Put on some lipstick and pull yourself together. Liz Taylor.

Why is this blog called My Lipstick Stain? Because we all love lipstick here, duh!

My favorite makeup to shop for will always be lipstick. If I had to choose between lipstick and blush, I would choose lipstick. If I had to choose between lipstick and eyeshadow, it would be lipstick. If I had to choose between lipstick and contour kits, I would still choose lipstick!

I even have tonnes of old photographs of moí as a toddler where I’d be playing with my mom’s collection back then. That’s how early this crazy obsession started. I would cry and demand for my mom to put lipstick on my infant lips but obviously she rarely would. On some lucky days I would be allowed to wear a light brown shade or some other color that was big in the 90’s. It made me feel one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming the sixth member of the Spice Girls. I was such a big fan, I cried and mourned when I found out that Ginger Spice departed the girl group!

Those were the days…

Oh, going back to our topic in hand – I’ve tried and bought most brands in the market but unfortunately, I’m still in search of my ultimate favorite. Hundreds and thousands of lipsticks and lip palettes later, I still haven’t found my number one.

I can however, narrow the list to my current top five! The list might change eventually because I’m always experimenting and purchasing new ones, but for now, check these five out!

Lancome: Rouge in Love

Ever been stuck in an airport because your flight got delayed – or because you arrived way too early? It’s an open secret that I love spending time at the airport (weird, I know) but one of my favorite parts of it would be the duty free makeup! One day when I was in Kuching Airport I believe, I was looking through the Lancome counters and saw Rouge in Love. The packaging is beautiful and every time I hold it, I feel like I’m in the middle of Paris, ready to fall in love! I know it sounds exaggerated but that’s just how good the packaging makes me feel!

The lipstick comes in various shades and the one I picked out was in the code 351M. It’s such a pretty pink color. I’m a matte lipstick lover but this one isn’t matte at all. It’s very shimmery, but in a good way. It looks super natural when applied, glides on easily and stays on. Perfect for an easy day out, when you don’t feel like doing too much.

Estee Lauder: Ambitious Pink

Not too sure if this one is available in Malaysia because again, I found this beauty at an airport. The packaging looks super effortless – if it wasn’t for the bullet inside, I wouldn’t bother looking at it twice. The good thing about it though, is that it’s magnetic so don’t worry about the cap ever coming off!

I’ve had many different types of hot pink lipsticks but none of them can ever match Ambitious Pink. Most hot pinks available are tacky as hell, and even I feel slightly ashamed to have ever worn them out in public. This one at least still has a touch of class to it. I guess that Estee Lauder is the only brand that can make hot pink look good instead of tacky.

Laneige K-Secret Cushion Tint: Red Orange

This one is perfect if you’re into gradient lips. Not everyone though can pull off the gradient look. If you can, good for you. But if you can’t, don’t worry because this lip tint can also work as a regular lipstick. Unlike other lip tints in most Korean shops, this one isn’t stingy with pigment at all. It’s hydrating, as how most Korean brands are and has a cushion at the other end of it’s tip.

I don’t see how functional it’s supposed to be since I’ve never used the cushion at all – in fact it took me weeks to realize that it was even there! I’m too paranoid that it’ll leave tonnes of bacteria once it touches the product, so I’ll just let it be.

Bobbi Brown: Mandarin

I’ve talked about this before in my previous post on what to bring during travels. I chose Mandarin for more reasons than one – as I’ve mentioned before, for a shade that’s orange-y, it’s perfect for everyday wear and for all sorts of occasions.

It’s a universal version of an orange-red, and I’ve been wearing it almost everyday! It’s not drying like most matte lipsticks, and I swear the color stays on for ages. Of course it does get slightly patchy after meals and whatever you decide to do with your mouth (try not to get the wrong idea, girls!), but the patches aren’t at all bad, trust me!

L’oreal: Black Cherry

I got this shade when I was busy looking for dark lipsticks. Not vampy dark, just reddish dark. I saw the name “Black Cherry” and that was what hooked me at first sight. What I was searching for was something that isn’t red, but isn’t a plum either. It’s hard to find something that sits in between, and I am quite surprised that a drugstore brand, of all people, gets it right!

When I first swatched it on my hand to see what the color looks like, I fell in love in an instant. It is just the perfect color between maroon and red, so it doesn’t look to dark for a casual dinner for two! It’s great for nights out or for romantic dates, without having to look like a total vampire. In fact, I’ll probably wear it tonight!