Road Testing 12 Different Shades of Orange Lipstick in Search of the Best
I’d say, on average, I wear bold lip color once a week, but apparently my brain processes that fact as “I need 28 orange lipsticks.” Indeed, at last count I had 28 shades from YSL and MAC to Wet n Wild. And while they might look exactly the same to the uneducated beauty consumer, I’m willing to wager most of you reading this would see clear differences with the majority. Or, maybe that’s me justifying the fact I have a bit of a hoarding problem.
As for the best orange lipstick, though, I’m still very much undecided. My eye is typically drawn to the super-saturated, neon tangerine colors I so often see on the runway (most memorably at Rag & Bone Spring 2014’s show, a beauty moment still referenced today) and the bold, sunny shade J.Crew made famous, although I’ll never kick a bright-red-leaning orange out of my makeup bag, either.
The fact is, there’s a lot written about finding the most flattering orange for your skin tone, but I’ve found that most are more versatile than you’d expect so long as you look for shades that aren’t too brown to blue undertone-wise, which can make most of us look sallow, no matter what our complexion.
Then there’s the issue of longevity—if I’m going orange, I’m going big. Meaning, I’m looking for the shade that not only says “hey world, I’m wearing lipstick today!” but one that stays put from my morning iced coffee to my evening glass of wine (if it can last through a couple slices of pizza too, I know she’s a keeper.)
In the name of VIR (Very Important Research), I’ve spotlighted 12 shades of orange lipstick, from muted coral to juicy tangerine—both new and classic—and added color swatches and the scoop on how long they last.
Go, spring!
