Lipsticks (Traditional)

Buy From Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick – $34+

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Ethyl Vanillin

Silicone Level: None

Because I liked the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick (described below), I tried a product from another Charlotte Tilbury lipstick line called K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

The K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipsticks do not contain silicone or BHT, but are similar to the Matte Revolution lipsticks in other ways.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with my lipsticks including silicone since it doesn’t seem to have the same sorts of negative effects on my lips that silicone has on my face.

I’m more concerned about BHT (especially in a product that is likely to be ingested), but then again, its presence may prevent lipsticks from going bad as quickly (with rancid oils not being good for health either).

I have found that the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick goes on pretty smoothly and holds up reasonably well.

It has a mild smell and taste of vanillin that I find to be acceptable.

For those who are trying to choose between the two formulas, it’s my feeling that the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipsticks are not quite as good on performance as the Matte Revolution ones, but still perform pretty well and may be considered better from a “clean beauty” standpoint.

The K.I.S.S.I.N.G. color that I chose, Nude Romance, is described as “a universally flattering peachy nude.”

I think that it looks nice on me, though not as nice as the Matte Revolution Pillow Talk.

Size: 0.12 oz.

Contains Silicones: No

Sephora Rating: 4.0 Stars (194 reviews)

Credo Clean: Meets Criteria

Clean at Sephora: No

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

Think Dirty Rating: 3 (yellow)

EWG Product Rating: 3 (yellow)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 5 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Titanium dioxide (3), Red #6 (6), Red # (6), Blue #1 (7), Yellow #5 (6). (Also contains Ethyl vanillin.)

Fragrance Ingredients: Ethyl vanillin

All Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, polybutene, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, ethylene/propylene copolymer, caprylic/capric triglyceride, vp/hexadecene copolymer, diisostearyl malate, mica, silica, hydrogenated styrene/methylstyrene/indene copolymer, ozokerite, stearalkonium bentonite, propylene carbonate, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, crambe abyssinica seed oil, ethyl vanillin, bixa orellana seed extract, dicalcium phosphate, tin oxide, [+/- titanium dioxide, iron oxides, red 6, red 7, blue 1, yellow 5].

Buy From Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick – $34+

Performance Rating: (4 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (3 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Ethyl Vanillin

Silicone Level: High

The Pillow Talk shade of the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks has been said to be the most popular luxury lipstick in the U.S. and is a favorite of many celebrities.

While it is a nude pink that I always thought would look good on me, it was my assumption that I wouldn’t be able to wear it due to the presence of many undesirable ingredients.

However, at least according to EWG criteria, this lipstick does not seem to be all that bad from a toxicity standpoint.

This formula does include a couple of different forms of dimethicone (silicone), which some people find to be problematic.

While I do not much like primers or foundations that include silicone, this is because they do not allow my skin to sweat properly and seem to be bad for my skin.

Silicone itself (especially the forms present in this lipstick) do not seem significantly problematic from a health standpoint, and my lips seem to respond well to silicone-containing lipsticks.

A more controversial ingredient is the fat preservative BHT, which some people perceive to be totally unacceptable but which is stated by EWG to be only mildly problematic.

While large amounts of BHT have been shown to have negative health effects (such as hormone disruption or cancer) in animal studies, the idea that the chemical might cause such problems in the amount ingested from lipstick use is much more questionable.

While I’m not crazy about the fact that this product contains vanillin, the scent/taste is not very strong and the formula tastes okay to me other than that.

In general, I rather like wearing this lipstick and think that it tastes and feels fine to me.

It goes on really easily and looks good even without a lip liner (though the matching Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lip liner – also very popular – has been a worthy addition).

Although it is described as a “matte” lipstick, I am happy that it does not require the addition of lip gloss to look soft and inviting on my lips. It seems to last pretty long between touchups as well.

The Matte Revolution formula is available in a variety of other soft colors that I might be interested in trying.

The next one might be Super Cindy (“a muted taupe nude”), which is in the “Hot Lips” collection but uses the Matte Revolution formula.

Size: 0.12 oz.

Sephora Rating: 4.3 Stars (506 reviews)

Credo Clean: No

Clean at Sephora: No

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

Think Dirty Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Product Rating: 3 (yellow)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Dimethicone (3), BHT (3), Tocopheryl acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Red #28 (5), Red #7 (6), Red #6 (6), Blue #1 (7), Yellow #6 (7), Yellow #5 (6). (Also contains Ethyl vanillin.)

