Guys, I am fully aware that it is no longer spring and is, in fact, past the 4th of July and deep into summer. Like, 3 1/2 weeks away from our wedding into summer. Right now, juggling the final details of planning (like how to procure affordable AND natural-looking hair extensions, and figuring out where we can “borrow” WiFi for the photo booth) are at the top of my priority list. Me taking a shower and changing out of sweatpants is at the top of Tony’s priority list.

Recently(ish), I saw Vogue’s piece on the best lipsticks for spring and decided to try them out myself. Then, I totally forgot to share the pictures until I ran out of storage on my phone because it’s clogged with selfies of me in my wedding dress, and discovered these photos. I need to get my shit together. But, I’m of the mindset that lipsticks shouldn’t be “seasonal” because they’re really expensive and my frugal grandfather taught me to clean my plate, and I’m applying that mentality to make up and plan to use them until they’re gone, not until the weather changes. So, here is how Vogue’s picks stack up for me:

{Dolce & Gabbana Matte Lipstick in Dolce Lover}

I love a good red lipstick; for my 21st birthday, my mom’s gifts were all themed around “things a lady should own,” and red lipstick was one of them. Ever since, I’ve felt so elegant wearing it; it’s also a go-to if I’m running low on time and want a pulled-together look, as you don’t want much more than a little mascara competing with it and can get ready quickly. This shade is a little pinker than I normally like if I’m going for red red, but it’s also a mellower shade that works for daytime glam. Yes, I wear lipstick to the beach. WHAT OF IT.

{MAC Julia Petit Lipstick in Boca}

This one is my favorite of all the shades I purchased. It’s the most natural-looking of all them, and I always get compliments; I wore it to pick out my wedding ring with Tony the other day, and a little girl there to apparently watch her mom buy a giant ring by herself wandered over to me and said “Your lipstick is really pretty with your dress,” and made my life. It’s sold out everywhere, but you can try Ebay (that’s what I did). The make-up artist from School of Rock generously helped me try to track it down, and her point person at MAC said the Faux shade is very similar, just a bit lighter. So when I run out of my Ebay Boca, I’m buying Faux.

{Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in Jeanne}

I wavered on whether or not to buy this one, as it looked a little too “’90’s brown” for my taste. But, I loved how it looked on the Vogue blog and decided to give it a shot. I like that it goes on lightly and has a glossy sheen; it’s still a little brown for my coloring, but is fun for a more dramatic nighttime look.

{LORAC Alter Ego Lipstick in Show Girl}

This was another one I was on the fence about; I generally don’t buy coral lipstick shades because I don’t like the orange undertones and it looked really neon when it arrived. A little bit goes a long way, especially for someone whose skin is basically see-through like mine. But it’s a fun “statement” look, and seems the most summery of all the colors.

{Wearing MAC’s Rebel at a wedding welcome party this past weekend}

The last shade in Vogue’s picks is Tom Ford Lip Color in Violet Fatale. In my opinion, Tom Ford makes the best lipsticks; they’re creamy, last all day and I’ve never bought a color I didn’t love. But, they’re also the most expensive at $50 a pop, and this shade looked too similar to my other favorite, MAC’s Rebel, for me to justify buying. But maybe I’ll try it when I run out of Rebel…