I've never been a huge lipstick wearer until recently when a friend started selling Lipsense and talked me into trying it. It really does last all day for me and doesn't come off on anything. Before this I just stuck to clear lip balms because many lipsticks made my lips feel dry and I hate dry lips. I have always had a problem finding a good shade because they tend to turn brighter on me than I like so I have to go with more brown/neutral shades.

I haven't worn it in years.

When I did, I used to apply a conditioner regularly to my lips to keep lines at bay. Also, I needed to put down a lip foundation to keep the color from running, and use lip liner so the lipstick stays in the lines.

Everything I used was from the Clinique counter, but I'm guessing they have all new stuff now.

Lipstick is one of those areas where having an idea of your 'seasonal colour family' is very handy- in terms of knowing where to start.
If you want to experiment without too much outlay, I'd suggest buying a lip drape, or just lots of samples, from https://www.eleablake.com/ The advantage of this is that you can see the colours on you in natural light (not weird store lighting). I have very sensitive skin, generally, and I find the elea blake products generally don't create problems. Their lipsticks are heavily pigmented, so generally I use them as a light stain (ie just lightly dabbed on and then put some lip balm on top, don't swipe unless you want lots of colour). I found this tutorial great in terms of experimenting with different application techniques https://youtu.be/7OCes9Eubxs

I am always searching for a lipstick without lipstick smell. Chanel used to be good, I have not bought it lately.
What I wear now is mostly Mineral Fusion. I have some matte ones but I prefer sheers over a thin layer of cocoa butter.

Lots of info here. Thanks for responding to this thread. I like Lisap's idea of using a pencil to line the cupid's bow and middle of the lower lip. My upper lipline is soft and just disappears. I like the idea of a balm under for smooth application, but would the colour slip?

24 different brands were mentioned, however 5 were mentioned 5 times or more!

Bobbi Brown
Revlon
Clinique
With Burt's Bees and Chanel tied

ACK! Just lost a lengthy message. Let me try this again.

I'm a makeup minimalist because I'm lazy, but I love lipstick, and it's the one bit of makeup I pretty much always wear, even around the house. The only thing I wear more of is Chapstick, which I reapply constantly throughout the day, always wear underneath my lipstick, and often over it.

Of the short list above, I quite like and wear Bobbi Brown lipsticks—and I'm a big fan of her chubby Art Sticks, which are highly pigmented, unscented, and come in a nice, if limited, array of colors, but they are not as creamy as I had hoped—and Revlon, which is good basic drugstore line with lots of options. Chanel lipsticks are beautiful, but they are highly scented, so I cannot wear them. I also wear Mac lipsticks, but do find them drying, even the creamier versions. But it's hard to beat Mac's colors. I also like Nars lipsticks, but am less enthused about the color palette. I used to be a huge fan of Dior lipsticks; they had a great slip factor and beautiful colors, but they retired too many of my favorite colors, and I got peeved and strayed from the line. I should check them out again. When it comes to other drugstore brands, by far and away the best I've found (my requirements are well-pigmented lippies with a creamy formula that isn't too thick or sticky feeling) is Sonia Kashuk brand lipsticks. Her makeup line was sold at Target, but I don't believe Target sells it anymore, only her line of makeup brushes. Sob! Rimmel also used to do a nice line of lipsticks, but I have not revisited that brand in a few years, so I don't have any up-to-date intel. Happy hunting!

I forget to add that a couple of my winter favorites are the BB Art Stick in Cassis, which is a lovely cranberry red on me, and Mac's Brick-o-la, which is a brighter red with some pink to it. Very pretty, and can look very different depending on what lipliner I use. For spring and summer I head more to the warmer nudes and orange-y shades. I'm itching to try the Art Stick in Sunset Orange.

I’ve had great luck with the beauty stylist at Nordstrom. I tell them what I’m looking for-red, or my lip color but better, or a change, or something to wear with a certain color, and my budget. They can pull from the entire department, not just one brand. I knew instantly that the most recent pick was perfect. Other times I wear it while I shop and keep glancing at the mirror. Then I decide to purchase.

