2021 Declutter Project | Lipstick Collection

I have way too many lipsticks that are expensive but the shades don’t spark joy, and a few carefully selected lipsticks that are always on my repurchase list. Because of how expensive some of the lipsticks are, I find it so hard to part ways with them; even when swatching some of them for this blog post, I found myself making excuses for colours that don’t suit me e.g. maybe I can pair it with a darker lip liner? maybe I can mix the shades together and make a custom lip colour? etc. But, I do really want to downsize and make room for shades and formulas that suit me from brands I’m currently interested in, so even though this will be hard I’ve got to be brutal. I’ll first run through the lipsticks / stains/ tints/ glosses I currently have in my collection then towards the end of the post I’ll split them into keep, discard and continue testing categories.

I’ll be sharing hand swatches and lip swatches along with a pic of my lips with no makeup on so you can see my natural lip colour and how each product looks on my lips/ against my skin tone once applied.

Lipsticks

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Finish 07 Nude-ist

This is a neutral toned deep dusty pink with a brown nude darkness to it when applied thick and matte, however when I apply a lip balm under it the texture is a lot smoother and it’s more of a wearable everyday light dusty rose shade. I wore this very sheer in my My Go-To Winter Makeup post, but it definitely can be a lot darker and enough to make a statement. Personally I prefer using this with a balm underneath so that my lips don’t feel dry or look too matte. It’s supposed to be matte but I honestly just got it for the shade. I don’t like how messy the applicator and tube gets over time and I’d love to find the same colour in a bullet lipstick but so far I haven’t been able to find a true match. I know bourjois do a bullet version but it looks a little different on my lips compared to this velvet liquid lip. For now, I’ll be discarding it as it’s old and almost finished, but if I don’t find a similar shade elsewhere then I would consider repurchasing it.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Finish 08 Grand Cru

This is a deep vampy wine red that actually looks a lot darker on my lips than the picture above is showing. I found that this shade applies quite patchy on the lips and require several coats to build up the colour evenly. I think it works well as a blotted lip shade without lip balm underneath but can feel a tad dry. I love the colour for autumn/ winter but I’ll be discarding because of how patchy it applies and also because it is old and I have other reds in my collection I can use.

Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips in Sexy Lips

I love this lipstick! It’s a warm peachy nude with a hint of brown and applies like a creamy balm on the lips. I think the swatches above don’t really do it justice but this is a very flattering shade I could wear everyday. The only thing stopping me from using this daily is the price as Charlotte Tilbury products are pretty expensive, and considering how creamy and balmy this is I’m sure it would melt down with the warmth of my lips and finish very quickly. That being said it’s still definitely on my repurchase list. when it finishes.

Dior Rouge Dior 941 Rouge Cannage

This is actually my sisters and a definite keep although the shade is now discontinued. It’s a beautiful warm red with a hint of blue and a hint of rust but in a good way. It has a creamy, satin finish that feels smooth and moisturising. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite red lippy, but it’s nice to have a Dior red even if it’s not the well known 999 Iconic Red shade. I guess when this finishes one day or if my sister takes it back to Korea with her I might look into that iconic red shade instead in the same satin finish as this Rouge Cannage shade.

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick 09 Mango Cream

I got this mini lipstick as part of a limited edition Elizabeth Arden Make Up Kit. The kit as well as this lipstick are both discontinued but I’d like to keep testing it out to see how this kind of shade and finish works for me and if I would consider other Elizabeth Arden products in future. For now, I do like how thick and creamy this applies to the lips. One swipe gives a good opaque colour. The shade mango cream in particular is a warm rosy coral nude and looks slightly darker in person than the swatches are showing.

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick 47 Rose Petal

I also got this mini lipstick in the discontinued set mentioned above, and again I’m keeping it to test out the shade and texture. It had the same smooth, thick, creamy application as the other shade, with the same full opacity with one swipe. The shade Rose Petal is a pretty neutral mauvy pink colour and has a slight mature vibe to it on my lips. I prefer wearing a lip balm with this shade for a more youthful sheer pink look.

