LIPSTICKS - Vivid Colors for Spring

Spring is upon us and that's usually the time for us to bust out the bright shades to take us straight into Summer. I pulled five lipsticks from my collection that I thought would make great Springtime shades. I couldn't resist throwing in a berry one at the end--they're my favorite! I've also applied them on my lips so you can get a good idea of how it may work for you. Apologies if the lighting is inconsistent. That's one downside of working with natural light!

In my last couple of lippie posts, some shades were discontinued. I'm really trying to compile a fully currently purchasable (is that a word?) list, but companies discontinuing my beloved shades is making it really hard! Best I could do here was 3 out of 5. Links will be provided above each color overview, except for two.

L to R: Maybelline ColorSensational 740 Coral Burst, 730 Orchid Ecstasy, 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte), 065 Hooked on Pink, 175 Bit of Berry

I really adore Maybelline's ColorSensational line. They are very pigmented and the staying power is pretty good for a regular lipstick (~3 hours for me). They glide on very smoothly and aren't drying. I also love their color-coded caps that make organization a little neater. The only thing I dislike about these is the Play-Doh-y or vanilla kind of scent. I think the color payoff is worth it. The smell usually fades within 10 seconds. If it really drives you crazy, you can leave the cap off of the tubes overnight with the lipstick bullet still retracted. This should help air out the scent.

L to R: Maybelline ColorSensational 740 Coral Burst, 730 Orchid Ecstasy, 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte), 065 Hooked on Pink, 175 Bit of Berry

Labels on the bases.

L to R: Maybelline ColorSensational 740 Coral Burst, 730 Orchid Ecstasy, 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte), 065 Hooked on Pink, 175 Bit of Berry

Here are some arm swatches:

L to R: Maybelline ColorSensational 740 Coral Burst, 730 Orchid Ecstasy, 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte), 065 Hooked on Pink, 175 Bit of Berry

Bare Lips for Comparison

Maybelline ColorSensational 740 Coral Burst

I didn't own any coral lipsticks prior to purchasing Coral Burst. I was actually a little intimidated by the thought of sporting a coral lip. I was so afraid it would look straight up orange on me and not in a cute way.

Maybelline Color Sensational 740 Coral Burst

I think this one works well for me since it's a little on the redder side than a usual coral. I think most drugstore options are a little too white-based for my coloring. I remember deliberating for a very long time at Ulta when I finally decided on this and the next one, both from the Rebel Blooms collection.

Maybelline ColorSensational 730 Orchid Ecstasy

Orchid Ecstasy is another shade I purchased to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I didn't have any particularly "exciting" colors at that point.

Maybelline ColorSensational 730 Orchid Ecstasy

This is a true orchid purple and is nothing like I've ever owned. I didn't like it as much before but trying it this time around, I've warmed up to it!

Maybelline ColorSensational 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte)

I wound up liking Mesmerizing Magenta more than I thought I would. Most of my lipsticks are creme finishes so I think the matte finish in this one really makes it stand out. It's a little more grown up than a Barbie pink but it's still a lot of fun to wear.

Maybelline ColorSensational 680 Mesmerizing Magenta (Matte)

I like to do the same eye look as I would with a bold red lip: simple champagne and ivory eyeshadow with black winged liner and mascara. It's a warm-weather twist on a classic.

Maybelline ColorSensational 065 Hooked on Pink (Discontinued)

Some of you may work in office settings and may be apprehensive about wearing such bold colors. A color like Hooked on Pink may work for you. I can personally vouch for it since I have worn it a few times to work and received a nice compliment. It's a medium pink with a bit of magenta. It's subdued yet packs a punch and is something different than a typical red.

Maybelline ColorSensational 065 Hooked on Pink (Discontinued)

You can really make it work for the office if you keep the rest of your face simple. I may be clouding this with my personal bias as I have never worked somewhere that told me specifically how to wear my face! I purchased this two years ago and it has already been discontinued *sigh*. I will update this post if I can find a dupe.

Maybelline ColorSensational 175 Bit of Berry (Discontinued)

If you've learned one thing about me, it's that I love me some berry shades. It's a nice plummy pink that I think would flatter lots of skin tones. Unfortunately, this shade has also been discontinued.

Maybelline ColorSensational 175 Bit of Berry (Discontinued)

Christine at Temptalia says it's a 90%-match dupe for MAC Plumful. Plumful is a lustre finish so it will be a little lighter than Bit of Berry.

Milani Anti-Feathering Lipliner, Transparent
This stuff is amazing! I didn't even know transparent lip liner existed until last year. I tried looking for the Milani Anti-Feather Lip Liner at CVS but they were always out of stock. I've tried it out with a fuchsia lipstick this week and it performs just as well as Urban Decay's Ultimate Ozone ($16) for a fraction of the price! I bought all three that were on the Milani display when CVS had all of their lipsticks and lip pencils on sale for $2.99 last time. I missed out the first time around. Seriously, if you can find it at CVS, hustle and buy what you can!

Milani Anti-Feathering Lipliner, Transparent

CVS often has promotions for Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off. A transparent lip liner takes all the guess work out of choosing one to match your lipstick. Rimmel also has an automatic transparent lip liner that doesn't require sharpening but I haven't tried it. Honestly, I can probably just use this transparent lip liner for all of my lipsticks, but I have a bunch of mauve, nude, and reddish browns to go through so I can't let those go to waste! Had I known about transparent lipliners before, I would've put my money towards other makeup...like more lipstick :)

Have you tried any of these shades before? Which one are you most excited to wear in sunny weather? Let me know in the comments below!