Hello darlings and welcome back to Hyperallergique!
Today I wanted to delve into the realm of lip products, because this area has been one of my biggest challenges in the world of beauty when it comes to my allergies. As I mentioned in my previous post, some of the most common ingredients that makeup brands love to use when it comes to moisturizing are almond oil, avocado oil, shea and argan oil, as well as sesame and sunflower seed oil. While these are wonderful ingredients for people sans allergies, they are a nightmare for those of us with nut/seed allergies! (And believe me, I figured out these were common ingredients the hard way.)
Of course, there are a wide variety of lip products on the market these days: everything from the classic stick lipstick, to lip gloss, liquid lips, satin finish, matte, etc. So, the options are virtually endless. I, however, am an avid supporter of the liquid lipsticks–they’re virtually all I own anymore–and let me tell you why:
- Classic stick lipsticks, in my experience, are the lip products that most often contain ingredients like shea, almond, and sesame. For example, it’s pretty much impossible for someone dealing with nut/seed allergies to purchase a Sephora-brand lipstick as they all contain shea. This was a stunning revelation for me, as I used to have a huge collection of their lipsticks. L’Oréal lipsticks are also a big no no: their lipsticks contain both sesame seed oil and argan oil. Also, in case you didn’t know, L’Oréal has an impressive list of other companies they own, such as Lancôme, Kiehl’s, Yves Saint Laurent. Lancôme lipsticks contain macadamia oil, as do Yves Saint Laurent lipsticks. I can’t say for 100% certainty that the rest of their companies follow suit, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Let me know in the comments down below if any of you want me to research this further.
- Liquid lips, on the other hand, tend to be much safer in the ingredients realm. Which isn’t to say that all of them are this way, but I’ve had much more success with liquid lips vs classic stick.
- They are weightless!! I absolutely love how light-weight they are–it doesn’t feel like I have anything on my lips. Plus, most of them are kiss/drink/food proof (with the exception of oily foods of course).
By far my favorite liquid lipsticks belong to Jeffree Star. I’ve followed him since Myspace days, so when I found out that he had started his own cosmetics line, I knew I had to try it! His liquid lips (if you’ve been living under a rock) are vegan and cruelty-free, and they’re 100% allergen-safe on the nut/seed front.
His Velour Liquid Lip in the shade Celebrity Skin was the first liquid lip I ever purchased, and I was instantly hooked. Overall the formula has been incredibly consistent for me, and I love the wide range of colors he offers. The only shade I’ve ever had trouble with is the yellow shade from his summer collection last year. Both the formula and the coverage were horrible! However, this seems to be an anomaly as every other lipstick I’ve purchased has worked great. Plus, they’re full coverage.
I’m literally always eating or drinking something, so I like that I don’t have to worry about whether or not the lipstick is coming off, or reapplying. However, if I ever do need to reapply, the lipsticks tend to take a second layer really well, which isn’t always the case in liquid lips.
Two other brands that I really enjoy are the Sephora brand liquid lips, and the Kat Von D!
The consistency on the Sephora lipstick is really nice. It’s pretty lightweight and definitely full-coverage. They don’t leave your lips feeling overly dry, either, thanks to the rose oil in them. NOTE: the Sephora lippies contain sunflower seed oil, buyer beware! They also offer a HUGE range of shades.
As far as the Kat Von D Everlasting liquid lips are concerned, they have a give and a take. They are also lightweight and not very drying, but the formula hasn’t been as consistent for me. For example, the black shade, called Witches, is really patchy. It definitely takes a lot of work to get that opaque coverage we’re all looking for, especially when it comes to a black lipstick. That was disappointing, but at the same time I purchased several shades after that, and they’ve worked great! Ps. they’re also vegan and cruelty free (like Kat herself)!
What other liquid lips have you guys tried and loved? Hated? Let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading. Have a great weekend!
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