I'm always on the lookout for a perfect pink lipstick, and I've struggled. Until now, that is. Charlotte Tilbury has just launched some new products for 2024 and I was immediately drawn to the pink shades in the 'Hollywood Icons' collection - especially when I discovered various makeup artists used lipsticks from the edit on their celebrity clients during award season.
Take Jessica Chastain for example - her regular makeup artist Kristofer Buckle gave her the most dreamy makeup look for the Emmy Awards earlier this month and at the time he didn't disclose which of the new K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks he chose for his A-lister.
Luckily for you, I have sources in all the best places and I reached out to the Charlotte Tilbury's UK PR team to ask what exact shade she wore. Turns out Kristoph chose Icon Baby, £27, which is a warm nude-rose lipstick. The perfect pink for the redhead, don't you think?
But Kristoph is convinced pink is in! "Pink lips are having a moment," he said. "From the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice to the Emmys, pink lips have been dominating red carpets."
He continued: "These new lipsticks are fabulous! I’ve had so much fun playing with these and can’t wait for everyone to try them. For Jessica’s look, we played with a few of the new pink shades which come in Charlotte’s K.I.S.S.I.N.G. formula. I love this formula because it adds a subtle shine to the lips without having to use a gloss. So you can get that on-trend lip gloss effect without any of the stickiness or risk of transferability. These lipsticks are also amazing for red carpets because they give the lips a contouring effect. They’re like your lips but better – more defined, symmetrical, and full. The shade we chose complemented Jessica’s dress so beautifully."
Taking a look at the new Hollywood Pinks range, I wanted to try the one I gravitated to the most. And that was Candy Chic, £27. I'd say this is the most 'poppy' of all the five new satin shine lipsticks.
And, well, I just love it. It's described as "a candy pink to make everyone wink" but I'd describe it as the most wearable lipstick for every day. If you love a pinky-nude but find the nude often overshadows the pink, this is the lipstick for you.
It also feels so lovely on… but that's all down the K.I.S.S.I.N.G Formula. As expected, it does need topping up but that's the compromise for the shine you get.
These days, most of my go-to long-lasting lipsticks need a little balm or gloss on top to give my lips some shine, but not this one - they're super shiny as you can tell on the selfie I shared above. Sorry, this picture isn't perfect, it's January and it's very grey outside but I think this photo best reflects the real life colour of the lipstick.
I teamed the lipstick with one of the new lip liners joining the Charlotte Tilbury LipCheat family called 90s Pink, £21 and the dreamy 90s-inspired warm rose pink will be used daily from this moment on.
Looking at the collection as a whole I did feel like it lacked some zingier shades, but then again, the beauty of these lipsticks is that they're wearable and you could apply them without a mirror - they glide on so easily. You may need to reapply throughout the day, but it does have some staying power, but the shine goes a little bit after eating and drinking. If you're looking to buy both the lipstick and the liner, I suggest going for the new Lip Kit, priced at £45 saving 5% (every saving counts though, hey?!).
We all know Pillow Talk is Charlotte Tilbury's iconic lip colour, and it's one that's often in my handbag to reach for, but I think this one might be my new favourite.