This thread has been so validating. I recently ventured into the world of lip color and I would say my success rate is 30% at best. Meaning I actually have worn 30% out of the house - I am far away from ever using up a lip color.

Gigi - by muted tone in lipstick I mean more of an opaque light or dark mauve -- something that gives a level of darkness or lightness, but doesn't have a lot of color saturation. I set that with a very light powder, then I use surface lip glosses that are brighter reds or pinks or whatever which tint the lips, but don't make them darker or lighter, just add transparent color.

(For example in one Renaissance oil painting technique, you can first paint in sepia tones or grays, like you were creating a black and white photograph of a scene, and then add transparent glosses of color on top when the under-painting is dry).

Interesting, Rabbit. I've done similar in my younger days. Now in my older (fading lips) days, I'm doing the reverse: I put on a saturated dark shade first, one of those 8-12 hour long lasting shades, blot liberally and immediately, so that all that is left is pretty much a stain. Then coat with chapstick, not powder (because aging dry lips). Wear that to commute to work or wherever I may be going. Then right before I arrive, touch up with a lighter shade over it, but not a gloss. Reapply as needed throughout the day. Apply chapstick again if lips feel dry. May tweak with alternate shade I have brought along with me. Carrying 2-3 multiple shades helps, since I never know quite what kind of lighting I will be in - office fluorescents, outdoors, indoors, etc. The initial base is always there, since it's a long lasting formulation, just not as dark and dramatic as when I first slick it on.

I have trouble with very dark burgundies. But the reds, oranges, and bright pinks I seem to do ok with. I'm more disappointed in formulations over the colors. Eg, Armani, is not worth the price, nor Tom Ford.

anna, have you tried rimmel from cvs? great reds 01 and 11, moisturizing, lasts 4 hours min.

I play it safe with shades of nude, rose and red for my lips and toe nails, black mascara and a smokey grey eye if wearing shadow. Predictable I know, but these colours suit me. Makeup in orange, browns and purples have always looked wrong on me and I pass those by.

I'm at about 60% for lip color and I also layer them a lot. I've even smushed up different tubes into a pot with a little chapstick for my own personal blend. You can also tone down colors by putting on chapstick first and then putting on lipstick, it makes the color more sheer.

I'd be curious to find out what are the successes you ladies have found after the multitude of not-quites.

My my-lips-but-better colour is MAC Brave (Twig works for me, too)
My favourite berry lipstick is L'Oreal Colour Riche in 590 (Blushing Berry)
Still working on a favourite red, but the next one I want to try is MAC - Ruby Woo (I hear the blue undertones work well for a lot of people that struggle to find a flattering red).

Blush is interesting, too. I thought I had a handle on it until a lady at my local MAC store talked me into trying what looked like a strange neon peach in the compact; it looked very natural and pretty on my face. Much better than what I had been wearing.

With department store lipsticks I'd say it's at least 80%. However I persist in this fantasy that I can do just as well in the drugstore. So I'll find a new formulation and one by one buy maybe 4 of them, none of which end of working. Since they cost $7 to $10 at the drugstore of course I would have done better at the department store!

I'm having good luck at the department store by telling the SA "I'm looking for a brownish burgundy" or whatever. This helps them a lot and then they find things I wouldn't have.

Another thing I tried the other day with some success was to scrape off a little bit of a pressed blush that I like into my palm, and then I mixed it with some clear lip gloss. I then applied that to my lips. The color was exactly what I wanted, although it wore off pretty quickly.

You said "I can't make nudes work either! They just make my lips blend in with my face. Maybe I've got the wrong shape lips for nude." It's most likely not the shape of your lips but your coloring. You may need much more contrast than the nude lip provides. I'm in the same boat; as a Bright Winter I need a lot of contrast.

I tend to wear the same colors all the time but on the rare occasion when I want to experiment, I try lip colors recommended from Bright Winters to ensure a reasonable rate of success. My daily lipstick is Covergirl Soulmate, which would look garishly bright on many women but with my coloring, it just looks normal.

Just adding another thought on this: another reason I stick with drugstore brands is that I seem to have a MUCH higher rate of allergic reaction to department store brands. They may look perfectly lovely but then my lips get a nasty reaction -- to what I can only imagine is the pigment? I dunno -- and I have to toss it out.

Anyone else have that problem?

Lipsticks are hit or miss for me as well. In the past I've melted down lipsticks that aren't quite right and mixed them into new colors. I've had great success with that method.

I have actually been doing a bit of a lipstick experiment this week. I've been trying to determine whether I am warm or cool complected (why is it so hard to tell?). Someone posted to this link in a previous YLF thread and I thought it was really interesting. http://www.truth-is-beauty.com.....e-you.html It's sort of method for determining your season by trying out lipsticks. I bought a few drugstore lippies and was shocked at the results. I've always assumed warm colors work for me, but the difference between the warm and cool colors on my skin spoke volumes.

