In my quest for another nude lipstick to love, Charlotte Tilbury is Bitch Perfect

If you’ve been with me for the past 10 years, you’d be quite familiar with a few things about me. One of it is that my choice of lipstick colour is at the brighter end of the colour spectrum. Specifically, I wear red or bright lipstick colours. Rarely a nude because no one wants to look like a walking corpse.

Well, not me at any rate. Yet, after years of dabbling in makeup, I might have found a nude lipstick that works for me. I found it first in Chanel’s Rouge Allure Ink in Amoureux, which I swear I need a back up of! It’s such a perfect colour for me.

Secondly, I’m not a fan of desserts, sweets and cakes. To see 2 of them in one picture therefore, means the moon is blue, and there’s a cow jumping over it LOL! Incidentally, I’ve found another nude lipstick that works for me. Hallelujah!

Or maybe let’s not raise our hands so quickly, because while I like the colour a lot, I feel that the formula leaves a lot to be desired.

It does leave me in the minority, I feel, because this lovely nude lipstick, with the perfect kickass name of “Bitch Perfect” is by Charlotte Tilbury.

This is the Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect Kissing Lipstick, a colour I bought because, really, wanted people to ask me what colour I was wearing so I could tell them “Bitch Perfect”! LOL! 😀 I did look up swatches and reviews before I bought it online (Charlotte Tilbury makeup isn’t available in Malaysia at time of writing) and most people did say it was a good nude lipstick.

I’d agree. Bitch Perfect is truly perfect, because it isn’t a straight beige of death. What it is, is a very neutral, light coloured lipstick, with a pink tint. It is that pink tint that makes all the difference in the world!

The rose gold packaging appeals to many but I actually wasn’t impressed by it. The packaging lacks heft, and the metal feels thin. I also found the fluted design reminiscent of an old Estee Lauder lipstick – Sumptuous, I believe it was called – so I actually found this packaging design a little old. Not a retro sort of old, but a “It’s makeup my grandmother would use” sort of old.

The other thing that brought back the “old” vibe was the smell (vanilla, but with a hint of eau de wax lipstick) and the texture (waxy). To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this from the brand. It was my first time trying anything from Charlotte Tilbury (the other makeup items were too expensive!) and it wasn’t leaving me with a good impression.

I’m not a big fan of the texture, which I find waxy and which sits on your lips. I must say that I’m rather spoilt by all the lovely creamy or balmy textures of new lipsticks, that pack a punch of colour, yet sit lightly on lips, that it was a surprise to have a lipstick remind you that you’re wearing lipstick.

But there is one saving grace, and that is that the Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect Kissing Lipstick is a perfect nude, if you have lips that are naturally a little more pink.

Here is a swatch of Bitch Perfect alongside my other favourite, the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in Amoureux. The Chanel one looks a tad brighter pink, while Bitch Perfect looks a little more muted, with a little more beige in it. Both are a little more pink in this picture than they are in real life, but it gives you an idea of how similar the shades are.

When I wear it, it’s just perfect.

It is quite literally my bare lips, but better. The tint of pink is enough to brighten the complexion so I don’t look like the walking dead, and yet, it works well enough for when I don’t want to really wear a bright lip. This comes in useful for occasions when I have to look a little more subdued, or if I go a little crazy and do a very dark eye makeup look (rare, but it happens). It’s one of those lip colours that just pull the face together, so you don’t look washed out, yet you aren’t out there in your face.

It has been described as having a matte texture but as you can see from the shine, it is in fact, a satin texture. I don’t find it drying, but because I can feel it on my lips, and because of the vanilla-wax scent, this isn’t my favourite lipstick formula. I only keep it for the damned colour! 😛

IN A NUTSHELL

The Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick range is a range of satin-matte lipstick and the first range of lipstick released by the brand. I find the packaging a little old, and I’m not much a fan of rose gold in general. I also find that the formula, while creamy and satin, which are textures I like, do sit more heavily on the lips than similar formula in other brands. What I do love is the shade, which I find to be a perfect nude colour for me. It is very natural yet flattering, as the beige tones are tempered with enough pink to add life to lips. I won’t buy another, but I’ll keep using this one that I have.

PROS: The perfect nude lip colour with just the right mix of beige and pink, Satin formula adds a touch of shine and dimension to lips without making them too glossy, Does not slip, Not drying

CONS: Heavy formula, Scented with vanilla with an underlying waxy scent

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone looking for the perfect nude lipstick that does not blot out the lips, Anyone who has had trouble finding nude lipstick that do not wash them out

PRICE: £24 | US$34

WHERE TO BUY: Net-a-Porter, Charlotte Tilbury website, Cult Beauty, Selfridges, Nordstrom

Do you own this Bitch Perfect lipstick? Is there anything else from Charlotte Tilbury worth trying?

I bought mine a while ago from Net-a-Porter and I use it more often than I realised. I also picked up a few other items, but if I’m to be honest, I haven’t been wowed by much of what I’ve tried from the Charlotte Tilbury brand. Share your thoughts? 🙂

Paris B