Fragrance Ingredients: Ethyl vanillin, Papaya fruit extract, Orchis mascula flower extract, Bixa orellana seed extract

All Ingredients: Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Dimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, Polyethylene, Polybutene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Dicalcium Phosphate, Ethyl Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Safflower Seed Oil, Corn Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-t-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Papaya Fruit Extract, Orchis Mascula Flower Extract, Bixa Orellana Seed Extract, BHT, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tin Oxide, [May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 28, Red 7, Red 6, Blue 1, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Carmine.

Clinique Pop Lip Color + Primer – $20

Overall Rating: (3 / 5)

Performance: (3 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: None

Silicone Level: None

This light lipstick is described on the Clinique website as “a rich color plus a smoothing primer in one that keeps lips comfortably moisturized.”

It seems to offer colors that are a bit brighter than the ones that are used in the Dramatically Different lipstick line from Clinique (discussed above).

I can detect a slight chemical taste that is a little annoying to me, but it is not so noticeable that it has kept me from wearing these lipsticks once in a great while.

Clinique often gives these lipsticks away as part of their bonus offers and so I have a couple of them, including Bare Pop and Love Pop. Both of those shades have been okay for me, even though on the Clinique website they look like colors that I probably should avoid.

It may be that many of the other colors would work on me too, therefore.

The formula for these lipsticks is so light that they do not last very long on my lips and so would need to be reapplied often to look good – something that I never have been motivated to do since I do not like the taste very much.

While I don’t think I ever would buy these lipsticks, I probably would try another color if I got it for free in a Clinique bonus and then wear it occasionally if it looked good on me.

Size: 0.13 oz.

Ulta Rating: 4.6 Stars (822 ratings)

Credo Clean: Unclear

Clean at Sephora: No

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Product Rating: 3-4 (yellow)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Tocopheryl acetate (3), Red #7 (6), Blue #1 (7), Titanium dioxide (3), Yellow #6 (7), Red #33 (4), Red #6 (6), Red #30 (5), Yellow #5 (6), Red #22 (5), Red #28 (5)

Fragrance Ingredients: None

All Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Diisostearyl Malate, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Lanolin Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Candelilla Wax, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Silica, Octyldodecanol, Ozokerite, Polyethylene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Wheat Germ Extract, Olive Fruit Extract, Wheat Bran Extract, Microcrystalline Wax, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Cholesterol, Barley Extract, Ceramide 2, Palmitic Acid, Squalane, Lauryl Pca, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Linoleic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Oleic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sulfate, Alumina, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Barium Sulfate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, [+/- Mica, Iron Oxides, Red 7, Blue 1, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 6, Red 33, Red 6, Bismuth Oxychloride, Carmine, Red 30, Yellow 5, Red 22, Red 28

Buy From Clinique

Ilia Color Block Lipstick – $28

Overall Rating: (3 / 5)

Performance Rating: (3 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (3 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Natural Fragrance, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

Silicone Level: None

The ingredients list for this product includes a number of potentially problematic ingredients, including benzyl alcohol; benzyl benzoate; several kinds of naturally derived but highly processed scents; “natural fragrance”; rosa canina oil; and several artificial colors.

Although I was tempted not to bother with this lipstick at all, I finally did give it a try.

I do feel that there is a distinct scent and flavor to the lipstick that is stronger than with many of the other products on this page. I guess I would describe it as a sort of citrus/vanilla, though whether the natural fragrance actually includes vanillin, I don’t know.

I chose the shade Amberlight (“French nude with neutral undertones”) and think that it is a very pretty color on my lips as well as my cheeks.

However, I don’t feel like the formula works very well on my lips. It looks pretty smeary unless I use a lipliner, and even then it does not look that great.

In addition, while I don’t know that I would exactly say that this product has been irritating to my lips, it definitely doesn’t seem to do my lips any favors.

All in all, therefore, I have not been inclined at all to reach for this product when choosing a lipstick.

This particular shade does seem unusually well-suited to my complexion in terms of serving as a blush, and so I have been using it for that purpose.

The flavor and scent are less bothersome when the product is used on my cheeks, and the formula seems to work well for that.

I don’t see myself buying any more products from this lipstick line though.

Size: 0.14 oz.