Brands: Bobbi Brown has good colors, but I find them hard to suit to my skin tone. For me it's Chanel, Chanel, Chanel. I love everything about their lipsticks. If you order directly from Chanel, your lipstick will come beautifully packed, and with a couple of extra goodies. I know it's expensive, but if you feel like pampering yourself, it's worth it.
As for thin lips (I've got them, too, only it's my lower lip that fades away) I would try using two shades of lipstick for depth and the illusion of volume. A lip brush helps, if you don't mind taking the time. (It's especially good for defining the upper lip.) Apply one coat of the lighter shade of lipstick to your entire mouth, then apply a slightly deeper shade with the lip brush, along the upper edge of the upper lip, and the center bottom edge of your lower lip. Blend in gently with the tip of your pinky. If using a second lipstick feels like too much, a lip pencil in a slightly darker neutral tone will work. Just a touch of gloss in the middle of the lower lip adds fullness, too. When choosing lipcolors, you'll know you've found the right one when it makes your skin look brighter and your teeth look whiter.

I’m a fan of NARS. I like Tolede for a my-lips-but-better shade, and Pigalle for deeper color.

I'm a makeup minimalist but lipstick is my jam. Lipsticks look different on everyone, but here are some of my faves for my light-to-light-medium Asian skintone, pigmented lips:

NARS Pigalle -- most nude lipsticks are too light for me and make me look corpse-y. Pigalle is deep enough not to. It's a plummy-pinkish brown that's a great neutral on me.

NARS Gipsy -- a sheer, warm-undertoned rosy red berry. It's an MLBB (my lips but better) color on me.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in Rouge Vie -- a gorgeous muted warm red with pink and brown undertones.

Lancome Lip Lover in 338 Rose des Cygne -- a gloss/lipstick hybrid; color is an opaque dusky plum rose that's very natural and MLBB.

Yves Saint Laurent Vinyl Cream Lip Stain in 407 Carmin Session -- another gloss/lipstick hybrid; color is a browned reddish rose that's a good neutral on me. I'm not a fan of its strong scent, though. (The Chanel and Lancome lippies I listed here have scent too, though not as strong as the YSL.)

Carla, I apply the CeraVa lotion to my lips and let it sink in for awhile. I do my eye makeup and other stuff. The last thing I do is lipstick. By that time the lotion has been absorbed and the lip pencil goes on easily but does not slide off. I do have to reapply lipstick throughout the day but I always have to do that. My lips must absorb lipstick more than most people.

I have thin lips too. For me, I have found that they look best in lighter colors and MLBB as opposed to dark colors. Sheers and glossy finishes look best.

When I do wear dark lipstick, I take pains to apply it well, because my skin is very pale, and the lipstick is very high contrast with my skin. I use the following technique, which I think I learned from some Lisa Eldridge videos:

I exfoliate my lips to start (I use EcoLips, but anything similar will do), and then I apply a bit of lip balm and let it sink in while I start the makeup for the rest of my face. When it's time to do the lips, I wipe off any excess lip balm and then prime with Urban Decay Ozone. I then put on a very thin coat of lipstick (it can be kind of messy) and then use a lip pencil to clean up the edges and to overline my lips a bit (my upper lip is thinner than my bottom one). I blot and then apply a second thin layer, usually with a lip brush. I then blot again, this time putting some translucent powder through the tissue (I use only one ply of the tissue). I then apply one last coat of lipstick to finish.

I rub my lips together quite a bit during the process to really work the lip color in.

I find dark lipstick a lot of work to apply well (as noted!). I think that liquid lipsticks are easier if you want to wear dark lipstick, because the edges are cleaner and the liquid lipsticks usually don't fade or bleed as much. The downside is that they are generally pretty drying.

For liquid lipsticks, the ones I like the most are from Stila, Anastasia, and Too Faced. For regular lipsticks, I like Urban Decay best. If you want to try a matte, Urban Decay has something called Comfort Matte that isn't so drying.

I would highly recommend going to some kind of larger makeup store, or the makeup department of a higher-end department store, and have the staff make recommendations for you. Most of my favorite colors were purchased because a consultant recommended something; I would never have found them myself. I also try to go to a store that has an abundance of natural light so that I can see right away the true color of the lipstick on my face.

Nars and more Nars. Dolce Vita velvet pencil is my favorite lately. However, I also really like the long wear YSL glosses.

I put on lip balm with spf first, then lipstick. I used to only use Clinique because it didn’t have any perfumes, but now I just buy lipstick at CVS. The lip balm I use turns my lips white and freaks people out!

I"m a lipgloss junkie and have a large assortment of nude-ish colors. I love buxom (but you have to like the minty tingly sensation) not too sticky. I got a sample of Bobbi Brown luxe lipstick that feels amazing on and lasts long. I also like Elizabeth Arden for lipstick and mac lipglass. It's a pretty personal thing and I often buy based on reviews only to be disappointed so you really need to try try try. Nordstrom has mac in minis for a lower investment.

