I remember a few years back, way before I started blogging (and even before I began doing freelance makeup) I decided I wanted an orange lipstick for summer. At the time I was under the impression that there was an orange lipstick trend that year, but apparently it’s a trend right NOW. Are trends really recycling themselves that quickly these days, or was I just a crazy person who was making up summer trends in my head back then? Either way, who cares if it’s trendy? I love an orange lip! It’s such a bright and fun look for the warm weather, and It’s surprisingly flattering on most skin tones. Although I think it’s extra flattering on cool toned skin.

I have quite a few orange based lip colors now, to the point where it was actually hard to narrow it down to five favorites. But I think I found a good assortment that has some options for everyone.

NYX Butter Gloss “Peach Cobbler” - This is kind of entry level orange I guess. Peach is a good way to dip your big toe in the orange lip pool and test the water, see if you wanna go for a swim. This color looks fairly pink on me, because I have really pigmented lips, but it’s much more peach of your lips are paler or more neutral. Either way it’s a great color, and it’s easy to keep in your bag so you can add a touch of color to your look on the go. And the NYX butter glosses are just beautiful (and affordable) so it’s a winner.

L’oreal Shine Caresse “Coral Tattoo” - If peach isn’t quite daring enough for you then maybe coral is the next step up. A nice sheer glossy coral is easy to wear, and these L’oreal Shine Caresse Lip Stains are freakin’ awesome. They are comparable to the YSL glossy stains in formula and ease of wear, although maybe not quite as luxurious. But the price is a hell of a lot more easy to swallow, that’s for sure.

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon “Blood Orange” - This one is a recent addition to my little collection of orange lip colors, and I’m really digging it. It’s a medium red coral and for some reason the color feels really retro to me. Like I bet Judy Garland would have really been into this color. It’s bright and definitely in the orange family without being over the top, so very wearable. If you haven’t tried the Bite Matte Creme Crayons yet, they are really cool! The packaging is sleek and functional, and the formula wears really well. They are all natural, long wearing and easy to apply. They are also matte without being super dry, which is nice. Did I mention they smell like orange creamsicle? I think it’s safe to bet that I will be getting a lot of use out of this.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick “Tesoro” - Did you think we could get through and entire lip post without me mentioning a Stila Liquid Lipstick? You thought wrong! I’m sorry I just cant get enough of these things. The formula is incredible and then I always think “this color isn’t interesting enough to warrant me getting another one” because they don’t really look that exciting in the tube. But then I swatch it and I’m like holy crap, no I need this.

Tesoro is a bright orange red, similar to MAC “Lady Danger”. I’m all out of Lady Danger at the moment but I think this may have replaced it permanently, because the formula and finish are just unbeatable. It’s definitely bright, but if you are an avid red lip wearer who want’s to try something a little different without going crazy, this might be for you. I have been wearing this one a LOT lately, and I’m not gonna lie every time I put it on I keep thinking damn I’m feeling myself today! That’s how you know a lipstick is good guys #facts

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #40 - This my friends is the orange that started it all. Way way back when I was still working in an art gallery and looking at makeup online wishing it was a bigger part of my life (spoiler alert: It is now YAY!) I bought this bright orange lipstick from Make Up For Ever and I have loved it ever since.

Now this is just straight up orange, there are no two ways about it. But if you are thinking you might want to try it and are unsure, I’m here to tell you - just go for it! It’s way easier to pull off than you think I swear. The satin finish of this particular color makes it a little easier to pul off too because it’s not extreme in any way. It’s not super matte, not super glossy so it doesn’t have an extreme texture competing with the extreme color, if that makes sense.

So those are five options if you were thinking about trying the orange lipstick trend. I also did a post on five ways to wear purple lips if that’s more your thing.

What are your favorite bright colors to experiment with?