Sephora Rating: 4.6 Stars (114 reviews)

Credo Clean: Yes

Clean at Sephora: Yes

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

Think Dirty Rating: 4 (yellow)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 8 (red)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Tocopheryl acetate (3), Natural fragrance (8), Rosa canina fruit oil (3), Benzyl alcohol (6), Benzyl benzoate (5), Citronellol (4), Geraniol (5), Limonene (5), Linalool (3), Red #7 (6), Yellow #5 (6), Red #30 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #22 (5)

Fragrance Ingredients: Natural fragrance, Mango seed butter, Rosa canina fruit oil, Rosemary leaf extract, Raspberry seed oil, Acacia decurrens flower wax, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

All Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax, Apricot Kernel Oil, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Rice Bran Extract, Jojoba Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Sunflower Seed Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sunflower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Shea Butter, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Aroma, Mango Seed Butter, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Cocoa Seed Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Raspberry Seed Oil, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyglycerin-3, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Red 7, Yellow 5, Red 30, Red 28, Red 22, Manganese Violet

Buy From Ilia

Buy From Jane Iredale

Jane Iredale Triple Lux Lipstick – $35

Overall Rating: (3 / 5)

Performance Rating: (3 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: None

Silicone Level: None

This lipstick from Jane Iredale looked pretty similar to the Charlotte Tilbury ones on my lips but contains a higher proportion of natural ingredients.

It goes on very nicely even without a lip liner and has a soft cushiony feeling.

The formula looks good on me and (for a lipstick that is this moisturizing) seems to hold up pretty well without my needing to reapply it.

It smells and tastes pretty strongly of vanilla, but in this case it is real vanilla rather than vanillin (an artificial version that I would prefer to avoid).

The ingredients list also mentions ginger and blackberry extracts as being present, though whether they are contributing to the flavor, I don’t know. In any case, I really like the smell and taste of this product and enjoy using it.

I think it’s pretty impressive that Jane Iredale was able to create a lipstick that feels like this one does with mostly natural ingredients and without the use of any silicone.

Unfortunately, the lipstick that I own broke off at the base after I had used it only a few times (and without my putting any particular pressure on it), and I see from the Amazon and Jane Iredale website reviews that this has happened to many other people.

I was able to resume using the lipstick by scooping out the extra product from the base and then pressing the broken-off lipstick back into it.

I still consider the tendency to break in this way to be a major problem, however.

Another challenge with regard to this line seems to be in the area of the colors, with many additional users complaining in the reviews that the color that they received doesn’t suit them.

I tried the shade Sakura (described as a “warm bubblegum pink”) as a gift with purchase. This was a shade that I was considering buying anyway based on the photos and description, but I don’t much like how it looks on me since it is lighter and cooler than I expected. (It does look very nice if I add a too-bright-for-me lip gloss on top of it, though.)

Considering that not very many retail outlets have Jane Iredale products available to try on in the store, I think it would be good for the company to work some more on providing on their website an accurate representation of what their lipsticks actually look like, including showing them on different skin tones.

Full-face pictures (rather than just photos of swatches and lips) and more accurate color descriptions would be helpful to me in making a decision about which shade to try next.

I do hope that Jane Iredale can work out these problems since their lipstick does seem to have some potential in terms in terms of how it feels and looks.

Size: Unclear

Amazon Rating: 3.9 Stars (212 reviews)

Credo Clean: Meets Criteria

Clean at Sephora: Meets Criteria

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredient Rating: 5 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Titanium dioxide (3), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #27 (5), Red #30 (5)

Fragrance Ingredients: Ginger root extract, Vanilla tahitensis fruit extract, Blackberry fruit extract

All Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Esters, Candelilla Wax, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Moringa Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Moringa Oil/Hydrogenated Moringa Oil Esters, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, White Mustard Sprout Extract, Ginger Root Extract, Pumpkin Seed Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Blackberry Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 6, Red 7, Red 27, Red 30

Buy From Amazon

Kosas Weightless Lipstick – $28

♥ Lisa’s Choice

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Overall Rating: (5 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Orange Oil, Vanillin, Limonene, Linalool

Silicone Level: None

These high-quality lipsticks from Kosas are available in what seems a carefully curated selection of shades, all of which seem likely to be flattering to a variety of skin tones and undertones.

The company also is thoughtful enough to allow consumers to try out all the colors before making a purchase decision by offering a sample card for $3 (with the cost deductible from any future Kosas order made within a month).

I therefore have had a chance to try all 11 of the currently available Kosas shades and have been surprised at how many of them have looked nice on me (at least when applied sheerly with a lip brush).