My two MLBB colors right now are Revlon Pink Truffle and Urban Decay Sheer Beso. But recently I've gotten into the Maybelline Superstay Matte Inks - I don't usually like liquid lipstick because it's so drying but this formula is pretty comfy. #15 is a nice medium pink.

I just got two lipsticks from Mineral Fusion and after reading some of the comments I came to realize that I should have stuck with sheer lipstick
Now I will have to layer a sheer over them.

The last few years I had been wearing Tarte products. But when visiting my daughter she introduced me to the “Mineral Fusion” line. Because we both are highly sensitive we have very few product lines that don’t set us off. This Mineral Fusion has great EWG rating/ cruelty free which is fantastic . I bought the BB cream and blackberry lip color. Lips felt great and it had more lasting power than Tarte. Went back and bought the vine color. Sometimes reasonably priced products can be safe (EWG) and work great.

I prefer to wear the long-lasting lipcolors that come with a separate gloss or moisturizer to wear over the top. Except instead of that, I wear lipstick over the top! That makes is such that even when the lipstick wears off (as it invariably does), there will still be the colour I want underneath, except it looks like its natural. So I choose the underneath color that is as close to my natural lip color as possible, just slightly more intense, and then I like to wear sheerer colors over the top.

"Natural" colors are very tricky for me, though, as I can go slightly darker or more intense, but when it happens to be slightly lighter, it looks awful and fake to me. So I've had plenty of lipsticks I thought would work and then end up in the bin instead. I am currently using a long-lasting lip color with L'Oreal balm in color 219 over the top. The "balm" is more like a lipstick, but with a really nice creamy texture - not too sticky, not too dry.

I have picky skin and super picky lips. I like the lip crayons from Mineral Fusion -- EWG rated and fairly easy to find at co-ops, Whole Foods, etc.

My fav colour for my lips is a "nude berry" crayon from 100% Pure (another good source for natural cosmetics), but sadly it's been discontinued. I'm on a quest for something similar. In any WIW's where my lip colour is noticeable, that's probably what I'm wearing.

La P what is EWG?

EWG is the website for the Environmental Working Group.. Their “skin deep” section rates all kinds of products according to ingredients and how “hazardous “ they are to your health. A wonderful website for folks like me that can’t wear most stuff found at Sephora Ulta or fine stores. Google EWG and it comes right up- look for skin deep section and use search bar. They rate products/ ingredients green like Mineral Fusion plus numerical 1 being real good to 6+ for toxic. Site is great for USA folks since we are FAR behind Europe in banning carcinogenics etc ( won’t get into diatribe about health, consumer safety, regulations oversight or lobbyists) check it out- it can be an eye opener

LaP hope you don’t mind me answering Jenni since 1 - I am unfortunately awake and 2- I had mentioned EWG and Mineral Fusion in my post also.

This past year, I have been loving Bite Beauty's Amuse Bouche lipsticks, especially in the brightest shades (Kimchi, Gaspacho, Radish, Cotton Candy). I am a high-contrast girl all the way, even with my aging lips. I believe their ingredients are all edible. They last, are highly pigmented, and, surprisingly, are not at all drying. Unfortunately for the MLBB fans, Cava (which I think may be their most popular "natural" shade) is lavendar-gray and produces a corpse-like effect on my pale skin. Fig is pretty good, though.

I wear lippy all the time! I used to wear only Estee Lauder and/or Clinique but I've discovered in recent years I like L'Oreal just as much. My favorites are L'Oreal Colour Riche "Blazing Lava" and "Peony Pink." I also like Maybelline Color Sensational "Pink Wink" for a slightly deeper pink.

On the rare occasion I want an "almost nude" lip, Estee Lauder Pure Color "Sugar Honey" is a nice one for my skintone.

I like a little shine and it can't have a weird smell. These all fit those specs.

My current favorites are Dior and Clinique. My problem is I don’t have a habit to reapply the lipstick through out the day. I put it on in the morning and it is usually gone with my first coffee break.

So - what's the verdict? I'm dying to know what you've bought and tried!

Lisap, I'm interested in the Bobbi Brown lip pencil and lippies from Bobby Brown, Revlon, and Burt's Bees. (My current products are Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry that I gloss over with Cover Girl Smoothwear Liptint in Barely Berry. I also have a Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie).

I'm going to visit some make-up counters and put my face in the hands of the good women there under the auspices of spring makeover time.

Great! Good luck