Once upon a time, I convinced myself that I would never look good in purple lipstick, and that I would never, ever want to wear it, ever. Somehow, I got it into my head that all purple lips did to people was make them look witchy. Well. Times have changed.
Here are various types of purples, some leaning more pink or red or blue than others, but all are—to me—purple, as far as colors go. (Don’t mind Sad Keanu in that clam shell… it looks gross, but it’s fine.)
Swatches, L-R: OCC Tip Tar in Lydia, NARS Audacious Lipstick in Dominique, Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Wonderchilde, ILIA Lipstick in Ink Pot, MAKE Matte Lipstick in Jakarta, OCC Lip Tar in Pagan, Shiro Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in Sad Keanu
The OCC Lip Tar in Lydia is like a gateway to purple. There’s enough pink in it to make it look “wearable.” Dominique is a pretty, almost-lavender shade that always intrigued me but never enough to buy (until now, ahem). Wonderchilde is beautiful and has a fun iridescence to it that sets it truly apart from all the lip colors I have, not just the purples. Ink Pot was what made me change my mind about purples, though it’s very close to being a pinkish berry shade, in danger of leaving purple territory. Jakarta leans quite red, but to me, it’s still pretty purple. Pagan is a really deep, really dark violet that reminds me of ballpen ink. Sad Keanu, described as a purple that scares little children, is a sheered out version of Pagan and also never fails to make me laugh.
And guess what? I’ve worn them all before!
First row: NARS Dominique, ILIA Ink Pot
Second row: Shiro Sad Keanu, OCC Pagan, OCC Lydia
Third row: Kat Von D Wonderchilde, MAKE Jakarta
Are you a fan of purples? What lipstick shade have you sworn never to wear but now you kind of want to try?
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Softly Sometimes 
that wonderchilde is just so cool!
Glad you think so, Zoë! I should muster up the courage to wear it outside.
I love purple! i actually have a penchant for purple-colored things. But I only have a few purple/plum lipsticks and only one is an out-there, in-your-face purple – Revlon Matte Balm in Shameless. But I want moooore! And that MAKE Matte Lipstick in Jakarta looks gorgeous!
I haven’t tried orange lipsticks and don’t think that I would look good in them, but now, I kinda want to give them a shot. Actually thinking about getting NARS Audacious in Jane.
I like really, really deep purples, yung vamp talaga pero I didn’t think I’d like bright, obvious purples. My sister wanted Shameless!! It’s so nice nga, but I don’t know if I can wear it myself. Jakarta is really, really pretty, so that’s a great choice. 🙂
I warmed up to orange once I actually tried it for myself 😀
I love purples! MAC Heroine and OCC Hoochie are two of my faves. Oh, and Technopagan! I also got Wonderchilde recently and am excited to debut it in public.
All of these look gorgeous on you! I especially want Dominique now.
I tried to get the Sephora/OCC mini collection (the latest one) but it wouldn’t let me check out. 😦 My sister got Technopagan and I agree, it’s so beautiful! I hope you like Wonderchilde on you. It’s a strange, strange formula, but the colors are nice enough to bother with the actual line.
Thank you so much! Dominique is such a great shade, I can’t even explain. I’m so happy I got it.
Gorgeous colours! 🙂
Thanks, Heidie!
I used to be afraid of purples too, then had a revelation last year, and more or less sported only lilacs and purples on my lips for autumn and winter.
LOVE all of them on you, especially OCC Pagan, I think I need me some of that asap!
Thank you! It’s so strange because I keep thinking, what was I so afraid of! Thank you so much. I love this dark shade so much, I’m willing to endure the fussiness of OCC Lip Tars, lol.
Of all the lipsticks I’ve seen you wear, I really do think that plums and plummy purples suit you best (not that I’m the supreme arbiter of flattering lipsticks or anything). I’ve been crazy about purple lipstick for years now, and I’m glad it’s becoming more mainstream! Also, both you and Xiao have posted about Lydia recently and I WANT IT. I suspect it may become my very first lip tar…
Thank you so much, hee hee. I got the fuzzies. 😀 I recently got the Lydia pencil, and I’m so excited! Lydia was one of the first two lip tars I got and I think it’s still the most flattering of all the ones I’ve got. 🙂
I love that you did this post. I love purple lipstick! This is a huge inspiration to me for a future blog post.
Thanks Gigi!
No problem 🙂
I love everything about purple and have a lot of purple lipsticks but that purple by NARS is going to bring over to light purple side
RIGHT? It’s so, so pretty.
wow you really suit purples!
Thank you, Grace! That’s very nice of you.
This is the same with me ! I always talk myself out of purples ,but these shades are gorgeous ! Love this post 🙂
Ha! Maybe it’s time to try one? 🙂 Thank you!
Dominique and Sad Keanu looks extra amazing!
I used to dislike orange based reds until I tried Clinique’s Red Red Red. Now I want to try the truer oranges. Ohoh and browns! I cannot escape the Kylie Jenner lip trend.
Thanks, Cel! Hahaha I tried the overdrawn lips the other day and just, no.
From all of the lipsticks in this post, I think MAKE’s Jakarta is what I love the most and would probably want to buy. Not only because of the color but because I like the name (the city I grew up in!).
I WAS about to buy Dominique but I realized I looked like a sick person so I opted for Viviene instead. My very first MAC lipstick was also supposed to be a purple one from the MAC Disney Villains Collection last 2010 but I put it down and opted for a nude one instead. I’ve always had a fascination for purple lipstick but they don’t seem to have a fascination with me 😦 sigh. Anyway, I’m still holding out on Pure Heroine, I hope I will at least look okay in that.
Wonderchild looks crazy! Whoa.
Oh, cool! 🙂 I’ve never been to Jakarta, just Bali. It’s a really lovely color, though.
I think purple’s a little trickier than other shades, so I understand your love-hate with it. I loved the look of Pure Heroine but it I had a lot of berry-type shades already, so I passed.
OCC Pagan is fierce!!! Another fave is Kat Von D Wonderchilde- so fun to wear! 😀
Thank you, Juvy! I agree 🙂
I love looking at purple lipstick, and on others they look awesome, I dunno it just doesn’t work for me 😦 *Sad face* Love the top left on you. Steph x
Thanks, Steph! x
Falls in love with Dominique. Looks up price. Dies. Reincarnates. Stares at price until blood vessels in eyes pop. Remembers Sephora gift card. Drools.
AHAHAHAHA I hope you were able to get it! It’s a beautiful shade, really.
Wow, just take a look at Pagan. Love x
🙂
I love me some purple lipsticks!
I wanted Dominique to look good on me because I thought I look good in all purple lipsticks, but the grey really makes me look dead.
I want to try Melt Cosmetics Starlight, it’s a bluish purple that I don’t have yet. Most of my purples are slightly pink or bright. I have a lavender one, too, but I usually just use it to mauve-ify my lipsticks.
Talaga? You know what’s funny? I’ve been having this weird, weird need for OCC’s Sebastian which is essentially a grey/taupe. I ended up using a pencil liner from Rimmel that I already had instead, cos I saw it was a dupe. I kinda really like it?
Oh wow, it’s so pretty!
Carina! I think it works well with your current hair length. 🙂 I bought my first purple shade fearlessly and I loved it! Although I like coral lipsticks above all.
Good for you! 🙂 I tend to favor mauves, plums, vamps. Thanks!