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Our lips have it rough and they deserve some loving from us. This loving is at least evident in the progress of the lip cosmetic industry. Although lip cosmetics are considered the smallest percentage of total color cosmetics sales in the industry, it is currently the best performing sector regarding growth. In 2017, lip cosmetic sales reached an all-time high of £304 million in the UK alone. Wow, that's A LOT of LIPSTICK! There is a lot of lip products in the market, though a lot of them are closely related in function and design, there is still a fair share of differences between these products. In this article - we will review the differences between three lip products; Lip lacquer , and Lipstick.

We will review each product individually before analyzing the differences between all three.

•    Lip Lacquer

ONE of the hottest trends this year is Lip Lacquers! A Lip lacquer is a non-sticky, highly pigmented and smooth lip gloss, almost like liquid lipsticks. The word 'lacquer' essentially means to give something a smooth, glossy finish. Lacquers have a thick and creamy consistency with an ultra glossy texture that will give your lips a sheen. They come in various colors and can be used as a sole product or if clear as a top coat to matte lipstick. Lacquers are highly pigmented for long wearing and the quality ones come with moisturizers and vitamins for your lips built in!

•    Lipstick

Lipstick is a waxy solid crayon-like oil-based beauty product used for coloring the lips. Lipsticks get their name from the fact that they are baton-shaped and come in a tubular container.  They have a matte and velvety texture and may or may not possess hydrating properties.  Lipsticks contain oils, pigments and waxes, they are generally built to have a long-lasting effect which may not require reapplication.

•    Lip gloss

Lip gloss is a lip product used to give the lips a 'glossy' texture, just like the name suggests. The main essence of lip gloss is to make the lips shine, and although some lip gloss has light pigmentation to add a bit of color to the lips, most of them are known to have a see-through tint. Lip gloss typically is one of those lip products that usually needs to be reapplied but looks amazing for those Instagram pics when on! 

Differences between Lip lacquer, lipstick and lip gloss

When it comes to lip makeup, we have a range of options to choose from, especially with the innovations in the industry. However, unless you are a cosmetics lover or a make up aficionado, it could be a bit difficult to navigate your way through the various lip products. Outlined below are the significant differences between the three products named above to help you appreciate their differences and decide how best to wear your make up.

•    Packaging

Lipstick is crayon-like and comes in a tubular container and can be affected by the heat way more than lip gloss or lip lacquers! Don't leave your lipstick in the car on a hot summer day...YIKES! Lip lacquer usually have moisturizes and gloss built in. This saves you from using a lip liner as well as lip gloss. Lip lacquers are like 3 products in ONE!  Both lip gloss and lip lacquers typically have a built-in lip brush which is used for an application. Lip gloss can also be contained in a tube with a small mouth opening where it can be squeezed out for application.

•    Color

Both lipsticks and lip lacquers can come in a range of different colors and shades from pink to red to brown etc. However, lip gloss has a see through color and even when it comes in a different shade other than its usual translucent coloring, the pigmentation is often very soft such that it can be applied on the lips without any major change to the original lip color.

•    Ingredients

Lipsticks contain oils, emollients, pigments, antioxidants and wax which is majorly responsible for its solidity. Lip lacquers and lip gloss on the other hand are both liquid gel products and do not contain any wax. However, lacquers are heavily pigmented and opaque unlike lip gloss that is translucent and more of a liquid tint.

•    Texture

Lipsticks have a creamy matte or semi-matte texture usually heavier than the other two. Lip lacquers and lip gloss are ultra glossy and will leave the lips glistening and shiny after application. The lipgloss comes in a range of consistencies, from slick to sticky. Still, lacquers have a consistency both creamier than thicker than gloss.

•    Durability

The average lipstick is more long lasting than both lip gloss and lip lacquers. One application can be used all day long without a need for retouching unlike lip lacquer and gloss that have poor staying power, are prone to drying out and may require a touch up.

•    Application

Although all three products can be used individually depending on the color intensity the wearer is going for, lip lacquer and lip gloss can also be used as a top coat for lipstick for people who want the long-lasting glistening coverage.

•    Effect

Due to its matte nature, lipsticks usually dry out the lips and may leave cracked lines along the lips. Lip lacquer and gloss on the other hand have a moisturizing effect on the lips and the quality ones have vitamins infused in them for healthy looking lips. 

 Regardless of their differences, all three products are useful in their own way and can be worn to enhance the look of the wearer. Each lip product does it's job by completing your look!

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