Lipstick Love: Think Pink

Today marks the beginning of a blog post miniseries devoted to my love of lipstick. Loyal readers know that I've been addicted since the release of Chanel Rouge Coco last year marked its comeback; I've amassed a number of standby shades since then. Some were sent to me by companies to try out, but most of them were purchased. With autumn well under way and most of us reaching for serious lip colours instead of sheer glosses, now seems like a great time to share some of my favourites.

First up: pink lipstick. In a season saturated with reds, oranges, burgundies and fuchsias, pink seems like a pretty bland choice. But for the uninitiated who are just taking the lipstick plunge, pink is an easy way to experiment. Pink looks equally appropriate at the office or during a dinner date; it's relatively low-maintenance compared to bolder hues; and the right shade can brighten up your entire face when you want a more natural makeup look--all very compelling reasons to have at least one shade (or four) in your beauty arsenal.

My ideal shades (left to right) are a bit on the warm side. They complement my fair skin tone and brighten up my face:

• Chanel Rouge Coco in 'Ruban Rose' ($38 at Holt Renfrew or The Bay). This was my first lipstick purchase in almost a decade and a well-loved one. It's been used so often, in fact, that I've gone past the 'Chanel' stamp in the middle of the bullet. The pink is just slightly pinker than my normal lip colour and has a slight shimmer to it. The formula is fairly moisturizing as far as lipsticks go, but on days when my lips feel drier I do dab some lip balm on top.
• ILIA Pure Lip Care in 'Shell Shock' ($24.95 at LYNNsteven or BeautyMark). ILIA's organic formula is as moisturizing as any balm, and it leaves a sheer, slightly glossy wash of colour on the lips. I like to use this one as an all-day lip colour. In the morning, the first application goes on light and pretty. As I reapply during the day and the residual colour pigments build up, my lips are stained a bright shell pink by the evening.
• Mary Kay Beauty That Counts Creme Lipstick in 'Give Dreams' and 'Give Joy' ($16.50 each). These were sent to me for review, and admittedly I was skeptical because these were makeup colours concocted purely for fundraising purposes. Such colours are rarely nice, and if I wanted to donate my money to breast cancer I'll find an organization to donate to rather than buying nail polish in a tepid pink hue, thank you very much. But the Mary Kay Beauty That Counts lipsticks were surprisingly flattering. The formula isn't as moisturizing as ILIA's, but it's nothing that a dab of lip balm can't fix. The fact that $1 of each lipstick sold between now and December 15th goes to the Mary Kay Ash Foundation--which assists women living with cancer and helps end violence against women--is just icing on the cake.

What are your favourite pink lipsticks?