Lipstick, Revisited.(Buyers guide)

Lipstick, Revisited

Sometimes, a sequel is better than the original. While lipstick was once waxy and thick, now it's soft, smooth -- and drop-dead sexy. By Cara Litke

if the words "Lipstick is back!" make your mouth pucker at the memory of lipstick's reign in the early 1990s, relax -- 2007's formulas aren't meant to be worn with a scrunchie. The latest versions are less thick and opaque than lipsticks of yore. "New lipstick formulas are rich, smooth, and lightweight -- and the color payoff is excellent," says makeup artist Wendy Rowe. "The notion of a dry, chalky texture is a thing of the past." Plus, notes makeup artist Pat McGrath, creative design director for Proctor & Gamble Beauty, "the new versions deliver pigment-rich color that wears beautifully for hours." Right now, color is key. Makeup artists like bold and bright shades -- think ruby red, true pink, and deep rose flecked with sunny gold. "These shades are intense, but they're universally flattering," says makeup artist Diane Kendal. The trick to getting the maximum impact from these hues is keeping other makeup minimal. "We're used to seeing nude lips and strong eyes, but this season presents just the opposite -- neutral eyes and a beautifully painted mouth," Kendal explains. Forget the five-minute face -- this can be achieved in five seconds. With just one swipe of color, you'll end up with a look you won't want to change for anything.

Lipstick, Revisited

Ready to Wear Aerosmith and Run DMC; Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami -- when two artists collaborate, the results can be brilliant. Now, fashion designer Peter Som has worked with makeup artist Gucci Westman-Neville to create P.S. Kiss for Lancome's Color Fever line -- a deep burgundy that "is the perfect bold stroke to go with the rich textures and saturated colors in my fall collection," Som says. Som and Westman-Neville went through numerous trials before settling on the final color, the third in Lancome's Pout-a-Porter series, after teaming up with Behnaz Sarafpour and Proenza Schouler. "We were looking for that one shade that can be worn at any age and on any skin tone," Westman-Neville says. P.S. Kiss will debut on October 1, but buying one shouldn't be an afterthought: The waiting list opens September 1.

Lipstick Lexicon Just as celebrities give their children unique names (Apple, Pilot, Maddox), cosmetics companies no longer seem satisfied with ordinary descriptions like "matte" or "glossy." A look at a few of their more fanciful creations. Mattene (M.A.C.). Like Napoleon Dynamite's liger (the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger), M.A.C. has a hybrid of its own: Mattene, a blend of matte and satin lipstick finishes. Almost Lipstick (Clinique). Its balmlike texture and sheer application has made this product almost famous. The best-known shade, Black Honey, counts many top makeup artists as fans. Moon Drops Lipstick (Revlon). The luminescent flecks of frost in this moisturizing formula apparently defied earthly description (hence Revlon made up its own). ArmaniSilk Lipstick (Giorgio Armani Beauty). A silk dress skims your body without clinging, and this lipstick ...