If I liked heavily pigmented lipsticks, this would be my favorite brand, I think.

Kosas lipsticks have been cited as favorites by a number of celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, who sells them on her Goop website. (Her preferred shade is Royal, described as a “cool tone berry.”)

The line includes two relatively sheer lipsticks: Stardust (“warm tone sheer neutral”) and Rosewater (“cool tone sheer pink”). Although these are both a little brighter than the lip colors that I typically choose, they look nice on me and I have enjoyed wearing them.

I also really like the shade Vegas (“warm beige”), which is available only from the Kosas website.

Although the Kosas lipsticks look better on me when I am wearing lip liner, I have been able to get away with wearing them on their own. I have found that they go on really easily and have good staying power.

I’ve not found it to be all that necessary to wear primer under these lipsticks, and they look very nice even without lip gloss on top.

They feel and taste pretty clean to me, and the ingredients list looks pretty good.

However, they do contain orange oil (which some people may find irritating) and vanillin (an artificial ingredient usually derived from petrochemicals that I would prefer to avoid). The scent is noticeable but not terribly strong.

If they were to substitute real vanilla for the vanillin, this product would be just about perfect for many lipstick users, I think.

Size: 0.14 oz.

Credo Rating: 4.7 Stars (228 reviews)

Credo Clean: Yes

Clean at Sephora: Yes

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

Think Dirty Rating: 3 (green)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Orange oil (5), Rosa canina oil (3), Tocopheryl acetate (3), Limonene (5), Linalool (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Red #7 (6), Red #30 (5). (Also contains Vanillin.)

Fragrance Ingredients: Orange peel oil, Mango seed butter, Rosa canina fruit oil, Rosemary leaf extract, Vanillin, Limonene, Linalool

All Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Candelilla Wax, Octyldodecanol, Lanolin Oil, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Beeswax, Carnauba Wax, Cera Microcristallina, Rice Bran Extract, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cocoa Seed Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Caprylyl Glycol, Safflower Seed Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sunflower Extract, Mango Seed Butter, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Jojoba Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vanillin, Limonene, Linalool. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Red 7, Iron Oxides, Red 30

Laura Mercier Rouge Essential Cream Lipstick – $34

Overall Rating: (4 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (3 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: None

Silicone Level: High

This is a silicone-based lipstick containing multiple kinds of dimethicone that I have enjoyed using.

It feels similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks, providing a cushiony soft feeling and look.

I especially like this lipstick because I am not detecting any type of taste or fragrance (and no such ingredients are listed as being included).

While this lipstick contains a small amount of talc, I do not consider that to be especially problematic when used in a cream product since there is no danger of it being breathed in even if asbestos contamination were to be present.

I think that the formula looks nice on my lips even when I am not wearing lip liner, and it also holds up pretty well.

I have the color A La Rose (“light dirty pink”) in this lipstick. It has turned out to be a little bit too much of a cool pink color to be ideal on me, though I feel like I can get away with it if I am wearing the right clothes and other makeup.

A downside of this brand is that I had a hard time deciding which color to buy, which is why I ended up with a product that was not very well-suited to me.

While the Laura Mercier site has a try-on feature, it unfortunately uses a live camera (which I have not found to be very accurate for color selection even if I take my computer or phone outdoors). I have done much better in choosing colors on the MAC site by uploading a high-quality still photograph of myself.

Laura Mercier lipsticks may be available to swatch in some Sephora stores, though.

Size: 0.12 oz.

Ulta Rating: 4.5 Stars (505 reviews)

Credo Clean: Unclear

Clean at Sephora: No

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Talc (5), Tocopheryl acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Zinc oxide (3). (Also contains Cetyl dimethicone, C30-45 alkyl dimethicone.)

Fragrance Ingredients: None

All Ingredients: Cetyl dimethicone, di-c12-13 alkyl tartrate, octyldodecanol, c30-45 alkyl dimethicone, polyethylene, caprylic/capric triglyceride, microcrystalline wax, talc, stearalkonium bentonite, synthetic fluorphlogopite, dicalcium phosphate, tocopheryl acetate, camellia oleifera seed oil, jojoba seed oil, padina pavonica thallus extract, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, caprylyl methicone, propylene carbonate, mica, tin oxide. May contain: titanium dioxide, blue 1, iron oxides, red 7, red 28, zinc oxide.

Buy From Laura Mercier

Buy From Lisa Eldridge

Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Color – $36

Performance Rating: Not Rated

Ingredients Rating: (3 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: None

Silicone Level: High

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Size: 0.12 oz.