Elizabeth Arden Lip Gloss Gloss Lumiere in Sunset

Another discontinued product from them limited edition Elizabeth Arden Make Up Kit. I quite like the shade of this warm peachy pink coral nude lip gloss. I also liked how the glitter was so fine that it didn’t look obvious on my lips. It did however feel a bit too thick on my lips like many lip glosses do so as it’s also quite old now I’ll be discarding it. Atleast I know what kind of shade to look out for in a better formula though; I’m thinking Fenty Gloss Bomb or Dior Lip Oil.

Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips PP502 Purple Chiffon

This etude house lipstick belongs to my sister and while I still have it with me I want to use it as much as possible until she takes it back. It’s such a beautiful deep berry shade for autumn and a definite keep. I also love how when I press my lips together it creates a soft blurred edge without looking messy. It’s a shame these Dear My Blooming Lips lipsticks are discontinued now. Luckily I have a similar shade from MAC though so even if my sister does take it away at least I have that.

Etude House Dear My Glass Tinting Lips-Talk Romantic Frill & Swag Red Samples

These are some more etude house lipsticks that are now discontinued and I’m a bit gutted that I didn’t purchase the full size, especially of the shade Swag Red. These look and feel so juicy on the lips! I remember this range had a choose your own case and lipstick refills thing going on and there were a few quirky and pretty cases I was interested in but I guess it’s too late now. At least I have these 2 tiny samples for now which would be great for taking on a trip.

IOPE Water Fit Lipstick 44 Forever Pink

My sister got this a long time ago around the time the K-drama My Love From The Star was out (2013) because this is the lipstick that the main actress Jun Ji-Hyun was wearing in it. There was some confusion and many people thought she was wearing YSL Rouge Pur Couture 52 Rosy Coral which ended up being sold out everywhere for several months because of fans and my sister and I also ended up with 3 of those overtime, only to find out that it was actually this much more flattering juicy pink by IOPE that she was wearing. Does anyone else remember the whole frenzy surrounding the 2 lipsticks? The lipstick feels very hydrating, plump and juicy on the lips. It also has a perfume scent to it which I’m not quite used to in lipsticks but I don’t mind. I noticed on the IOPE website that the lipstick has been renamed ‘Color Fit Lipstick Glow 44 Forever Pink.

Kailijumei Barbie Doll Powder

Another lipstick that was super popular was this clear jelly lipstick with a pretty flower in it. It’s one of those temperature-activated lipsticks that changes in depth depending on how warm your lips are over time. I tend to like the pink tint these types of products leave on my lips and other than the pretty flower this lipstick is pretty much exactly the same as other heat-activated clear to pink lipsticks out there. I also noticed that the bullet started to look a bit ugly and deformed the more you use it and the edges start staining pink, so I wish I just kept it as a pretty display piece instead.

MAC Matte D For Danger

This is the MAC shade I mentioned earlier when comparing it to the Etude House purple chiffon. It is a softer red berry shade that also gives the blurred edges look. I also love how it’s a no-shine matte lipstick but still applies smoothly and is not drying on the lips.

MAC Matte Ruby Woo

This is also my sisters and in my collection until she decides to take it back. It’s such a popular iconic shade that we used to love but swatching it now I’m shocked at just how extremely matte and dry it is. It feels so uncomfortable gliding this on my lips, even with lip balm underneath. I think it’s fine if you just want to dab it on a bit for a blotted look but then it doesn’t do the gorgeous blue toned red any justice. That being said, we’ll still keep it, I mean it’s Ruby Woo, who wouldn’t?

MAC Matte Honey Love

Another one of my sister’s questionale lipticks. It looks like concealer lips on me and her skintone is a few shades deeper so I’m not sure how this was working for her. Maybe a darker lipliner was doing the trick but I find it too much of a process and can’t be bothered with shades like this. It’s described as a light beige toned with rose and I think it became popular because of Kylie Jenner, something about pairing it with another MAC lipstick to liner to get close to one of her iconic lip shades but ofcourse there are other MAC shades similar to Kylie Jenner that would have been more suitable for our medium-deep neutral/ olive skin tone.