This is a similar idea that I think would be fun to buy one of these and try out with a few friends and a bottle of wine. http://www.eleablake.com/store.....it/dp/2451

I also found this interesting product for toning down colors: http://www.eleablake.com/store.....sk/dp/3017 I haven't tried it, but it seems interesting.

Obviously I've spent more than my fair share of time thinking about this topic this week.

I don't have great luck with with lipcolor--- I'm neutral leaning to warm and I need something in that spectrum, esp. with "natural shades". Basically, I need a rose color that won't go grey or too pink on me. Most shades like that end up looking a little frosted or fake on my lips, but corals are too orange. I look good lots of other lip colors but they are too much for my life. I have big lips, the SO would die if I got lipstick on him (and he is one that doesn't like to leave the house without a smooch on the temple), and I can't wear it to work. Maybe a stain? Sometimes I would like to emphasize my pout.

As far as other makeup goes, I used to do really well with it. Recently every shade I try really closes in my eyes and they don't make my favorites anymore. I really hate paying Sephora prices for blush and eyeshadow type stuff though.

I maybe wear 25% or 30% of what I buy in lip color. Eye color, no problem. I buy it and wear it just fine. Lip color is fraught for me. Like Anna, I have trouble with formulations as much as color. I got what I thought was the ideal color several months ago, and the formula is very drying. I love a nice red color, but they are really hard to get right. A red may look good with my coloring and yet make my teeth look green! (My teeth have been discolored all my life, and nothing short of veneer can fix it.)

My mother never got into lipstick because of the tetracycline staining problem.

I meddled a lot with drugstore products when I was younger so I know what works quite well now; also, I read plenty of reliable on line reviews before buying anything (almost only high end stuff now, but hey, makeup is my only splurging area!). I think this makes me very accurate, I must be at 90 percent at least because I wear everything I have except for a few items that were gifts: a copper-y eyeshadow trio that a friend gave me because she wanted me to wear copper, and the goth lipsticks my hubby got me

Oh my. I am so sorry. I started a thread and then had a frenetic week and didn't check back! And there are a ton of thoughtful replies. I'm now resurrecting this thread off of page 5, ack. So I will reply in general rather than individually, if that's ok, since I have to dash off to a soccer game soon.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who had mixed success with new colours! One thing I didn't know: that you can return a used colour the next day to the makeup counter. I think I'd feel bad doing this, though. They would have to throw it away. It's not like returning a sweater.

Many of you suggested improving lip colours by mixing them. Yes, I do this -- sometimes deliberately, and sometimes even by accident, because I put on lipstick in the morning and don't necessarily have the same colour in my pocket or handbag later that day!

Some people mentioned putting lip balm on to soften colour. I agree, it does. I always, always put on Vaseline before applying lipstick, or my lips dry out. I am a Vaseline junkie. It's more intractable addiction than heroin. However, I have discovered a number of formulations that stay on for longer and are much less drying than others. It can vary by colour, even within the same brand. Chanel makes some nice bright reds that go on smoothly; Estee Lauder has an excellent dark purple that doesn't clump (a common problem with dark shades); and Clinique Chubby Sticks Intense give almost as much colour as real lipstick, but seem to last longer.

Anyway, thanks so much for your helpful replies! Off to put on my lipstick now.

If you like Vaseline, try their lip balm that comes in a mini Vaseline tub--- it is like the best of both worlds, good 'ol petroleum based V. to seal in moisture and seal out wind to repair chapping and keep it from happening and natural butters/oils that soak in (my fav. is the cocoa butter formula, but I think they have a Vitamin E, and one other). I'm a frequent if not daily user and the little tub lasts me a year.

Thanks for the tip, Elly, although I have actually tried those little Vaseline lip balm tubs and they ultimately make my lips more dry, not less! (Plus I'm very picky about fragrance -- I tossed out the cocoa butter one two seconds after opening it because I found the smell repellent!) Any lip balm, even those with "natural oils", seems to reduce my skin's ability to produce its own oil. The only thing that doesn't seem to do this is straight-up, old-fashioned petroleum jelly. Go figure.

Black mascara, pink blush and nude lipgloss/lipstick always works for me. I never use eyeliner or eye shadow - like to keep is simple

Another lippie going back to CVS. I think I'll keep the Lipstick Queen lippie I ordered since I feel so embarrassed about returning so many and the texture and lack of smell is so nice. I really hate bright lipstick but want something on the dark side that's not rusty or orange, and I'm finding it a hard combo to find. My current favorite is Vincent Longo's Vanguard -- which says nothing to describe the color. I think my lipstick success rate is under 10%.