Credo Clean: No

Clean at Sephora: Unclear

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredients Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Dimethicone (3), Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax (3), Laureth-12 (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Blue #1 (7), Yellow #5 (6)

Fragrance Ingredients: None

All Ingredients: Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, Polyethylene, Polysilicone-11, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propylene Carbonate, Laureth-12, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-DI-T-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Mica, Tin Oxide. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 6, Red 7, Red 28, Blue 1, Yellow 5.

MAC Lipsticks – $19+

♥ Lisa’s Choice

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Overall Rating: (5 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Flavor, Sodium Saccharin (Powder Kiss); Vanillin (All Others)

Silicone Level: High (Powder Kiss); None (All Others)

MAC is often cited as the top lipstick brand in the U.S., with two of its shades – Velvet Teddy and Ruby Woo – invariably making the lists of the top lipsticks sold in both the U.S. and worldwide.

Interestingly, at least according to EWG, most of the MAC formulas also are pretty clean – actually more so than the lipsticks from some brands that market themselves as specializing in “clean beauty.”

The company’s popular Matte lipsticks, for instance, contain no ingredients considered by EWG to be problematic except for the artificial colors and titanium dioxide.

Detailed ingredient information on all MAC lipstick lines (bullet-style only) may be found on the MAC Lipsticks page of this website.

I purchased a number of different MAC lipsticks for this project and found that all of them felt fine to me.

I also tried the MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer, which is a silicone-based product that EWG rates as a 1 (green) on their 1-10 toxicity scale.

I was happy to find that the primer has helped a great deal in terms of making the classic MAC lipsticks (as well as other lipsticks that I own) feel more easily wearable to me and that it has not irritated my lips at all.

Many of the most popular MAC lipsticks are from the company’s Matte line, which is stated as having the ability to last for up to 10 hours. While I’m not sure that I have had my own MAC lipsticks last that long, I do agree that they have lasted on my lips for far longer than any other lip product that I have ever tried.

The Matte and Satin lipsticks seem very similar to me and have the same basic ingredient lists. These lipsticks do go on pretty dry, to the point that I have found using the MAC lip primer (or, less preferably, some other kind of lip balm) to be mandatory when using them.

Lip liner is also very helpful with these lipsticks in creating more definition, with a little touch of lip gloss on top seeming essential to finish the look.

While completing all these steps may seem a bit tedious, I think that – especially for those who are using bright or dark lipstick colors – the end result may be well worth it in terms of wearability and staying power.

Some of MAC’s other lipsticks – including the Amplified Creme, Cremesheen, Frost, Lustreglass, and perhaps especially the Love Me lipsticks – are much more easygoing in terms of how they feel on the lips.

While they may not last for as long as the matte lipsticks, they are so much easier to use that re-applying them does not seem like much of a chore.

One of the things that I like most about the MAC line is the ability to upload a photo of myself to the website and then to see what the different shades of lipstick offered will look like on me.

I have found this to be extremely accurate as well as very efficient in terms of helping me to choose colors that will look good on me.

Colors that I have purchased and liked include Velvet Teddy and Mehr (in the Matte line), Good Health and Twig (in the Satin line), Half ‘N Half (in the Amplified Creme line), Hug Me (in the Lustreglass line), Pink Power (in the Frost line), and Sakura SZN (in the Love Me line).

The MAC Powder Kiss and Retro Matte lipsticks contain slightly more questionable ingredients, but eventually I would like to try those as well to see what I think of them.

Overall, I have found the MAC lipsticks that I have tried so far to feel okay to me from a toxicity standpoint. None of them has been irritating to my lips and the taste has been acceptable.

The lipsticks do have a mild taste/smell of vanillin, but it is not nearly as strong as it is with some of the other lipsticks discussed on this page and I am not detecting anything else that is problematic when I use them.

All in all, I feel that MAC lipsticks have several major advantages over most lipsticks sold by “clean” companies: they are available in a wide variety of highly pigmented and attractive colors; they last for a long time on the lips; and they are reasonably priced.

The presence of MAC beauty counters in many stores where the products can be tried on as well as the excellent “Try It On” feature on the MAC website also may be very helpful in allowing people to choose the right shades for them.

Size: 0.1 oz.

