Frosted, matte, sheer, stain, shimmer, gloss and long-lasting: what does it all really mean? The names give an insight to part of the ingredients, which ultimately help create the unique color and appearance the lipstick will provide, so knowing which is which will give you the best results when picking a shade.
- Frosted lipsticks include a pearlizing agent that adds luster to the color. Bismuth oxychloride to be exact, which is synthetic pearl, and imparts a frost or shine.
- Matte lipsticks are heavy in wax and pigment but lighter in emollients. They have more texture than shine.
- Cremes are a balance of shine and texture. (most popular)
- Glosses have a high shine and low color.
- Sheers and stains contain a lot of oil and a medium amount of wax with a tad of color.
- Shimmers have extra glimmer, which comes from mica or silica particles.
- Long-lasting color contain silicone oil, which seals the color to your lips.
- Lip gloss contains different proportions of the same ingredients as lipstick but usually has less wax and more oil to make the lips shinier.
There’s an old 1959 song called "Lipstick on Your Collar," where lipstick was the giveaway that her boyfriend had been unfaithful, and according to a 1996 survey by Shisedo Cosmetics, 87% of American women admit to having left traces of lipstick in unwanted places on purpose.
So whether you are guilty of this practice, or just want to get the most from your lip color, read the label to see exactly what type of lipstick you are getting to make sure it fulfills its purpose.