MAC Satin Viva Glam Nicki

My sister was a big Nicki Minaj fan at one point so she got this lipstick purely in support of her. It’s a slightly cool-toned, medium pale pinky coral with a satin finish. It is a limited edition lipstick and one I’m sure she wants to keep without using, but I’d definately put it in the discard pile, in this case discard means sending it off to Korea with her.

MAC Amplified Viva Glam Nicki 2

This is definitely another collectors item for my sister and would be a discard for me if I had the choice as it’s not a wearable colour and she mainly just got it as a Nicki Minaj fan. I mean look at my natural lips compared to my lips with this colour on and imagine it on her deeper skin. It’s a cool-toned patel lilac shade that is not flattering in anyway for my skintone, not even with a lipliner.

NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment 2779 Starwoman

This is also my sister’s. It’s a beautiful bold blue-toned red. Although it is beautiful, it can be a little too striking and I usually prefer a softer not so in your face kind of red. The product is very fluid and glides over the lips with full pigmented opacity. I did find that before it sets I have to be very careful about how I apply it, ensuring I don’t press my lips together as the liquid formula spreads and transfers too much, but once it sets, it’s quite a smooth matte and does not budge or smudge at all. It does also have an ever so slight sticky feeling to it when you press your lips together though. The tiny little applicator helps with precision but because it picks up so much product it can be a little difficult. I think it’s best to line the lips with a liner then use this applicator from the centre of the lips first and spread it out to the liner, then wait for it to dry completely before moving or closing your lips.

NYX Lip Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo

I quite like the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. They glide on silky smooth and don’t feel dry on the lips. Monte Carlo is a deep cranberry red shade that I love wearing in the winter on top of lip balm for a sheer look or on its own for a more soft matte look. It’s a product I would definitely repurchase.

NYX Lip Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul

I left the shade Istanbul of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Korea but I’ve asked my sister to discard it because even though the lip cream formula is nice, Istanbul is quite a pale pink on me which although doesn’t look bad, it’s not my preferred type of shade. You can see a picture of me wearing it back in 2013 on my Instagram here: simplysaima_

OCC Lip Tar Trollop

OCC Lip Tars were quite big in the makeup community many years ago. The company shut down few years ago and these lip tars are obviously discontinued now but in all honesty I was never really a fan anyway. They are quite difficult to work with. Very runny, almost oily, very pigments but doesn’t set down, too much product squeezes out a time; it was often a nightmare. The shade trollop is a bright coral/ peach color which is a tad to pale and white based for me.

OCC Lip Tar Grandma

The shade Grandma is described as a classic coral. A staff member at the IMATS OCC counter years ago was wearing a combination of Grandma and Concubine and it looked stunning on her so I had to get it. It can be pretty when I apply a small amount and sheer it out but like I mentioned for the shade Trollop, the annoying application process is just not worth it for me.

OCC Stained Gloss Concubine

I purchased the neutral dusty pink stained gloss ‘Concubine’ to pair with the shade Grandma as I mentioned above, but I ended up using Concubine on it’s own most of the time and it was my most worn shade out of the 3 OCC lip products I have. The texture is different to the lip tars, in that its a tad sheer and more of a pigmented gloss. You can see in the picture above that it adds a slight light pink tone to my lips, but although I wore it often in the past it’s still not the most flattering or the easiest formula to work with.

Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour Metallic 690 HD Gleam x2

My sister had 2 of these and she gave me one but also left her’s here. I’ve tried it and the frosty metallic-ness is not quite my thing, not even as a lipstick topper. It does feel smooth and lightweight on the lips though.

Sephora Slim Lipstick no18 (4104A)

I quite like this Sephora Slim Lipstick packaging as it feels nice to hold. It’s similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips in that sense. formula-wise however they are clearly very different, the Sephora lipstick being more of a creamy smooth matte. The colour is a deep warm pinkish coral red and is quite flattering on my skin tone compared to other brighter corals. It is a discontinued product but I like it and will keep it.