Awards (Satin): In Style Best Lipstick 2022

Ulta Rating (Matte): 4.5 Stars (1742 reviews)

Credo Clean: Unclear

Clean at Sephora: Unclear

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

Think Dirty Rating: 3/6 (green/yellow)

EWG Product Rating: 3/4 (yellow)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6/7 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Amplified): Tocopheryl acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7). (Also contains vanillin.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Cremesheen): Cetyl lactate (4), Tocopheryl acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7). (Also contains vanillin.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Frost): Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #40 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Red #40 (6), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7), Yellow #5 (6). (Also contains vanillin)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Love Me): Tocopheryl acetate (3), BHT (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #27 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #22 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7). (Also contains vanillin)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Lustreglass): Tocopheryl acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), PEG-10 phytosterol (3), Phenoxyethanol (4), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #27 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Red #21 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Matte): Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7), Yellow #10 (7). (Also contains vanillin.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Powder Kiss): Dimethicone (3), Flavor (4), Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Orange #5 (4), Red #6 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #7 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7). (Also contains sodium saccharin, nano silica dimethyl silylate, dimethicone crosspolymer.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Retro Matte): Dimethicone (3), Glyceryl linoleate (3), Glyceryl linolenate (3), Titanium dioxide (3), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7), Yellow #10 (7), Red #33 (4), Blue #1 (7), Red #30 (5), Orange #5 (4). (Also contains vanillin.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Satin): Titanium dioxide (3), Blue #1 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #21 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7), Yellow #10 (7). (Also contains vanillin.)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Prep + Prime Lip): Cyclopentasiloxane (3)

Fragrance Ingredients (All Except Powder Kiss): Vanillin

Fragrance Ingredients (Powder Kiss): Flavor, Sodium Saccharin

Contains Silicones: Matte Retro, Powder Kiss, and Prep + Prime products only.

More ingredient information is listed on the MAC Lipsticks page of this website.

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Buy From Violet Grey

MOB Cream Lipstick – $27

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Overall Rating: (5 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Limonene, Vanillin, Orange Oil

Silicone Level: None

Copy goes here

Size: 0.10 oz.

Credo Rating: 5.0 Stars (14 reviews)

Credo Clean: Yes

Clean at Sephora: Meets Criteria

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredient Rating: 6 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Limonene (5), Orange oil (5), Yellow #5 (6), Yellow #6 (7), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #27 (5), Red #28 (5), Red #30 (5), Red #33 (4), Blue #1 (4). (Also contains Vanillin.)

Fragrance Ingredients: Limonene, Vanillin, Orange Peel Oil

All Ingredients: Jojoba esters, tridecyl trimellitate phytosteryl/octyldodecyl lauroyl glutamate, diisostearyl malate, polyhydroxystearic acid, microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, cetearyl nonanoate, capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer, silica, dilinoleic acid/propanediol copolymer, triacontanyl pvp, n-capryloyl lysine, ethylhexyl palmitate, tocopherol, bisabolol, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, phytosphingosine, tribehenin, sorbitan isostearate, limonene, vanillin, ascorbyl palmitate, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, orange peel oil. May contain: titanium dioxide, iron oxides, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 6, red 7, red 27, red 28, red 30, red 33, blue 1

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Rituel de Fille Lipsticks – $24

♥ Lisa’s Choice

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Overall Rating: (5 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredient Rating: (5 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Lavender Oil

Silicone Level: None

Rituel de Fille is the one company that I have found that is able to create beautiful and highly saturated lipstick colors using only natural coloring agents.

Their products are unusually clean in general and therefore are quite appealing to me.

Although the looks featured on the company’s website tend to be extremely dramatic and often get across a Goth or witchy-type vibe, I have found many of the shades offered to be totally wearable and pretty as everyday makeup looks for me.

The company’s two main lipstick lines – Enchanted Lip Sheers and Forbidden Lipsticks – seem to use the same basic formula and to differ primarily in terms of the coloring agents used.

I’ve personally had very good luck with the Rituel de Fille Enchanted Lip Sheers, which actually are not very sheer at all and are available in a variety of gorgeous colors with the potential to look good on many people.

I’ve really liked Whitethorn (“natural fleshy pink”), Bittersweet (“dusty papaya”) and Narcissus (“neutral peach”), and I would be interested in trying some of the other shades as well.

The Enchanted Lip Sheers colors have a good bit of staying power on the lips, though not as much as (say) the MAC Matte or RMS Wild With Desire lipsticks.

I’ve done pretty well in using these lip colors right on my bare lips, without necessarily having to use a lip primer or lip pencil first.

