Deep, bold and beautiful lips are are making a comeback for 2022.
Mandatory wearing of face masks and prolonged periods of lockdowns did not stop devout makeup enthusiasts from adding a pop of color or an extra layer of gloss to their puckers. With the world now slowly opening up, women are more eager than ever to step out, dress up, and get glammed again. This mood and mindset was apparent in the recent runway shows around style capitals. There was a clear departure from the austere, stay-at-home sensibilities of a world on lockdown. This year, fashion and beauty trend forecasts were swathed in color, texture, and opulence.
On the cosmetics front, lip tints and high definition shades have once again claimed its spot centerstage–on the runways, the streets of style and soon, and in our own makeup kits. Bold lip colors that go from candy red to bright coral, and gothic brown are finally stepping out from behind face masks. Just the same, beauty enthusiasts are once again paying attention to lip care. Moisturizing, hydrating and healing lip balms are taking on major roles as saviors from chapped, dry and dull puckers.
When it comes to creating a beautiful, bold lip, hydration is key. No matter how pigmented or brilliant your palette may be, it will ultimately look unruly when applied onto a dry, chapped surface. As it is with the face, creating a youthful, moisturized canvas is the first step in achieving the biggest makeup trend for 2022. I personally look for lip tints, oils, balms or moisturizers that are free of chemicals and packed with do-good, delicious ingredients. The basic premise is that if it’s clean enough to digest, it must be good for your lips.
NOYAH Organic Vanilla Lip Balm
NOYAH Organic Lip Balm is formulated with coconut oil, beeswax, extra virgin olive oil, natural flavoring to keep lips hydrated
ELALUZ Lip Lovers Oil Set is a golden goddess’ dream. This ultra cushioned, high definition formulation leaves a lucent finish on lips. Infused with cupuacu, sunflower and jojoba oil, this weightless oil tint is key to a full lip look and comes in shades like berry, nude, and blush.
ROEN BEAUTY Kiss My Liquid Lip Balm
ROEN Kiss My Lip Liquid Balm is a hybrid gloss made of ultra moisturizing plant based botanicals. Ingredients used by the clean, sustainable brand reads like a healthy dessert recipe–mango seed butter, avocado, grape seed, peppermint and coconut. A swipe of Scout Deep Berry leaves a beautiful and dramatic high shine finish while nourishing lips.
CODE8 Surrealist Lip Liner in shade Frida
CODE8 Surrealist Lip Liner was developed with the surrealist art movement of the 20th century in mind. This range was created as an homage to the greats: Salvador Dalí, Frida Kahlo, and Pablo Picasso. Vegan and paraben-free, Surrealist Lip creates a high definition, velvety finish to any makeup look. Hydrating ingredients like avocado oil and hyaluronic acid helps to keep lips smooth and youthful.
SUMMER FRIDAYS Lip Butter Balm
SUMMER FRIDAYS Lip Butter Balm is the sweet first layer under a rich, dark lip look. Now available in a limited edition shade, Brown Sugar, this ultra-hydrating balm creates the ideal canvas for deep color pigments. Otherwise this vegan formula also leaves a sheer color on lips for days that call for barely-there makeup.
FYFE BEAUTY Lip Locket by Jillian Dempsey
Apart from swiping color over lips, professional makeup artist Jillan Dempsey thought of enclosing tinted lip balm in a unique piece of jewelry. The FYFE Beauty Lip Locket Necklace is a quaint, nostalgic keepsake that holds tinted lip balm. With shades like Maryl Mulberry and Royce Red to choose from, this genius idea of makeup as jewerly, amps up the style factor while enabling an easy touch-up for a bold lip. Actress Kristen Stewart, who’s been spotted wearing her Lip Locket seems to think so.
MERIT Signature Lip in shade, L'avenue
When it comes to lip color, loyalty factors into our choices. MERIT’s newest addition to the lip range, Lip Signature, “signals our collective return to the tried and true–your signature color that makes every outfit intentional.” Stunning shades like L’Avenue (berry brown), Tiger (brick red), and 1980 (deep brown) are heavy on the color intensity, but weightless. Infused with squalene, sunflower seed oil, papaya fruit extracts and raspberry oil, this buildable formula hydrates, soothes and plumps lips. Lip Signature is this season’s beauty hero.
VALDE BEAUTY Handcrafted Lipstick Armor
VALDE BEAUTY Refill Lipsticks in shade Ebullience
VALDE BEAUTY has been marking milestones and making strides for the lip category since its founding in 2020. The brand is hyper focused on lip products, and makes zero compromises when it comes to clean, safe, and sustainable formulas. “We are the opposite of disposable beauty,” writes the Valde team. “Our lip formulas are crafted without compromise—for those who expect the highest quality and excellent performance.” Sticks and balms are consciously packaged into refill tubes which fit snugly into handcrafted zinc Valde Armors. The idea is to minimize the use of disposable makeup packaging. It also echoes a brand code that reads: “To us, lipstick is not about mirroring a cycle of superficial trends. It is a ritual passed on through generations of women.” If you’re looking to build your lip wardrobe, think of Valde as the black Alaia dress that you’ll treasure for years on end.
KEVYN AUCOIN Molten Lip Color Liquid Lipstick
Only beauty legends can be trusted when it comes to creating the perfect red shade. Known for introducing the sculpted or contoured look in the 90s, KEVYN AUCOIN is inarguably a beauty great. His namesake label’s The Molten Lip Color Liquid Lipstick in Julia is a gem to have in any makeup kit. It’s the one red lip you need in life. Intense color pigments combined with molten-like consistency result in a fuller, bolder red lip. Molten Lip is also formulated with Camelia Oil and Vitamin E to soften and smoothen.