Day 12: Purple Prose
Lay it out in Lavender Lippies

This is the first post in a series of exploring lipstick colors. Purple is defined as shades occurring between blue and red. Popular purple shades are violet, lilac, orchid, heliotrope, pansy, lavender, wisteria, eggplant, plum, grape, amethyst and mauve. Purple is known for symbolizing royalty, being the favorite color of the musician Prince and being the shade of Mace Windu's lightsaver (That reference is for blogger, Pink Sith!). Purple lipsticks and lip glosses is a required taste. These violet fans are not as vocal as taupe eye shadow lovers. Color choices are hard to come by and new releases are pounced on.

I am currently smitten with MAC's Lavender Whip. This was a lipstick introduced in the cremesheen collection. It was a fairly unique shade by MAC standards and quickly sold out. The shade is a cool toned lavender. At first glance you assume the lippie would be difficult to wear. The results are the opposite. It flatters many and is quite a gem. MAC released a lighter, less intense version in the Hello Kitty collection, called Fashion Mews.

During a trip to Paris, I discovered a want and need for a silver plum lippie. I spotted this odd shade on every news anchor and television host. They paired it with a smoky eye. The news had never been delivered so glamorously. By the end of the trip a lemming and quest was born. This quest has only been fulfilled by Chanel, MAC and NYX.

Chanel produced a glossimer called Delight. This gloss is a muted silvery lilac. It has great fire by shimmer standards and is lovely. NYX is a murky lavender with a slight pearl. Layered together they create magic. MAC Atmospheric lipglass is a cool amethyst shade with red shimmer. This looks like Smuckers jelly in the tube but on the lips it translates into a plummy taupe. Victoria Secret makes a great sheer plum lip gloss called grapesicle. It contains blue shimmer and smells like trident.

I have a few plums that are on the red side of the spectrum. They are generally warmer and mix well with pinks. MAC's Chromeglass in Prize Shine is a metallic intense plum. This went a little too bronze on me and I rarely reach for it. Chanel's Sugar Plum glossimer is a wearable pale red violet. This layers well with MAC's Mauvellous. MAC's Up the Amp is a bright violet pink. Pomposity is often described as a purple. I think this leans more on the red side. It is more of a blue toned raspberry.

My favorite violet shades are MAC's Stiletto and Violetta. I discovered MAC's Stiletto at my local CCO store by chance. It had long been discontinued and was already spoken of in hushed revered tones. It is worth all the hype. It is a pansy violet shade. Pomposity is often described as a Stiletto clone. This is not true. Pomposity is much more pink and vibrant. Stiletto is more violet with only a slight lean on the magenta side.

Violetta is also by MAC. This is a color currently available at Pro stores and is an amplified formula. This shade is the true kissing cousin to Stiletto. They share similar characteristics but Violetta has more depth with more blue violet pigment. Violetta's intensity can be built with each application. This lippie can get quite purple with each layer. It is quite stunning.

There are many purple hued lipsticks I have not mentioned. Two standouts are MAC's Cyber and Chanel's Hysteria. These are eggplant black shades. They have a 1920's vampy kind of feel. Very bold and smoldering. I purchased Hysteria during a shopping trip at Saks. The SA layered it with Astral lipgloss.
Thats all it took.
I was in love.
Again.

What are your favorite purple hued lipsticks or lip glosses?
Let us know in the comments.

Disclaimer: Fashion Mews and Violetta are press samples from MAC. Sugar Plum by Chanel is also a press sample.
All other lippies were purchased by me.