I have found that they look quite natural and yet very beautiful on me, with some of them giving me more of a “my lips but better” vibe than any other product that I have ever tried.

The Forbidden Lipsticks, on the other hand, use either deep red or very pale colors.

I tried the shade Fortune Teller (“oxblood berry red”) and found the color to be extremely rich and beautiful (if ill-suited to my own complexion). However, the color disappeared almost entirely from my lips soon after I put it on. I wonder if there is a way to increase the staying power.

I also tried the Forbidden Lipstick shade Oracle (“warm rosy beige”), which held up much better on my lips. Although this looked like it would be one of the more wearable light shades in the Forbidden line and was pretty when swatched on my hand, I found it to be too light and too grey to be flattering on me.

I think the lighter lipsticks in this line could be a good choice for those who like the colors offered though.

The oddest thing about all the Rituel de Fille lipsticks is that they are scented quite strongly with natural lavender oil.

While I like the smell of lavender, having it be present this strongly in a product intended for my mouth always startles me even though I have used these lipsticks dozens of times.

Although I would prefer that my lipstick have no scent at all, lavender is better than many other fragrance options, I guess.

In addition, these lipsticks come in a tube that is only a little larger than a cigarette and that contains only about half the amount of product in standard-sized lipsticks. The cost-per-gram price is thus pretty high.

In general, though, I think that this is a really lovely lipstick line and that the colors that these artists have managed to create using only natural ingredients is quite an accomplishment.

Those who are uncertain about whether the colors will work for them may want to start out by purchasing a set of five samples of the company’s lipsticks or other products ($15) to see which ones suit them the best.

Size: 0.06 oz.

Credo Rating: 4.7 Stars (103 reviews)

Credo Clean: Yes

Clean at Sephora: Meets Criteria

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Product Rating: 1 (green)

EWG Ingredient Rating: 3/4 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Enchanted Lip Sheers): Titanium dioxide (3)

EWG Problem Ingredients (Forbidden Lipsticks): Titanium dioxide (3), Zinc oxide (3)

Fragrance Ingredients: Lavender oil, rosemary leaf extract

All Ingredients (Enchanted Lip Sheers): Castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, candelilla wax, silica, beeswax, carnauba wax, titanium dioxide, carmine, iron oxide, lavender oil, rosemary leaf extract, tocopherol (non-GMO)

All Ingredients (Forbidden Lipsticks): Castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, silica, candelilla wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, rosemary leaf extract, lavender oil, tocopherol (non-GMO). May Contain: Carmine, mica, iron oxides, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, annatto, bronze powder, copper powder, calcium sodium borosilicate, sunflower seed oil, tin oxide, aluminum hydroxide, stearic acid

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Rose Inc. Satin Lip Color Refillable Lipstick – $28

Overall Rating: (4 / 5)

Performance Rating: (4 / 5)

Ingredient Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: Lemongrass Oil, Coriander Oil, Ethyl Vanillin, Rose Geranium Oil, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol

Silicone Level: None

This is a new line of lipsticks in mostly muted tones that was introduced by Rose Inc. in early 2022.

The description reads, “A rich refillable lipstick that plumps the lips while drenching delicate skin in moisture and visibly blurring the appearance of vertical lip lines. The creamy formula delivers lasting, weightless color with concentrated active ingredients — it’s classic lipstick with a skincare twist. Powerful botanicals smooth the lips and deliver a fuller look, oil-dispersed sodium hyaluronate visibly plumps and vitamin E creates a soft and supple finish.”

Although this lipstick seems to have received good reviews so far, I have been somewhat less enthusiastic about it.

I do really like the colors of these lipsticks (10 shades are offered so far).

I have the shade Besotted (“beige pink”) and think that the color is very pretty.

However, I have found that the lipstick has more of a flat texture than the pictures would suggest.

Even if I wear lip gloss with it, I don’t feel that I like the way that it looks on my lips all that much.

The lipstick also has more natural fragrance ingredients than I think is likely necessary, including lemongrass oil, coriander oil, ethyl vanillin, rose geranium oil, geraniol, linalool, and citronellol.

While the fragrance is not very strong, it is noticeable in terms of both the smell and the taste.

The case for this product feels a little light to me, which is interesting considering that most refillable lipsticks use rather heavy and expensive cases. I wonder how it will hold up over time.

Refills are priced at $18.

