Here's whether luxury lipsticks are worth the splurge

Some folks can't leave the house without their hair done; some their eyes; some their nails and for some, it's their lips. Lipsticks come in different shades, and from glossy to matte finishes. It's crazy to think that just for our lips, we are spoilt for choices. The variety available to us has no boundaries; we can purchase lipsticks from drugstores to high fashion branded lipsticks.

Does it make a difference between the composition of the lipstick ingredients that make the luxury lipsticks stand apart from the best drugstore lipsticks? Let's dive into its ingredients and check it out!

Lipsticks are among the most widely used cosmetic products in the beauty industry. As such, it also requires a complicated cocktail of chemicals for the finished product, and some ingredients are actually rather bizarre and unexpected! Ingredients are carefully selected to provide the desired color, indelibility, and glossiness of a lipstick. It is worth noting that a lipstick stick contains a hundred different chemical compounds to make it up. However, only a few compounds are essential. Every lipstick is different from another as you might be able to tell that lipsticks are mainly made up of waxes and oils.

Lipstick Composition

Waxes: Waxes allow the stick to keep its firm structure and shape, commonly utilized from beeswax — composed of around 300 different compounds, with esters being the principle compound (70 percent of the composition). The remaining 30 percent are organic acids and hydrocarbons. As waxes provide structure to the lipstick, they also can act as emulsifying agents to bind together with other ingredients and intensify glossiness of the lipstick.

Oils: The other essential ingredient of lipsticks is oils. Castor oil is found most commonly in the composition of lipstick, but olive oil and mineral oil can also be found. The oils give the lipstick skin-softening characteristics, making the application a breeze and adds to the glossiness of the lipstick itself. Furthermore, oils assist the dispersion for insoluble pigments that may be found in the lipstick composition.

Pigment & Dyes: Although pigment and dyes are a small percentage of the lipstick's composition, they are crucial! They determine the color of the lipstick, and actually, its selling point. Eye-catching red is a popular lipstick color choice among users. If it were not for the color, there would be no use to wear lipstick in the first place. The pigments are compounds that are insoluble, while dyes are soluble. The combination of these two compounds produces a variety of colors. Besides these two compounds, eosin, a color imparting component, is a dye that gradually changes color upon application like a chameleon. The component reacts with our skin and causes the color to intensify to be a deeper red. It also makes the lipstick stain last longer.

Moisturizing & Fragrance Effects: To make the lipstick keep your lips hydrated while applied, manufacturers have added compounds with moisturizing qualities. Besides that, they also include a pleasant fragrance to mask the smells of other compounds that make up the lipstick. Furthermore, some will consist of capsaicin, a chili compound that causes minor irritation to your skin to make your lips appear plumper.

Lipstick Luxury

Lipstick is considered good if it has excellent wear throughout the day and has great pigmentation. Consistent pigmentation comes with expensive lipstick, and you might be able to find your favorite color within the branded collection. It is worth noting that better brands would add more moisturizing ingredients to their collection and claims to not stain anything in when dried at a costly affair of more than $50.

You are very likely paying for the branding's name and packaging to achieve that perfect nude lip. Also included in the price tag: packaging which is very sleek and beautifully architectured to capture the eye of the beholder while promising the satisfaction of the outcome. No doubt, we all are drawn to shiny, aromatic, beautifully packaged cosmetics, but does it does the trick for our needs?

Lipstick Worth

So as we have dived into the compositions of the lipstick, you can see that they are mostly made up of wax, oil, and pigments. All lipsticks are of the same composition with varying degrees of every composition. A luxury lipstick is no different than a drugstore lipstick in terms of the purpose of the product.

If you think you can do well with an off the shelf lipstick without the fancy price tag, it would be wise to do so, and you can make your small investment pay off even more if you take pains to extend its life. You are a consumer of the product and should very rightly make a decision not only regarding the beauty products but also your purse. You indeed get what you pay for, so don't expect it to come in an enclosure of gold and smell like heaven. It does the job and meets your expectations.

And if you feel like you want to try some luxury lipstick, feel free to explore the endless options there are, and I'm sure you'll be happy with your purchase (your wallet? Not so much).

Last but not least, if you are deciding to commit to a luxury lipstick but have not made up your mind on the colors, you can always get cheaper for the trendy colors you wanted to try all season long. Cheap or expensive, either of them can make a lovely cupid's bow lip if you have a steady hand.

ResourcesBustle, CompoundChem

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