Hello, all! I'm Cat, the blog manager for Doshi. I'm normally behind the scenes, organizing interesting content for you all from a range of sources, but today, we're trying something a little different and a little less formal.
I've been wearing makeup since I was in my teens. I'm always keen to discover fun, pretty, and effective products that are also good for the environment, and this is never more true than with my liquid lipstick collection. What can I say? I love a good lipstick in a soft shade that gives me solid coverage with minimal application and stays in place when I need it to.
So, here are three of my picks for excellent liquid lipsticks from some excellent vegan brands in the industry.
Liquid Lipstick: What to Consider
When choosing a lipstick for myself, I consider four main factors: formula, finish, longevity, and ethics.
- Formula. I am very particular about the feel of a lipstick as I apply it and wear it throughout the day. For example, I am not a huge fan of sticky and tacky formulas, as they tend to transfer very easily and generally have a poor feel for long-term wear. Additionally, a formula with low pigment content can mean an undersaturated final look, which somewhat defeats the point of wearing a lipstick; if I wanted light coverage, I'd wear lipgloss.
- Finish. The finish of a lipstick can affect when and where you wear it. For me, matte lipsticks are my go-to; I love the velvety finish and feel it looks better on me than a high-gloss shine.
- Longevity. There's nothing wrong with a lipstick having a shorter wear time; it simply means you'll have to reapply more often, which may mean running through your lipstick faster and having to repurchase more often. I enjoy long-wearing lipsticks that stay on my lips even through meals, as I find reapplication inconvenient.
- Ethics. It goes almost without saying that ethical standards for the brands you use are one of the most important deciding factors for purchasing. While I myself am not vegan, I am opposed to animal testing for cosmetics, and therefore try to find cruelty-free options as often as I can.
These are, of course, personal preferences; you may enjoy different kinds of makeup, and that's okay! I just wanted you to have a clear and thorough understanding of what went into my decisions for purchasing each of these products.
Cat's Vegan Liquid Lipstick Reviews
I tried three of the top liquid lipsticks from popular vegan cosmetics companies. Here's what I thought of them.
Gloria from Unearthly Cosmetics
I was recommended Unearthly Cosmetics by a good friend of mine for their interesting, punk/alt aesthetic, and I couldn't be happier with my first experience with them. The website is interesting, with contrasting black and neon or shimmery graphics and fun product design that carry over to the actual packaging of the product itself. I loved the sparkling cap and rich coloration of the tube itself. As an added bonus, checkout was simple and shipping was fast.
For this review, I chose their Satin Liquid Lipstick in the shade Gloria. It was $15 and honestly, well worth the price. I was incredibly impressed by the smooth glide formula and the deep matte finish. The product is highly pigmented and goes on in exactly the shade you can see in the images on the website, which is a massive bonus.
I think this lipstick might be my favorite from the three that I tried for the sheer aesthetic value of it. Not only is the branding beautiful, but the lipstick itself is a shade I can see myself wearing frequently. It's dark enough to be interesting without being solely an evening color and it goes well with gold or silver accessories, which is always nice.
Cake Pop from Tarte
Tarte is one of the most well-known brands in the makeup industry at the moment, and for good reason; their cruelty-free makeup is used by influencers and celebrities all over the world and comes highly recommended by professional makeup artists. As such, I thought it would be only appropriate to include it in this lineup.
For this review, I used their Sugar Coat Velvet Liquid Lipstick in the shade Cake Pop. It was $18 through Ulta. Again, I can't say I'm at all upset with the price point for this lipstick; it's a popular name brand, but it's also extremely high quality in every way, from the packaging in a matte-finish bottle that matches the shade of the product inside to the product itself, which is a buttery-smooth matte finish. The pigmentation is insane; I was able to get almost complete coverage in a single swipe! The color is beautiful and vibrant, if quite a bit lighter than displayed in the photos.
I wore Cake Pop all day - a full workday, doing errands, and looking after my young son - and it lasted beautifully through it all. I didn't have to reapply even after grabbing a coffee and eating lunch, which was perfect for me. I have no complaints about this product at all.
Magic Maker from Nyx
I've used Nyx products in the past with no problems, though largely for stage and SFX makeup. This brand is most commonly used by SFX artists, and is accessibly priced, which I like quite a lot. For this review, I used their Shine Loud Vegan High Shine Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Magic Maker. It was $12 through Ulta.
Now, don't get me wrong, the product looked beautiful. The color was exactly as presented on the website, the shine was pronounced even before the high-gloss top coat, and the packaging is simple and sleek. That being said, I did not like how this particular product felt; it was sticky and slid poorly on application (though that may have been because the applicator I received was bent out of shape).
I'm fairly certain this was a personal preference rather than a default with the product, so I can't say I'm upset with the cost of this one either. I won't be buying it again, but I don't think it's a bad product for the price point.
Conclusion
Choosing the right cosmetics for your look can be complicated; it took me years to find brands that I enjoyed that were both reliable and ethical. Too often, cosmetics and fashion brands focus entirely on the aesthetics of their products without worrying about their moral implications, so finding companies that put weight into both aspects of production is a rare treat.
If you're looking for ethical fashion products, I have to recommend my friends here at Doshi. Their unique lineup of vegan handbags, belts, wallets, and other accessories is full of sleek, classic design and high-quality construction that uses the best vegan leather alternatives on the market today. From Pintex, made from pineapple, and Kraft paper to high-quality vegan leather, Doshi's products are designed to look good and last long.
Plus, they have all the colors you might need to match your favorite lipstick. I'd say that's a win!
Bonus: if you'd like to add a face to the name and the content, hello!
