How To Choose the Perfect Lipstick

• Wearability - Is the color right for you? Do you like the texture, taste and smell? Sure, matte gray lipstick is a current fad but will you really wear it? Let me give you an exapmle... I'd been wanting Kat Von D's Poe for months, but it was so popular my Sephora couldn't even keep the tester on the shelf. When I finally saw it my first thought was "YES, I must have it!" My second thought was "Where on earth am I going to wear a sparkly violet/blue lipstick?" My third thought was "Nowhere." I left it there.  

• Tube Appeal - How cute will it be sitting on your vanity? This sounds silly, but it’s really important. If you have more than 3 tubes of MAC lipstick on your vanity you know what I'm talking about. There's something SO special about neatly arranged sleek and elegant tubes of lipstick. I really, really, REALLY, want a tube of Burberry lipstick just so I can just look at it. Seriously...I just want to look at it. #DontJudgeMe

•  Availability - Is it limited edition? Has it been on back order? You’d better get it while you can. Mac has taught us all this lesson. The people who buy their limited edition products and once they're sold out, sell them at a ridiculous markup should be put in jail...or at least banned from the site Damn limited edition Ebay selling makeup hoarders...they irk the hell outta me. UGH...
  

• Recommendations, Reviews, Rants & Raves - There are a trillion places to find makeup reviews online. My favorites are ulta.com, sephora.com, temptalia.com, and makeupalley.com. If EVERYONE gives it five stars, it must be special. If everyone hates it, you probably will too. You can take your chances, but don't say I didn't warn you.

• Obsession - Have you been thinking about it for days? Weeks? Months…? Put yourself out of your misery and get it.

• Lasting Power - Reapplying lipstick throughout the day is not fun, and faded lipstick is not cute.Sometimes (but not all the time) you'll have to spend a little more money to get a lipstick that lasts, but it's worth it. The tube will last forever and you'll actually wear it. But...cost doesn't automatically mean it will last longer. I've worn a $45 lipstick before that only lasted 15 minutes on me. I was NOT happy.

• Finish - If you know for sure you only like mattes, leave the sheer sheens alone. And vice-versa.
  

• The OMG factor - When you try it on does your heart skip a beat? Buy it!

• Dupelessness - If you know there’s not a match for it, don’t waste money looking.Most lipsticks have a color dupe (duplicate), but when you combine color, undertone, texture, and finish it can become harder to dupe. I bought 10 tubes of red lipstick because I was determined not to buy Ruby Woo.

• Packaging Quality - Because ain’t nobody got time to be losing the tops of tubes in the bottom of your purse getting lipstick all over the last stick of orbit gum…

What's important to you when you look for lipsticks? What's your absolute favorite lipstick to wear? Let me know in the comments below!