Since I don’t see myself buying this lipstick again, probably eventually I should give the case to someone who can use it.

Size: 0.14 oz.

Sephora Rating: 4.8 Stars (155 reviews)

Credo Clean: Meets Criteria

Clean at Sephora: Yes

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredient Rating: 7 (red)

EWG Problem Ingredients: C13-15 alkane (3), Rose geranium oil (4), Geraniol (4), Linalool (3), Citronellol (4), Titanium dioxide (3), Red #6 (6), Red #7 (6), Red #28 (5), Yellow #5 (6), Blue #1 (7). (Also contains Ethyl vanillin.)

Fragrance Ingredients: Rosemary leaf extract, Cymbopogon martini herb oil, Coriander fruit oil, Ethyl vanillin, Rose geranium oil, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol

All Ingredients: Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Castor Seed Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Synthetic Wax, Candelilla Wax, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Isopropyl Palmitate, Silica, Swertia Chirata Extract, Brassica Alba Sprout Extract, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, C13-15 Alkane, Sunflower Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Cymbopogon Martini Herb Oil, Coriander Fruit Oil, Ethyl Vanillin, Rose Geranium Oil, Water, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, [+/-: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 6, Red 7, Red 28, Yellow 5, Blue 1].

Buy From Rose Inc.

RMS Beauty Wild With Desire Lipstick – $28

♣ Living Clean Superstar

Overall Rating: (5 / 5)

Performance Rating: (5 / 5)

Ingredients Rating: (4 / 5)

Processed Fragrance: None

Silicone Level: None

Rose-Marie Swift (the founder of RMS) wears red lipstick every day as her signature look, and so it makes some sense that the company would offer a good line of highly pigmented lipsticks.

The Wild With Desire lipsticks are similar to the MAC Matte lipsticks, meaning that just putting them on bare lips and then leaving it at that does not work well for me at all.

Instead, I need to start with lip primer or balm; then line my lips with a lip pencil (lightly coloring my whole lips with the liner); then apply the lipstick; and then finish it off with a dab of lip gloss and maybe a little bit of highlighter.

This is admittedly a bit of work, but it does give me an attractive and dramatic look that lasts for hours.

The EWG website cites only artificial colorings and licorice leaf as potentially problematic ingredients in these lipsticks.

I consider it to be a big plus that (unlike MAC lipsticks) the RMS lipsticks do not contain any vanillin. In addition, they seem to contain a higher percentage of natural rather than “safe synthetic” ingredients.

I do not detect any problematic smell or taste in these lipsticks, and they feel pretty clean to me.

So far, I have tried two colors that were available only in an RMS sample collection: Temptation (“a classic pinky-mauve”) and Unmistakable (“a subtle pinky-nude”). The first one is quite bright but nonetheless has been wearable for me, and so I think that some of the other RMS lipstick colors may be easily wearable too.

Based on my experiences so far, I think that if I wanted to wear vivid lip colors on a regular basis, the RMS lipstick would be one of my top choices (along with Kosas and MAC). It think it’s a good formula and the colors all look really pretty.

Size: 0.15 oz.

Sephora Rating: 4.5 Stars (35 reviews)

Credo Clean: Yes

Clean at Sephora: Yes

Drunk Elephant Clean: No

EWG Ingredient Rating: 5 (yellow)

EWG Problem Ingredients: Blue #1 (7), Red #40 (6), Yellow #5 (6), Red #28 (5), Licorice leaf extract (5), Yellow #6 (4), Red #6 (3), Red #7 (3)

Fragrance Ingredients: Calendula officinalis extract, Hemidesmus indicus root extract, Turmeric leaf extract, Withania somnifera root powder, Meadowfoam seed oil

All Ingredients: *Castor Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Beeswax, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Kaolin, *Candelilla Wax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, *Carnauba Wax, *Cocoa Seed Butter, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Silica, Tocopherol, Isostearyl Palmitate, *Shea Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, *Jojoba Seed Oil, *Hypericum Perforatum Extract, *Equisetum Arvense Extract, *Calendula Officinalis Extract, *Hemidesmus Indicus Root Extract, *Turmeric Leaf Extract, *Withania Somnifera Root Powder, *Licorice Leaf Extract, *Olive Leaf Extract, Lecithin, Propanediol, Pentylene glycol, *Rice Bran Wax, Propylene Carbonate, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, **Buriti Fruit Oil. May Contain [-/+]: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Red 28, Mica, Blue 1, Red 6), Red 7, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6.