Beauty & Personal Care

Best Lipstick Shades of All Time

A great lipstick shade transcends trends. These are the iconic lip colours that defined eras, became cultural touchstones, and sell millions of units year after year — the shades every beauty lover should try at least once.

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01
Rouge Dior 999

Rouge Dior 999

Dior's iconic true red with a silk finish in their signature heavy gold-and-lacquer bullet. 999 is the definitive French luxury red lip — elegant, pure, and effortlessly powerful on every skin tone.

Steady·Score +17
02
S

Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil — Rare Beauty

Selena Gomez's hydrating lip oil that became the most viral beauty product of 2023 — sheer enough to wear daily but buildable to a gorgeous stained flush. The product that put Rare Beauty on the global map.

Steady·Score +12
03
Whirl — MAC Cosmetics

Whirl — MAC Cosmetics

A muted dirty rose with brown undertones that became the definitive 90s grunge lip before the decade had even ended. Whirl has been repurchased by its loyal fans more times than almost any MAC shade in history.

Steady·Score +11
04
Dragon Girl — NARS

Dragon Girl — NARS

A vivid true red with cool pink undertones from NARS's iconic Audacious range. Dragon Girl delivers the polished, editorial red lip that works for theatre, editorial, and elevated evening occasions.

Steady·Score +9
05
C

Chili — MAC Cosmetics

A warm brick-red with brown undertones that transitions perfectly from day to night and flatters warm and dark skin tones especially beautifully. Consistently one of MAC's top five sellers for over two decades.

Steady·Score +9
06
Taupe — MAC Cosmetics

Taupe — MAC Cosmetics

A warm mid-toned brownish pink that became one of the first truly universal nudes in the MAC range. Taupe flatters medium skin tones especially beautifully and has been in continuous production for decades.

Steady·Score +5
07
R

Ruby Woo — MAC Cosmetics

Matte blue-toned red with universal flattery across all skin tones. Ruby Woo is MAC's best-selling product of all time and the definitive modern red lipstick — worn by everyone from Rihanna to Kate Middleton.

Steady·Score +4
08
V

Velvet Teddy — MAC Cosmetics

A matte greige-nude that started a worldwide trend in the 2010s after being linked to a famous celebrity look. Velvet Teddy proved that a nude lipstick could be as powerful a statement as the boldest red.

Steady·Score +4
09
Pillow Talk — Charlotte Tilbury

Pillow Talk — Charlotte Tilbury

A dusty rose-nude that flatters every skin tone. Pillow Talk became the most talked-about lip shade of the 2010s and spawned an entire collection — proof that one perfect neutral can build a beauty empire.

Steady·Score +3
10
M

Mocha — MAC Cosmetics

A muted brown-nude that became famous in the 1990s era of grunge-inspired beauty. Mocha is the original cool-toned nude and one of the shades that defined MAC's irreplaceable role in professional artistry.

Steady·Score +2
11
M

Myth — MAC Cosmetics

A pale pinky-white nude that works as a lip topper, worn alone for an ethereal ethereal finish, or mixed with bolder shades. Myth is the perfect highlight lip that professional artists keep in their kit permanently.

Steady·Score +2
12
Lady Danger — MAC Cosmetics

Lady Danger — MAC Cosmetics

A vivid orange-red matte that is bold without being costume-like. Lady Danger is the perfect summer red and a staple of editorial makeup since its launch — consistently cited by makeup artists worldwide.

Steady·Score +1
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