5 fragrance-free lipsticks

You prefer your lipstick to be free from fragrance/aroma? These five are. And we tested them extensively.

Quite a lot of visitors discover my blog after they googled fragrance-free lipstick. Not everyone can (or wants to) use lipsticks that smell like candy, water melon or something else. When my linalool and fragrance family 1 allergies were diagnosed, I said goodbye to most of my favourite lipsticks, including the Tom Ford ones and Color Riche by L’Oréal Paris. And I started my quest to allergy-proof lip make-up.

Every time I discover a new batch and test them, I write a new blog post about them. Hereby, I present you five new options. Only 3 of them made it on the picture: I ‘lost’ the Pat McGrath Labs one – I still think my stepdaughter of 6 ‘borrowed’ it – and Sofie tried the Zara Beauty one. (I still have to make a trip to the Zara in Wijnegem Shoppingcenter to discover the new make-up range of the clothing brand. The store on the Antwerp Meir does not sell it.)

Dior’s Rouge Dior Forever Liquid in 100 Forever Nude, 41 €

This liquid matte lipstick promises to be transfer-proof, weightless and richly pigmented and to stay put for 12 hours without fail. The colour is indeed richly pigmented. On my skintone this hue is the perfect pinkish nude for a my lips but better colour. I hardly feel I am wearing any lipstick but you have to make sure it is completely dried before it becomes transfer-proof. (The website mentions you have to wait for 5 minutes to let the colour dry. I sipped my tea too early and some lipstick was left behind on the mug.) The colour stays put for a pretty long time but I do feel the urge to reapply some after a couple of mugs of tea and lunch. (The colour fades.)

The applicator gives away that this is an expensive lipstick. (I think.) Its tear shape – flower petal shape according to Dior itself – makes it easy to apply the colour and draw in your lip contour. The reservoir offers the right amount of product to use on your lips.

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid is a real matte lipstick in a fluid formula, meaning you get a very rich and full colour, unlike the stained effect the Catrice liquid lipstick gives.

(Rouge Dior Forever Liquid is available in 10 other colours.)

BE Creative Make-Up’s Mousse Lipgloss in 002 Cancun (limited edition), 14,95 €, at Ici Paris XL

Don’t be misled by its name: I think this product is much more of a liquid full-on colour lipstick than a “mousse lipgloss” that makes me think of transparant colour and a glossy finish. And good for me because I prefer lipstick to gloss.

This cream dries up and turns into a powder on the lips and promises a matte, “blurred” effect. That’s true: you can softly blur the colour with your finger for a more blurry effect of you apply some extra layers for a rich, full colour. Cancun is a pretty coral that reminds me of lipstick colours used in The Queen’s Gambit or Mad Men.

Reapplying after a meal is a must. On my lips, the colour fades in the middle of the lips where they meet.

(The Mousse Lipgloss comes in 2 other colours.)

Catrice’s Ultimate Stay Waterfresh Lip Tint in 030 Never Let You Down, 3,99 €, at Kruidvat

This liquid lipstick feels like water when you apply it. It dries quickly and turns into a stain that promises to be mask-proof and non-transfer. Which is true: it easily survives a trip to the supermarket, wearing a mouth mask. I can’t even spot any (obvious) colour stains on the fabric of my mask.

The light formula is extremely light-weight (I don’t notice I’m wearing lipstick) and you can build up the colour’s intensity. One layer looks very natural and transparent, the more layer you apply, the more intense and deeper the colour.

Hyaluronic acid and glycerin promise to keep lips moisturized. But my lips that seem to be dehydrated all the time need some extra lip balm after a couple of hours. (You can easily apply it on top of the colour though.)

One disadvantage that this sort of lip stains sometimes has: it fades unevenly. I end up with a sort of naked line in the middle of my lips, where the upper and lower lip meet. But is it really that bad to reapply some more at this price?

And another small disadvantage: after removing your make-up at night, you might end up with some small coloured stains on your lips. This is another typical characteristic of lip stains as they are richly pigmented. (Giorgio Armani’s Lip Magnet, which is VERY well pigmented, does the same thing on my lips.)

(The Ultimate Stay Waterfresh Lip Tint is available in 3 other shades.)

Pat McGrath Labs’ MatteTrance Lipstick, 38,90 €, at Ici Paris XL

I wrote about my love for this lipstick here. After I wrote that post and made a Reels with the lipstick in the colour Elson, I lost it. I suspect my stepdaughter of 6 to have something to do with this loss: she was a tad too enthusiastic when she watched my apply the pretty lipstick in its pretty packaging with the golden lips. (She has good taste though.)

(Available in 20 colours at Ici Paris XL.)

Zara Beauty’s Stiletto Demi-Matte Lipstick, 8,95 €

This is the only Zara Beauty lipstick that is free from fragrance or aroma. (The Velvet Pigment Lip Gloss is, too.) Sofie bought it as one of the items to test the brand. More on that here. (Dutch only.)

(Available in 9 colours.)

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