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A colorful lip is the perfect excuse to skip mascara and accessories. It can be a hands-free step in your makeup routine (simply swipe and go), or it can involve lots of artistic painting and brushing and blending (@ ombre lips). Choose your own adventure!
But whatever your a.m. getting ready time looks like, college women agree that a done-up lip is the final — crucial — key to elevate any look. There are hundreds of lipsticks, stains and glosses to choose from, so our community has handpicked the very best. Read on for the lippies your fellow students loved most in 2020.
Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation
Clinque, ulta.com, $20; shop now
We estimate that the average woman has at least 10 shades of similar brown lipstick rolling around in her makeup drawer. Instead of ordering the same identical tubes over and over, let us introduce you to the only one you need in your “keep” pile. Clinique nailed the neutral palette here, and while every shade is gorg, we love “Closer,” which is a medium deep brown that’s silky as heck.
Matte Revolution Lipstick – Pillow Talk Collection
Charlotte Tilbury, sephora.com, $34; shop now
The best lipstick is one that can bring out the pink in your natural lip color, and this nude-pink can do just that. It’s comfortable to wear, and it creates a cute hint-of-color moment perfect for a day of Zoom class or your online internship.
Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick
Fenty Beauty, sephora.com, $18; shop now
The look is matte, but the feel is creamy. It clings to your lips, but bleeds off onto straws, spoons and bites of food in the cutest way. This red has incredible contradictions! And so it makes sense that — like all other Fenty products — this lipstick has a cult following. While the “Royal Red” shade is truly standout, we also love the greens, blues and rainbow of other color options.
Luxe Lipstick
Bobbi Brown, sephora.com, $38; shop now
Purple lipstick always gives off the most envious summer goth vibe. Bobbi Brown’s “Plum Brandy” shade, however, is all-season appropriate, and the pigment level is sublime. The formula goes on nice and creamy with a slight shimmer, and it’s thick — so you don’t need to revisit spots to get an even opacity.
Powermatte Lip Pigment
Nars, sephora.com, $26; shop now
Let your lips be their best selves wearing this “Light My Fire” vivid orange red. This is a liquid lipstick with a matte finish, but it goes on like the smooth glide of a lip balm. The best part is the doe-foot applicator, which makes the formula easy to apply, even if you’re bad at coloring in the lines.
Lip Whip
Beauty Bakerie, beautybakerie.com, $20; shop now
Our favorite matte lip of the year is one that won’t look flaky, even on a winter pout. Really! But the main reason this guy sells out so often is because the color sits unfazed no matter what smudgy foods (like ice cream and coffee) pass through your lips.
Outburst Longwear Lip Stain
Bite Beauty, sephora.com, $24; shop now
This lip stain is so long-wearing, it’s more like a gel manicure for your lips. You can layer as much or as little of it, depending on the impact you want, and even just lightly dotting it on will leave you with impressive pigment. All the shades are so playful, it’s the bright cherry on top of your makeup look.
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
Fenty Beauty, sephora.com, $19; shop now
Our stance is that the right gloss can keep your lips feeling nourished more than lip balm. That’s why this tube is the key to dewy lips, by way of gloss. It applies a shine that refreshes your entire face, and the the color range looks gorgeous on different skin tones.
Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss
Buxom, sephora.com, $21; shop now
This lip gloss is more like a lip ganache because it goes on so frosty and glassy. The wow-factor in this unique formula is the plumping power, especially if you need some help in the lip department. It makes your lips tingly and cool, and with a heavy dose of high shine.
RIP Lip Liner
Haus Labratories, hauslabs.com, $16; shop now
This lip liner will bring your world to a standstill. We were of the opinion that liners were “meh,” but Haus Labs by Lady Gaga has created one that’s richly colored and long-lasting. It adds something to your overall lip look that you can’t live without, pinky promise.