Sephora Rouge 4132A R43 We’ve To Talk

The Sephora We’ve To Talk lipstick is another discontinued product/ shade. It’s a slightly brighter coral than the previous one mentioned and although it looks fine, I’m going to declutter it as I prefer the depth of the other shade,

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in Naive Beige

This is a discontinued lipstick by Shu Uemura; it’s a peachy nude shade that is borderline concealer lips on me but with a touch of warmth. I can make this shade work nicely for me with a darker lip liner blended inwards but I’d rather just avoid the hassle. The lipstick formula itself is very smooth and comfortable and I would have loved it in another more wearable shade.

Tanya Burr Lipgloss Candy Cane

I left this lipgloss in Korea. It’s a deep neutral pink lipgloss from the discontinued 2016 Kissmas Set. I told my sister to use it and then discard it as it’s getting old. Formula-wise, I remember this lipgloss being quite smooth, lightweight and not very sticky which is nice.

Tanya Burr Lipgloss Berry Pavlova

This is the warm berry red shade from the discontinued 2016 Kissmass Set. Again, since I left it in Korea and it’s getting old, I’ve asked my sister to use it and then discard it for me.

Tony Moly Bam Bam Tint Delight 05 Rosy Red

This is a discontinued lip balm/tint by tony moly that I’m also having to discard because the coloured side has dried out and feels scratchy to apply. I purchased this thinking it would be a deep burgundy wine type shade, but it ended up being a pinkish red and I did quite like it. I would apply the balm side first and then follow with the tint side in the centre of my lips and blend it out. The red lip pigment is actually in the cap, so whenever you twist it shut the sponge tip presses onto the pigment and picks up the colour to apply to the lips. Now that the product is pretty old, the pigment has dried out and the sponge tip feels dry and scratchy on my lips leaving my lips a bit sore so even though I love this two in one product, I’ll have to discard it.

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar 03 Juicy Apple

The only reason I’m discarding this is because it’s finished, but otherwise, I love this little guy. It glides on smooth and balmy, and adds a juicy deep pink tint to my lips. I’m contemplating keeping the packaging for the cuteness factor as like a display piece or photo prop, but I will likely repurchase this little bunny gloss again in future. I’ve mentioned this little one in a few other posts if you’re interested in having a read:
2021 Declutter Project | July Makeup
2021 Declutter Project | June Makeup
Review | Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar – 03 Juicy Apple
My Lip Balm Collection

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Naked

I got this lipstick thinking it would be a perfect nude shade for me, but it turns out to be just a hint of pink added to my natural lip colour but not deep enough to stand out, so I end up looking a bit washed out. This can easily be remedied with a darker lip liner, but I’m having to discard it as the outer layer of the lipstick and started to grow a furry white substance. I scraped it off the sides but I’d rather not use it in case it’s gone bad.

VDL Tint Bar Tripple Shot 501 Tripple Red

This lip tint is described by VDL as a triple-coloured lip tint that creates a petal-bitten gradient effect. You can see the gradient on both the hand and lip swatches and I’ve got to say I love how plump and juicy it makes my lips look. The problem is, with regular use over the years the 3 shades have started to melt and separate from each other creating a soft mushy mess that is difficult to apply to the lips, so for this reason, I will be discarding it.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 13 Pink in Paris

My husband got me this lipstick as a birthday present when we were living in Japan. I noticed this shade has been discontinued so I’ll cherish this one for the memories and also because I love the soft neutral pink colour on me. The formula of the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick is so smooth, slippy and hydrating. It also has a delicious fruity scent to it which is nice.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 19 Fuschia in Rage

I left this one in Korea with my sister and have asked her to use it and then discard it. I feel bad discarding it as YSL lipsticks are expensive and I asked my husband to buy me this shade not realising that it wouldn’t suit me. Lisa Eldridge recommended this in one of her Youtube videos’ back in 2013 but it looked more pink on her even though the lipstick itself is clearly purple. Fast forward 4 years, I still had that pink lip look on my mind and asked my husband (boyfriend at the time) to get this and he did, only to see that it pulls very true to the actual purple colour and not flattering on my skin tone at all. This shade is also discontinued now.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 17 Rose Dahlia

