High end or high street: lipsticks

In the latest instalment of my ‘High End or High Street’ series with vouchercodes.co.uk (see the first post about mascaras here), I’m comparing three bright pink lipsticks of different budgets to see which one performs best. Will it be everyone’s high end favourite MAC, or will a high street alternative win the top spot?

L-R 17 Stay Pout, Revlon Super Lustrous, MAC Candy Yum Yum

Under £5

17 Stay Pout Delinquent £4.49*

It’s been a long time since I tried a  17 lip product – they remind me of my teenage days when I was permanently wearing either Rimmel’s Heather Shimmer or a cappuccino brown from 17 (neither of which looked good with ginger hair, let me tell you!). I’m pleased to say that 17 have moved on a lot since then and Delinquent is a gorgeous bright pink shade that has a slightly glossy, creamy finish. I was impressed by its pigmentation and although it wasn’t quite the hot pink shade I’d imagined (online swatches aren’t always true to colour), it still made a statement on the lips. It lasted about 3 hours before needing a top up and didn’t leave my lips feeling dried out at the end of the day. All in all, a pretty good result!

Under £10

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick Stormy Pink £7.49*

I was initially a little disappointed with this lipstick - in the tube, the colour looked amazing, but it just didn't quite match up on my lips. Rather than the hot pink colour I was expecting, I got something a lot softer and much more natural. The formula was very creamy and although it had a matte finish, it wasn't drying and actually felt like something I could wear all day. I would definitely try another of these lipsticks in a different shade - the formula definitely didn't let it down, it just wasn't quite the colour I'd hoped for. I think it's a good value lipstick for the price and I'll be looking out for one in a bright red shade next time there's a 3 for 2 offer on in Boots. 

Under £20

MAC Candy Yum Yum £15*

This is possibly one of the most iconic bright pink lipsticks out there and the pigmentation really didn’t disappoint me. It’s almost electric pink in colour and this really does translate to your lips. The formula is super matte and a bit drying if I’m honest – it can be unforgiving if you have any patches of dry skin on your lips and you’ll need a slick of balm underneath to stop them drying out completely. That said, it has the longest wear time of all three, lasting an impressive 4-5 hours without needing a top up. I wish they made this shade in a formula that’s less drying to the lips – I adore the colour, but it loses points from me because of the way it makes my lips feel after a few hours of wearing it.

The result for me is a tough one to call. If I could get the colour of Candy Yum Yum in a 17 Stay Pout formula, I would have to vote for that! All in all, I was very impressed with the high street offerings - the formulas are fantastic and I will definitely be buying more from them in the future.

What's your favourite lipstick brand? Do you prefer high end or high street? 

*PR samples