For the past few years rose gold has really had a moment. I’ve seen some people online say they are sick of it. But, I think that’s like saying one is sick of gold or silver. Rose gold is merely a neutral color that’s popular for a reason – it’s flattering. It’s the sort of shade that seems to work on a variety of complexions. It’s like wearing a soft candlelit glow. It’s the sort of shade that reminds me of champagne, rosé and burning embers. Rose gold’s popularity is partially because it’s also romantic, calming. It brings to mind champagne and candles. Rose gold is pink without being pink (if that makes any sense). Basically people like rose gold because rose gold is pretty.
Anyway, I’ve put together a guide of ten rose gold lippies in a variety of price points that range from sheer glosses to full-coverage matte liquid lipsticks.
SHEERS
MAC Lipglass in Prrr
This may be a stretch but I’m putting it on here for nostalgic reasons (I wore it in the early 00’s). It’s a sheer coral-y rose pink in that classic, long-wearing vanilla goop, Lipglass. Retails for $17 at Nordstrom. | Swatch
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Gloss in Love Buzz
This is a sheer rose with lots of pale gold shimmers. It’s pretty alone or layered. Flavor is mint. Retails for $28 at Sephora | Swatch
Wet n Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss in Rose Gold
This leans more bronze/brown than it does rose-y but it’s worth pretty on here because it’s pretty, flattering and cheap. It’s more of a sheer gloss with a faint cotton candy-ish aroma. Retails for $2 at drugstores and Wet n Wild. | Swatch
NARS Satin Lipstick in Sexual Healing
This is a pretty, satin finish rose gold that leans more pink/rose than gold. But, this of course depends on how much pink-y pigment your lips already have. On my lips, it leans more warm rose (which I like). Retails for $28 at Nordstrom. | Swatch
Clinique Different Lipstick in Think Bronze
I’ve probably put this in the wrong category because it offers some coverage, just not like the liquid lipstick/matte coverage ones included in the following section. Think Bronze is an old favorite of mine. It’s a rose-y pink with tons of gold shimmer that is so easy to wear, so easy to work with. Retails for $17.50 at Nordstrom. | Swatch
FULL-COVERAGE
Jouer Long-Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Pamplemousse
It’s a full-coverage, light rose gold with a matte finish and pink undertones. There’s also “Rose Gold” which is slightly deeper than Pamplemousse. Retails for $18 at Jouer. | Swatch
Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme in Chromatic Addict
Arguably a dupe for the Jouer mentioned above. This is a light matte finish rose gold that retails for $9 at drugstores and Milani. | Swatch
NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Speed of Light
It’s a shiny medium rose gold metallic. It’s a liquid lipstick but it doesn’t set matte. It stays sort of creamy. Only complaint is the oversize doe-foot applicator but the price is right at $7. Available at NYX. | Swatch
Kevyn Aucoin Molten Lip Color in Rose Gold
This is a pigmented lighter rose gold with a high-shine finish. I like the smaller, more precise doe-foot applicator on this one. Retails for $30 at Sephora | Swatch
Colourpop Ultra Metallic Lip in Man Eater
It’s a deeper, warm rose gold shimmer with almost plum-like undertones. The finish is more “medium matte”. Retails for $6 at Colourpop. | Swatch
Of course there are plenty more rose gold lipsticks out there, but I narrowed it down to the ten that I’m most familiar with. One of the things that I like about rose gold lippies is that they sort of adapt to the wearer. Sometimes they pull more pink, more bronze or more gold. This can be a problem if you has something very specific in mind, but I find that with the the more sheer ones, they sort of “self-customize” for a flattering look.
Do you have a favorite rose gold lip product?
*Nordstrom, Sephora are affiliate links. Thanks! 1945 Helena Rubinstein Pink Champagne ad from Duke Archives.
MAC Pale Rose is slightly cooler than rose gold, but it has a similar effect on me.
🙂 I haven’t tried that one but the swatches I found online look really rose gold-y. It looks really pretty.
I love rose gold (I type, on my rose gold iPhone) but unfortunately I can’t pull off anything golden on my lips. What I need to find is a pink-silver lipgloss, I think, but I’m not entirely sure that exists!
Hope you’re having a great vacation!
I did! It was great. So hot, but everything else was great.
I think it’s possible if something is sheer enough it *could* work (These are the lies I tell to comfort myself, lol). I’m a lip product addict. I consulted my stash for a pink gloss with silver and found my NARS Istria (it’s a little bubble gum-ish though) and Dior Addict Diorama (like the cool-toned version of rose gold…if that makes sense). Why am I not wearing Diorama more? Oh, because I have too much stuff and don’t know what I actually have…
Diorama is pretty much exactly what I’m looking for, so that’s getting added to my cart. Thanks!
And that packaging! And that name! I initially bought it for the name!
Oh wow – Prrr definitely makes me nostalgic!
Laura recently posted..Recent Summer Favorites
Prrr was one of the few lip glosses that I’ve ever emptied and then repurchased…and then emptied again! That was during prime Paris Hilton/The Simple Life era.