Best lipsticks for pigmented lips, from nudes to reds

Also, a makeup artist’s hack for making sure your lipstick really pops

It’s easier getting a rickshaw in the monsoon than finding lipsticks for pigmented lips. Indians — like most people with a hint of melanin — are acutely familiar with this beauty battle. I’ve had purple-tinted lips since childhood, now aggravated by sun exposure sans SPF and other lifestyle vices.

Our common qualm when it comes to finding lipsticks for pigmented lips is the lack of colour pay-off. You end up doing so many swipes but it doesn’t pop in the way you want it to.

For many, it’s a matter of genetics – one lip darker than the other, a faint rim of purple tones like we’re constantly wearing lip liner.

Others find their lips getting darker because of habits like smoking, high caffeine intake and increasing sun exposure.

Finding fun lipsticks for pigmented lips can be quite a tear-inducing, bank-breaking task.

When it comes to covering discolouration and getting the exact colour match, makeup artist and hairstylist Neha Parmar suggests using a bit of concealer on your lips before applying a light-coloured lipstick.

“You can also use your foundation as a base before your lipstick,” she says. “It helps to minimise the appearance of the pigmentation, and give a smooth base for your lipstick shade to show.”

For darker pigmentation, try mixing a bit of colour corrector with concealer and apply very little on the lips.

Parmar advises you to “cover the pigmented area, even it out and then go over it with the lipstick.”

More importantly, don’t forget to moisturise your lips generously before applying any products.

After years of trial and error (and heartbreak) the Tweak team has finally got their go-to lipsticks for pigmented lips.

Ranging from pink-toned nudes to deep browns and ruby reds – we’ve got you (and the colour spectrum) covered.