The first time I ever had my makeup done was for my Year 10 school formal.
My mum booked me in at the fancy Napoleon Perdis counter in David Jones and it was there that my love affair with makeup was born.
Through the years I’ve swerved in and out of beauty trends, finding my feet when it comes to makeup and falling in love with products that ultimately help me feel the most like me.
Interestingly, the looks I’ve loved the most over the years never involved lipstick. I’ve tried and tested lippies before, but they always felt uncomfortable and dry.
If I’d ever choose to try wearing lipstick on a night out, I’d have to carry an emergency lip gloss or a backup lip oil in my handbag.
At some point, I decided to swear off them for good. Lipstick I thought just wasn’t for me, and that was okay.
That was until I was introduced to Napoleon Perdis’ newly launched lipstick collection, the Colour Cult Crème Lipstick. Newly crowned, the very product that broke me out of my no-lipstick strike.
And, better yet, I found its partner in crime (the good kind! Promise!) to create what is possibly the most perfect lip combo for any occasion.
But, before I get to that, let’s chat about the lipsticks.
First, what to know about Colour Cult Crème Lipsticks.
There are a total of 18 diverse shades in the Colour Cult Crème Lipstick range at $45 a pop. From dusty nudes, to peachy pinks, vibrant reds and dark browns, we're basically spoilt for choice here.
I opted for a dusty, warm pink (shade 208), a soft and rosy neutral brown (shade 206) and a bold, bright pink-red (shade 216). I figured if I’m trying lipsticks at all I might as well go for something outside of my comfort zone.
In the past, I’ve struggled to find shades that genuinely compliment my skin tone but I’m happy to report that these three colours were very bang on.
Even the red, where it's usually struggle street for me!
The pigment.
What I love most about the Colour Cult Crème Lipstick is how rich the pigment is. You only need a single swipe to get a satisfying colour payoff and it wears all day long.
It’s the kind of product that when you take off after the day, you can still retain a beautiful, natural flush of colour on your lips.
The formula.
The Colour Cult Crème Lipstick has a satin finish and a hydrating formula that uses ingredients like candelilla and rice bran wax to condition the lips.
The creamy texture made it so easy to glide the lipstick across my lips in one easy stroke.
We all know there’s nothing worse than that feeling of a dry lipstick bullet that you have to drag across your lips in order to get any colour to show up.
But don’t worry, this is a product that prioritises ease and comfort when it comes to application and for lipstick newbies like me, I very much appreciate that.
How I wear it.
Before I wear any type of lip product, I give my lips a good swipe of lip balm to act as a primer.
Then, its lipstick time.
I start from the bottom lip, placing the highest point of the bullet at the corner of my mouth and slowly gliding across switching the angle of the product in the middle section to make it easy to reach the other corner.
For the upper lip, I start at the cupid’s bow, aligning the shape of the lipstick surface onto my lip and comfortably gliding across and down either side. I gently press my lips together to evenly spread the pigment across any areas I may have missed.
And then I’m good to go.
The lip combo.
Okay, finally. Let’s chat about this genius lip combo that’s made me look at wearing lipstick in a completely different light.
Whilst Colour Cult Crème Lipsticks are the great foundation for your perfect shade, there’s one product that can truly hydrate and protect your look and its one of Napoleon Perdis’ most underrated products IMO...
At $35, this product is a hard-working hydrating hero, enriched with jojoba oil and argan oil to nourish your lips without making them feel heavy or sticky.
Its special pH formula applies as a clear gloss – delivering high shine, maximum gloss and nourishment to improve the condition of your lips when worn alone or over existing lipstick. Worn solo, it's SO juicy that it's handy for priming your lips with when you're priming your face for makeup, or swiping it on before bed as an overnight lip mask.
And of course, the best part for me is that the Auto Pilot pH Lip Shine plays so well with Colour Cult Crème Lipsticks.
If you’re looking to give your lipstick a bit more oomph, or a glossy refresh, this is a powerful product duo you need to try. I’m not too sure what I’d call them as a pair. A lipstick gloss? A glossy lipstick?
Either way, these two products together have quickly become my most reached for lip combo in my makeup bag right now and I can’t wait to build out the rest of my shade selection.
Shop Napoleon Perdis Colour Cult Crème Lipsticks and Auto Pilot pH Lip Shine online or in-store.
Feature Image: Supplied.