This was my signature lipstick for years. I’ve gone through 3 sticks of this and sadly also lost one in an Itaewon club. Even sadder news is that YSL has discontinued this pretty rosy coral that would always brighten up my complexion. I have to discard this particular one now too as it’s finished. It’s the lippy I’m wearing in my WordPress profile picture and ABOUT page picture too, and I pretty much wore it every day from 2014-2019. I’ll be on the look out for a similar shade from different brands in future but for now, I’ll bid it a sweet farewell and end the YSL Rose Dahlia chapter of my life.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 27 Fuchsia Innocent

Another discontinued YSL Lipstick. I used to like this neutral Fuschia shade on me, but now I think it’s a bit too barbie pink for my liking. I tried to wear it under a darker lipstick for a gradient lip or to lighten the colour of the other lipstick but I found that the darker colour looked better on its own anyway (I’m referring to MAC D for Danger – which I combined with this and wrote about in my post: 2021 Declutter Project | September & October Makeup ). This YSL lipstick is also pretty old so I’ve decided to just discard it after wearing it a few more times this month.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 52 Rouge Rose Rosy Coral x2

As I mentioned earlier when writing about the IOPE lipstick I have, this YSL Rosy Coral lipstick was a very popular shade, sold out for several months because so many people mistakingly thought this was the lipstick from the K-drama My Love From The Star. I got it gifted to me twice and my sister also has one. I finished one of mine but honestly, the shade is too opaque bright orangey coral for us so even though discarding the remaining 2 is like throwing away approximately £60 worth of products, I’ve decided to be brutal and let go so that I can hold space for using much more flattering shades from my collection before they expire.

Discard Pile

I’ll be discarding a whopping 25 lipsticks/ lip glosses for now, which are:

• Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Finish 07 Nude-ist
• Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Finish 08 Grand Cru
• Elizabeth Arden Lip Gloss Gloss Lumiere in Sunset
• MAC Matte Honey Love (rehomed to sister)
• MAC Satin Viva Glam Nicki (rehomed to sister)
• MAC Amplified Viva Glam Nicki 2 (rehomed to sister)
• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul
• OCC Lip Tar in Trollop
• OCC Lip Tar in Grandma
• OCC Stained Gloss in Concubine
• Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour Metallic 690 HD Gleam x2 (rehomed to sister)
• Sephora Rouge 4132A R43 We’ve To Talk
• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in Naive Beige
• Tanya Burr Lipgloss Candy Cane
• Tanya Burr Lipgloss Berry Pavlolva
• Tony Moly Bam Bam Tint Delight
• Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar 03 Juicy Apple
• Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Naked
• VDL Tint Bar Tripple Shot 501 Tripple Red
• YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 19 Fuschia in Rage
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 17 Rose Dahlia
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 27 Fuchsia Innocent
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance 52 Rouge Rose Rosy Coral x2

Keep Pile

My definite keep collection now consists of the following 12 lipsticks (although technically only 5 of them are mine which I’ve marked with a ‘*’):

• Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips in Sexy Lips*
• Dior Rouge Dior 941 Rouge Cannage (return to sister)
• Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips PP502 Purple Chiffon (return to sister)
• Etude House Dear My Glass Tinting Lips-Talk Romantic Frill & Swag Red Samples*
• IOPE Water Fit Lipstick 44 Forever Pink
• Kailijumei Barbie Doll Powder (return to sister)
• MAC D for Danger*
• MAC Ruby Woo (return to sister)
• NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment 2779 Starwoman (return to sister)
• NYX Lip Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo*
• Sephora Slim Lipstick no18 (4104A) (return to sister)
• YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 13 Pink in Paris*

Continue Testing Pile

There are 2 lipsticks in my continue testing pile. So next month I’ll test them to see if they are worth keeping longer:

• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick 09 Mango Cream
• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick 47 Rose Petal

I’ll do a final declutter from this pile later once I’ve tested them a bit more.

I’d love to know what you’re favourite lipsticks are and also which of the ones in this post would you keep and which would you discard?