Updated: Oct 14
The Return of the Dramatic Lip
Lipstick is back
We Need to Talk: Lipstick Is Back
After years of lip oils, tinted balms and barely-there stains, actual lipstick is starting to look cool again.
For the last few years, lips have stayed relatively neutral: liner, gloss, maybe a sheer tint. Lip oils took over, balms got shinier, and cool-toned neutrals became the default. Meanwhile, traditional lipstick disappeared from daily rotation, and brighter shades sort of faded out, pun intended.
That seems to be changing.
Allure recently reported on the return of bold, pigmented lipstick, pointing to recent deep reds, berries, and more opaque finishes showing up on celebrities and runways. The numbers support it too: searches for matte lipstick, red lipstick, and bold lipstick are climbing, while Pinterest searches for “bold lip combo” have also jumped significantly. (allure.com)
We might finally be ready for makeup to look like makeup again
On the heels of fashion week, where we saw smoky eyes, tousled hair and bolder color combinations, lipstick feels like part of a much bigger return to visible makeup.
After several years of dewy skin, sheer color and makeup designed to look almost invisible, beauty is moving toward something more deliberate. Stronger eyes, more obvious blush, shimmer and richer lip colors all point in the same direction.
A deeper or more opaque lipstick fits naturally into that shift. And thankfully, that does not mean bringing back the ultra-dry matte lip of 2016.
The new lipstick is softer
This time around, lipstick is less rigid and much easier to wear.
Think blurred edges, layered liner, velvet and demi-matte finishes, and formulas with more dimension than the flat liquid lipsticks of the last major lipstick cycle.
A deep berry can work with very little else on the face. Red can be pressed on and softened instead of perfectly outlined. Liner can completely change the tone.
It feels more personal, more flexible, and much less prescriptive.
It’s already showing up everywhere
Victoria Beckham Beauty recently introduced six demi-matte reds, MAC is bringing back its Frost lipstick line, and the Spring 2027 runways were full of stronger lip looks. At this point, it looks less like an isolated red-carpet moment and more like a genuine return to color.
The lip oils are not going anywhere. Neither are the glosses or tinted balms. But after years of barely-there makeup, there is something refreshing about wearing a lip color because you actually want it to show.
If you’re ready to put lipstick back into rotation, these are the ones currently on our list.
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