WE HAVE PLENTY OF VICES

A hundred, to be precise. CARINA KOH reports on the biggest lippie launch of the year from New York.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

A hundred, to be precise. CARINA KOH reports on the biggest lippie launch of the year from New York.

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This is the best thing that’s happened to our lips since kiss-proof lipstick. Urban Decay, the brand famous for cult favourites such as the Naked eyeshadow palettes, launches yet another product that is bound to send beauty junkies into a frenzy: the Vice Lipstick ($29), which comes in a mind-boggling 100 hues.

In New York for its exciting launch, I’m greeted by quite an impressive sight when I enter my hotel room:100 tubes of lipstick in a myriad of colours sitting pretty in a massive box on the bed. The Vice Lipstick will replace all the brand’s lippies – yes, the much-loved Matte Revolution Lipstick and Sheer Revolution Lipstick will be discontinued – but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to bid your signature hue adieu; of the 100 Vice hues, 26 are recycled from the brand’s previous lippies.

So, hype aside, what can one expect from the Vice Lipstick? Well, thanks to ingredients such as aloe vera, jojoba and avocado oils, and vitamins C and E, which are known antioxidants, the lippie has a creamy and hydrating formula. Look forward, too, to six finishes – Mega Matte, Comfort Matte, Cream, Metallized, Sheer and Sheer Shimmer – and almost every colour under the sun, from sheer pinks to bright fuchsias, bold purples, and even edgier hues such as blue and black. The dizzying array of colours is enough to send anyone into panic mode.

Which was what happened to the face of the lippie, Australian actress Ruby Rose, who reveals at the press event that she “had a mini [panic attack] deciding which shade to wear” to the event. The Orange is the New Black star eventually settled on a mix of two colours – the creamy peach-pink Interrogate and the metallic pink-copper Trick – that gave her pout a super-pretty coral hue.

To save you from future panic, here’s my take, as well as those of my fellow beauty colleagues, on the best hues that work on different skin tones.

WHAT’S YOUR VICE?

You don’t have to try on all one hundred colours to know which ones are suitable for you – just follow our handy guide below. Oh, and we’ve included a wild-card (read: crazy) hue, just in case you have a rave party to attend.

JACLYN GUNASILAN, associate beauty editor

Skin tone: Dark

Best suited for: Deep browns and mauve reds. For a pop of colour, go for bright orange or berry hues.

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CARINA KOH, beauty writer

Skin tone: Medium

Best suited for: Bright red, orange, pink and brown-based peach hues. If your skin has warm undertones, avoid light or neutral colours, which can make you look washed out.

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CHARMAINE LEE, beauty writer

Skin tone: Fair

Best suited for: Purple, coral and pink hues. Unusual colours, such as blue and very vivid shades of orange and red, also work well on fair skin.

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THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY TRIP

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This massive box of lippies is honestly one of the best things that could happen to a beauty addict.

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Co-founder of Urban Decay Wende Zomnir (far right) and ubercool actress Ruby Rose share their favourite Vice hues. Ruby loves Pandemonium, a purple hue with an ultra-matte finish, while Wende’s faves include Rock Steady, a creamy deep red; Big Bang, a metallic hot pink; and Conspiracy, a metallic copper.

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Everywhere I turn, I spot famous personalities such as Filipino- American Youtuber Patrick Starrr (middle).

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I manage to grab a quick photo with Ruby! I’m wearing Menace, a matte fuchsia-pink hue that brightens my complexion. The creamy formula applies like a dream and doesn’t dry out my lips at all.

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The brand transformed Greenpoint loft, a pre-World War II era warehouse that is now a chic multipurpose space, into a typical Manhattan alley for the Vice party, complete with food stalls (selling hot dogs and peanut salads) and a hip little bar.