Shade guides

Lipstick shortlists built from 3,200+ shades across 52 brands sold in India, with real MRPs and colours measured from official product images and swatches.

By colour and budget

1. Red lipsticks under ₹500Classic, confident reds from brands sold in India that cost ₹500 or less, from bright blue-reds to warm brick reds.
2. Nude lipsticks under ₹500Everyday nudes, from rosy to caramel, for ₹500 or less. Pick the one a shade or two deeper than your lips for the most natural look.
3. Maroon lipsticks for Indian skinDeep red-brown maroons, the shade Indian shoppers search for most. Ranked by how close each one is to a true maroon.
4. Brown nude lipsticksWarm brown nudes that suit medium to deep Indian skin tones, ranked by how close they are to a classic brown nude.
5. Pink lipsticks under ₹300Fresh pinks, from soft rose to bold fuchsia, for ₹300 or less.
6. Bridal red lipsticksDeep, saturated reds that photograph well under wedding lights and hold their colour all evening.
7. Wine and berry lipsticksDeep wines, berries and plums for evenings and festive looks.
8. Coral and peach lipsticksWarm corals and peaches that brighten wheatish and medium skin tones.
9. Lipsticks for dusky and deep skinShades with enough depth and colour to show up beautifully on dusky and deep Indian skin.
10. Office-friendly nude lipsticksPolished, low-key nudes, roses and mauves you can wear to work every day.

Cheaper twins of premium shades

1. SUGAR 07 Bellatrix dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹110
2. SUGAR 10 Mimosa dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹130
3. SUGAR 19 Elara dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹150
4. Faces Canada Dramatic Rust 11 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹200
5. Lakmé Tender Tulip 303 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹130
6. Lakmé Blushing Bae 204 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹150
7. Colorbar Love Me Harder-005 dupes: 9 closest shades from ₹199
8. Faces Canada Passionate Pink 01 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹110
9. Faces Canada Fearless Red 10 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹199
10. Lakmé Iconic Iris 501 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹199
11. Colorbar Dare You Crème-007 dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹130
12. Colorbar Sweet-truth dupes: 10 closest shades from ₹199

Shades, ranges and MRPs come from each brand’s official website or, for premium brands, from Sephora India. Colours are measured from those official product images and swatches and compared with CIEDE2000, the standard for how different two colours look to the eye. Screens and lighting vary, so treat matches as a close guide.