You may think of lipstick as a modern cosmetic convenience, but historians suggest based on archeological evidence that people have been wearing lipstick for over 5,000 years. The ancient Sumerians used lipstick made of crushed gemstones. They mixed the powder with various natural waxes and oils and applied it to their lips. Later, the Egyptians still thought of red lipstick as a symbol of wealth and status.
With such an illustrious heritage, it’s no surprise to think about today’s lipstick as a time-honored tradition of wealth and beauty. While you can commonly buy lipstick for next to nothing, these 8 lipsticks are the most expensive in the world! Continue reading to learn about how you can buy these outrageous royal makeup wands as well as the companies crazy enough to make them.
- Balm Frost
- Oh My Pink! Satin Lipstick
- Rouge Louboutin Velvet Matte Lipstick
- Bond no. 9
- Christian Louboutin Lip Trio
- Rouge G Lucky Bee Lipstick
- Guerlain KissKiss Gold and Diamond
- H. Couture Beauty Diamond
Brand: Tom Ford
Color: Pink (sparkle)
photo source: Temptalia
The Beige Frost lip balm is really the Soleil Neige Balm Frost lipstick by Tom Ford’s luxury beauty brand, released in a limited edition in 2021. It’s for those whose winter lips need to be sparkling and hydrated for the cold months ahead. This lipstick is partly a pearlescent lip balm that hydrates and shines and a lipstick that prioritizes fullness and that shimmering sheen.
Ford’s intent with this lipstick was to mimic how snow powder looks when it gets hit by morning sun. the only way to find out if they made good on their promise is to pay $56 for a stick of the stuff.
Did you know?
Tom Ford is a well-known fashion designer who got his start as the creative heads of Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci before forming his own eponymous brand. But did you know he was also a filmmaker? He’s most famous for the literary suicide drama, A Single Man (2009), starring Colin Firth, and the crime thriller, Nocturnal Animals (2016), in which Amy Adams mourns breaking up with her boyfriend, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, by imagining him in the crime thriller he wrote.
Brand: Jimmy Choo
Color: Pink
photo source: Jimmy Choo
This satin lipstick by Jimmy Choo is in the Oh My Pink! shade, a bright pink that is embedded with python print and tipped with a “JC” monogram. Uniquely, this lipstick features a new fragrance from the beauty boutique, called Iris Crush.
For $65 a stick, you also get a dose of Vitamin E, which on your lips serves as an antioxidant and hydrator to achieve a smoother, healthier pair of lips.
Did you know?
The lipstick comes in a nude case, highlighted with gold glitter, and ships in a monogramed nude pouch.
Brand: Christian Louboutin
Color: Velvet red
photo source: Christian Louboutin
The luxury designer Christian Louboutin will come up again on this list for his decadent makeup designs. We’re starting with his Rouge Louboutin Velvet Matte lipstick, which sells for around $90 a stick. Believe it or not, this stuff really sells.
Rouge Louboutin is the brand’s signature shade, a vibrant velvet matte color with a soft touch finish. The cases were designed in reference to artifacts like antique Middle Eastern vases and the curvature of furnishings in the Art Deco era. The case is solid metal and shaped like a vial with a crown cap reminiscent of a threaded turret or crown. The inner rim of the stick is engraved “Louboutin” so you never forget who’s responsible for your velvety lips.
Did you know?
Christian Louboutin has become one of the biggest names in fashion in the entire world. The 59-year-old is now worth over $1.6 billion and spends his free time with his partner Louis Benech, a landscape architect, either at his house in Melides in Portugal, his cottage in Lisbon, Portugal, his home in Paris, his house in Comporta, Portugal, his houseboat in Egypt, his workshop in Luxor, or his palace in Aleppo in Syria.
Brand: Bond no. 9
Color: Red (varies)
photo source: Bond no. 9
Bond no. 9, the New York-based beauty and fashion brand, is probably most famous for their self-named scent. However, they also sell a myriad of lipstick colors for $105 a stick, making them one of the most expensive lipstick brands in the world as well.
They advertise them as “bold and daring” and package them in a white jewel box. The lipsticks come in a gold case with a bowtie-shaped cap and a gold chain.
Did you know?
