So, in the spirit of holiday parties filled with cocktail attire and festive hairdos, we rounded up the most luxe lipsticks, and tapped beauty experts to uncover what exactly makes these tubes of red, plum and rose worth the cost.
Gisela Ballard, Executive Director of Marketing at Cle de Peau Beauté, creator of many elegant cosmetics, including our favorite camouflage tool -- Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer -- what exactly goes into perfecting Clé de Peau Beauté's Extra Rich Lipstick?
"Our reputation for luxurious, prestigious skincare carries over to our makeup, so all of our color products offer those benefits -- they're packed with skincare ingredients. Extra Rich Lipstick has vitamin A acetate which is a stable form of retinol and immediately turns to pure retinol on your lips and helps diminish fine lines and works to plump them. The formula also contains argan tree oil which makes the product incredibly smooth and easy to apply. Finally, our Hydro Wrap complex is a superior moisturizer and sealant to hydrate and retain moisture in the lips," said Ballard.
New York City based makeup artist and backstage Fashion Week fixture Emily Kate Warren believes the proof is in the pigment.
"I would say that the main difference in high-end lipsticks is their high pigment content. Generally that tube should last twice as long because it's got more color payoff than lower-end products," said Warren. "These lines also often give you the choice of finish you may not find in others, including matte (actual flat matte!), high gloss, satin, etc. and usually come in a much larger range of shades," she added.
If any of these qualities make the difference to you (and we're pretty sure they do), click through the gallery above for this season's most luxurious lipsticks.
In related beauty news, a new study found that red lips are the first thing men notice.
You'll get all the benefits of a sophisticated anti-wrinkle treatment, plus moisture and light-reflecting pigments in this diamond baguette shaped lipstick.
Clé de Peau Beauté Extra Rich Lipstick, $60.
Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact, $46.
This gleaming case was inspired by the look of an antique powder compact --just one click, you release a mirror and then the lipstick within. You'll find a formula that's intensely pigmented, contains soothing wild mango butter and tiger grass, and Vitamin A palmitate to plump lines and stimulate collagen.
La Prairie Cellular Luxe Lip Color
Known for their ultra-rich skincare, La Prairie lip color is no exception -- it contains caviar extracts to help firm lips, plus antioxidants Vitamin A and E.
$55.
Known for their ultra-rich skincare, La Prairie lip color is no exception -- it contains caviar extracts to help firm lips, plus antioxidants Vitamin A and E.
$55.
Serge Lutens Refillable Lipstick
Created by a fragrance guru, this bullet of couture color is perfected in Japan. It's extremely hydrating and so exclusive, that you'll be the envy and enigma of every woman who sees you apply it.$75. Available at Barneys.
Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color
Ford has the sexiest mind when it comes to women's clothing, fragrance and now lipstick. And while this lipstick boasts a stunning pigment, it feels light on your lips and is filled with nourishing ingredients like soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil.
$45
By Terry Rouge Terrybly
Lumilip -- an anti-aging lip plumper with ceramides -- and an addictive floral-gourmand scent make this botanical formula extremely elegant.
$48.
