency replacement). This product is an Allure Best Beauty Product winner, and the thing that stands out most from my conversations about it is its creamy texture. Basically, this stuff is like buttah.