Bond no. 9 lipsticks come in many shades, all of which are equally expensive. They include New York Nights, Manhattan, Queens, Chelsea, Astor Place, Broadway, Noho, Madison Avenue, Fashion Avenue, Park Avenue, Soho, Nolita, Central Park, Greenwich Village, Gramercy Park, Hudson Yards, Madison Square Park, and Highline.
Brand: Christian Louboutin
Color: Red (Rouge Louboutin)
photo source: Christian Louboutin
This Lip Trio is by Christian Louboutin, whose color, called the Rouge Louboutin, is his brand’s iconic shade. It was formulated to be versatile, matchable to any skin tone. This limited-edition lipstick set comes with the Silky Satin, Sheer Voile, and Velvet Matte finishes. The lipstick is presented as jewelry with a designer gunmetal chain to make it look even more luxurious as it comes out of the lady’s purse.
Louboutin’s full-coverage Rouge moisturizes while it applies its Silky Satin finish. Or if you want the maximum power out of this Lip Trio, go for the Velvet Matte finish. The Sheer Voile is almost as red but shinier and more reflective. This lip trio sells from Christian Louboutin’s website for $270.
Did you know?
The French fashion designer Louboutin is most famous for luxury stiletto heels whose red-lacquered shine is his iconic look. Louboutin has created numerous famous designer projects through partnerships with galleries and footwear companies. He even custom designed a bar! In handbags, fragrances, and of course, makeup, his company, Christian Louboutin Ltd., is one of the biggest designer names out there.
Brand: Guerlain
Color: 214
photo source: Modesens
The Limited-Edition Rouge G Lucky Bee Lipstick comes with a mirrored case and stick designed by Lorenz Baumer. The lipstick shade 214 is Guerlain’s signature best-seller and comes encased in mirrors and encrusted with a bee made of rhinestones. The bee, of course, is the symbol of the House of Guerlain.
The lipstick and jeweled case costs $290 per stick. The lipstick contains guggul resin for hydration and silver microcrystals for a reflective, luminous sheen.
Did you know?
The French cosmetics and skincare company Guerlain was founded by Francois Pascal Guerlain in 1828. “Guerlinade” has become a common addition to French fragrances. The Guerlain family ran the company until 1994, when it was bought by LVMH, the French multinational corporation. Guerlain’s flagship is the fragrance store, 68, on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in the heart of Paris.
Brand: Guerlain
Color: Varies
photo source: The Designers Studio
For the top of this list, it’s not so much the lipstick as these companies’ outrageous ideas of the lipstick casings that drives the prices to astronomical levels. The Guerlain KissKiss Gold and Diamond lipstick is made from 110g of solid gold (18 karat, yellow). It is also embedded with 2.2 carats worth of diamonds, 199 in total.
To drive the price to its maximum, around $62,000 per stick, it can also be customized with precious stones such as emeralds and rubies. The lipstick can be engraved, comes with a luxury black wooden case, a pouch made of black suede, and a high-end lip brush.
Did you know?
The lipstick was designed by Hervé Van der Straeten through Guerlain, which is a French cosmetics and skincare company, famous for perfume, lipsticks, and other beauty products. Van der Straeten is a French designer who specializes in jewelry sculpture as well as furniture and lighting fixtures. He co-created KissKiss and designed the Guerlain Gold and Diamond lipstick.
Brand: H. Couture
Color: Varies
photo source: Pinterest
The most expensive lipstick is the H. Couture Beauty Diamond lipstick. This lipstick was made by the H. Couture Beauty Diamond company, sculpted from 110g of 18 karat gold. The lipstick is refillable (if you can bring yourself to use it). It can be engraved with a name or personal message, and it should, for the price – this lipstick sold for $14 million for a single stick.
In addition to the gold, the stick is embedded with 2,500 blue diamonds and 1,200 pink diamonds. This company has produced the most expensive lipstick ever made, but it wasn’t exactly their idea …
Did you know?
The H. Couture or Haute Couture boutique sent out an article in Life & Style Weekly Magazine showcasing a jewel-encrusted lipstick. Stunts like this had made the company huge profits in the past, but this particular ad outdid itself. One anonymous customer requested a custom solid gold and diamond-encrusted lipstick that ended up being this $14 million creation. The case is normally made from gold plating and Swarovski crystal.
The Takeaway
The most expensive lipstick brands can often be seen adorning the lips of the women with the most expensive tastes. Only one will have the $14 million smile, but for a couple hundred bucks, many in the high-fashion world enjoy getting the best of the best from this list.
