Dark Lipstick That Doesn't Look Goth

11 • 14 • 2013

Vampy, dark lips are definitely a trend for Fall, but it is hard to make these colors work in real life, especially with my fair coloring.  I applaud Cupcakes and Cashmere for her vampy lip here, but I think blackish lips look pretty weird in the carpool line. A good compromise?  A plummy metallic lipstick!  You get the statement and moodiness of a darkish lip, but it is infinitely more wearable.

I actually already had the perfect one in my HUGE stash of lipsticks: Lancome Rouge Magnetic in Swoon.  Wonderful, moisturizing texture, and it is slightly sheer.  Of course I find out it is discontinued!  Grrrr…Here I am on date night wearing Swoon:

Wearing dark plum metallic lipstick at a Houston Symphony event:

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Here are the close duplicates I found at Sephora.  From the top down, the best plum lipstick swatches on my hand are:

• Dior Addict Lipstick in Fashion Week
• Lancome Rouge Magnetic in Swoon (discontinued)
• Laura Mercier Stickgloss in Peony
• BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Raise the Bar
• Sephora Rouge Shine No. 37

Here I am in my favorite, the Dior Addict in Fashion Week (love the name too!)  The consistency of this sheer lipstick is amazing!  This is a little lighter than the Swoon, and not quite as metallic, but I still love it:

Here’s the Laura Mercier Stickgloss in Peony.  Great color, but a little too rust/copper for my skin tone:

If you are feeling really daring, more of a true vamp lipstick is the Laura Mercier Stickgloss in Black Orchid.  It has a great, sheer consistency that makes it more wearable than an intense, matte vamp color would be:

Here’s the BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Raise the Bar.  I did not like the consistency of this one quite as much- not as sheer, and it was a little more drying.  Still a great option, and I enjoyed the vaguely minty scent.

Here I am in the sheerest color, the Sephora Rouge Shine in No. 37.  I loved this color, but it wasn’t dark enough to make a statement.  Looks like the 1000 sheer lipsticks I already own!

Whatever you do, don’t buy Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick-– it is the WORST!!  Not only was the shade I chose, Enduring Ruby, the worst shade of dark purple, but the texture was like sticky, dry tar.  So awful I didn’t even keep it on long enough to take a picture.  Perhaps the lesson is drugstore lipGLOSSES are awesome (I blogged about some drugstore gems here), but for lipSTICK you need to spring for the prestige brands?

xoxo,

Kathleen