Lipcote Lipstick Finder is possibly my best friend right now, as I am on the prowl for a new lipstick color. This website—or “independent guide to lipstick,” as they call it—is a comprehensive list of lipsticks you can sort through using filters such as color and undertone to find shades that will flatter you. You can either filter through the selection by using one category for a broad search, or you can be very specific and use all six categories: price, color, undertone, finish, opacity, and brand.
So, where to begin?! To start at the very beginning, I'll walk you through my experience of Lipcote.
I already know what color family I want: orange! Orange and coral lipsticks are all the rage right now for summer. I already have an orange lipstick shade currently, but a girl could always use more lipsticks in her arsenal, am I right? Plus, I want an orange that is more of a true and bright orange than a red-orange.
I already know my undertone—blue—so I will also put that into the search bar.
Three results pop up. Two from MAC and one from Ellis Faas. I’m really digging the Ellie Faas lipstick, so I click on it. I am redirected to the Lipcote site; it doesn't give me any more information on the lipstick, but from there I can click on the actual website. I fall in love with the color!
There aren't many downsides to Lipcote, except that it is a European company, meaning some of the lipsticks you love won't be available for immediate purchase in the U.S. Luckily, you can still relay what you've learned to the person who helps you out at any stateside makeup department, and she can help you find that shade (or something similar). Fortunately, the color I want is available at the department store I'm going to this weekend, so I will definitely be making my purchase!
The website pulls lipsticks from over 70 make-up brands, including Clinique, OCC, M.A.C., NARS, Revlon, Maybelline, Mary Kay, and e.l.f. I'm a fan of instant gratification and a compulsive shopper, so of course I wish I could just immediately have my lipstick of choice in my hands as soon as I find the color. In the foreseeable future, this should be a reality with the Mink—a personal make-up printer!—but for now, I will just have to wait, be patient and thank Lipcote for helping me find colors that work with my skintone.
If you are a novice in all things makeup, do not get discouraged from playing around on the site. Check out "A Collegiette's Guide to Lipstick" to learn your way around lips!
What do you think of Lipcote, collegiettes? Tell us in the comments!