BATTLE OF THE LIPSTICKS, VOL. 2: HIGH END VS HIGH STREET LIPSTICKS

My favourite Beauty product is Lipstick because I love the variety in colours, textures, finishes or looks you can create by simply changing your lip colour.

I have accumulated quite a collection of lipsticks and it ranges from nudes to brights from both high end and high street brands. I decided to swatch some of them the other day and it dawned on me that some of them were practically identical when swatched, the only difference – and a very important one at that, is the price tag for each one.

So I decided to do another Battle of the lipsticks post since my first post was quite a popular post (READ HERE). This time I wanted to compare the difference between High Street lipsticks and High End lipsticks. I decided to pick two of my favourite nude shades – one high street and one high end plus two bright shades, again one from both high end and high street.

I decided to wear each for a day to get a proper comparison on colour, consistency, wear time and overall verdict. Here are my thoughts.

THE NUDES

THE BRANDS TESTED: MUA VS TOM FORD

• HIGH END: TOM FORD LIPSTICK IN BLUSH NUDE £36.
• HIGH STREET: MUA LIPSTICK IN BARE £1.

TOM FORD LIPSTICK IN BLUSH NUDE:

This Tom Ford lipstick is one of my go to nudes, everything from the sleek case packaging to the rich and creamy formula just oozes luxury. It definitely is a treat for the lips if you can bare to part with £36 for it. Personally I think its worth every penny because I’ve yet to discover a lipstick with the same non drying, colour rich and super smooth finish. It leaves your lips looking super soft and moisturised plus it doesn’t dry out your lips after a few hours wear which I have found with some other brands. Wear time on this particular shade is ok for a nude, however as expected with such a subtle shade it didn’t take much longer than a lunch hour to have to reapply. I suspect however that some of the richer or deeper shades will have a much longer wear time than Blush Nude.

MUA LIPSTICK IN BARE:

If you are on a serious budget and looking for the perfect pink nude, then MUA lipstick in Bare is the winner. You get what you pay for in terms of packaging, Tom Ford on this case wins by a long mile with its sleek casing compared to MUA’s standard plastic tube. However I do love that the MUA lipstick has a hidden lip balm on the end of the tube that is made to match the shade of the lipstick. The texture and formula of this lipstick is smooth but not quite in the same league as Tom Ford however for £1 it is definitely hitting the mark for a great budget buy. Wear time on this lipstick was actually really good but again with nudes you can expect it to be less long wearing.

VERDICT: HIGH END OR HIGH STREET?

MUA lipstick in Bare is a fantastic dupe for the Tom Ford in Blush Nude in terms of colour, they both give a very natural and healthy looking nude pink look.

However, you of course compromise on the other factors such as texture and wear time. Whilst MUA does pretty well on their formulas, I do find that they can leave my lips quite flaky after a few hours, so preparation with a lip balm before applying is a must. Application on the MUA lipstick is good, the colour glides on smoothly and is easily buildable and if I wasn’t comparing this lipstick to Tom Ford I’d be giving it the double thumbs up, however despite it being a strong contender I will have to hand it over to Tom Ford in this case simply because I love their unique and super soft formula.

THE BRIGHTS

THE BRANDS TESTED: M.A.C VS NYX

• HIGH END: M.A.C LIPSTICK IN IMPASSIONED £15.
• HIGH STREET: NYX ROUND LIPSTICK IN SPELLBOUND £4.

MAC LIPSTICK IN IMPASSIONED

The right shade of Pink lipstick is the best way to perk up a dull or tired complexion and nothing exerts young, playfulness more than a slick of flirty pink lipstick. M.A.C’s lipstick in “Impassioned” is a bright fusion of pinky/ coral tones that makes for the ideal ‘Hot Pink’ that was on everybody’s lips this past SS13.

Impassioned comes in the signature M.A.C bullet tube, so not much to say about that really. However if you are a M.A.C newbie, you’d be pleased with the sturdy and solid casing that is pretty standard with all M.A.C lipsticks. Impassioned is an opaque pink in a cream finish. A little goes a long way with this lipstick due to the great pigmentation. The formula is smooth and long lasting and does not take a lot to get a complete and even coverage. In terms of wear time, I managed to last through till after lunch, however like most lipsticks, reapplying after a meal is pretty standard. The downside on this lipstick though is that it did cause my lips to flake by the end of the day so again must remember to wear a lip balm with it.

NYX ROUND LIPSTICK IN SPELLBOUND

Spellbound is another close match in terms of colour to M.A.C Impassioned, but Spellbound has more of a purple or blueish tone whilst Impassioned is a slightly warmer shade. The texture of this lipstick is a lot more glossy than Impassioned, though it’s not quite sheer. I actually much prefer this texture as it feels a lot more hydrating and happens to be more forgiving on my dry lips.

The wear time on this lipstick is actually really good because the lipstick leaves the lips with a slight stain despite wearing off throughout the day. I found all I needed was a slick of lip balm to refresh the look. Luckily the NYX lipstick like the MUA lipsticks also comes with a hidden lip balm on the end of the tube.

VERDICT: HIGH END OR HIGH STREET?

Hmmm this is a tough one, I like both these lipsticks for different reasons, in terms of colour I much prefer the warmer tones of Impassioned. However I am favouring the semi sheer finish of NYX Spellbound. Saying that, the colour difference when applied is very slight and I suppose at just £4 I will have to give it over to NYX for making this ultra smooth and hydrating lip stick.

OVERALL VERDICT:

Despite my love for luxury items I am at heart, a Budget Beauty kinda girl. I love great finds that don’t cost an arm and a leg and as this little test goes to show, you can find really good dupes for a hell of a lot cheaper. Yes you may need to make a little sacrifice in terms of texture and wear time but for a good steal, some as little as £1, I know I’m not complaining, haha!

What are your thoughts on High Street VS High end products? Do you have a preference? Let me know if you have come across any fab dupes!

Thanks for reading guys!