Makeup

Explore Your Fierce: National Lipstick Day's Hypnotic Picks for a New Hue of You

Not all heroes are red

by Sanja Savic | COMMENT

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I remember the first time I put on M.A.C.'s Ruby Woo. It was at their store at Buenos Aires airport, and I was on my way back home, to another continent. I had $25 with me, for the whole trip back, hand to god. In my shy Spanish, I asked if they had Ruby Woo (it was near impossible to get to it back home). I just wanted to try on this most-buzzed-about red lipstick, to see what the big deal is. The moment I looked at myself with that shade and texture, and even though the washed-out orange, sporty top I was wearing did not, by any means, do Ruby Woo a favor, I was taken aback instantly and remained hypnotized; "do I really look like this? OMG, look at me with this...and the only color I have on my face are my dark under-eye circles. And I still look like this?" I think the lipstick cost about $23, and I gave my last bucks right there, on the spot. Happily. Because, at that moment, I knew that there was nothing I'd want or need more en route to home. That is what we want from lipstick.

To see that immediate, dramatic, and utterly flattering difference brought on by just one product. Lipstick is a proverbial weapon for a reason, we come to realize.

We may reach for a go-with-all-outfits, dependable shade on most rushed days, but it would be a shame not to experience our own self in this, almost awakening, way. And speaking of exploring the self and lipsticks, it's not all about the color. In order to really get a clear picture of what suits your cold or warm undertones, your specific lip shape, hair color at the time, and bone structure, you would need to try multiple options, because often it's the texture of the lipstick that can make us go either ew or wow. To help you navigate all the choice options, we rounded up lipsticks that will provide you with excellent performance in your lip color adventures; because sometimes the shade seems right, but that sheen is making you look bad; perhaps a different finish will make all the difference, and perhaps you will discover that your face adores cool, offbeat lilac tones. Whichever lipstick you opt for here, this National Lipstick Day gift yourself the adventure of a new lip style — even if it's just for 1 day.

Image via Beauty Agent Studio/Getty

SEE NEXT PAGE: MOB Cream Lipstick in M9, Refill, $22

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