To celebrate National Lipstick Day on July 29, Lane Crawford takes a look at the weirdest and wildest lipstick names, and how they are created.

Makeup brands, even those with a more reserved brand image, typically let loose when it comes to naming their lipstick shades. Look underneath the bullet at the sticker underneath, and these names conjure up wild fantasies of the kind of powerful, beautiful women that lie within reach upon application.

Although these names vary from puns to alliterations to pop culture references, the weirdest and wildest tend to fall into at least one of three categories: seductive, risqué or cryptic. Case in point examples from Lane Crawford’s current lipstick selection include Saint Laurent’s “Undress Me”, NARS’ “Instant Crash”, Estee Lauder’s “Fragile Ego”, Urban Decay’s “F-Bomb” and Tom Ford’s “Nubile”.

Wende Zomnir, Chief Creative Officer of Urban Decay - who recalls “Ladyflower” as the brand’s weirdest title to date - explains their process of naming a lipstick. “We put it all on the table with a collection of names, and then we edit it down. Sometimes the name is just there, other times we refer to a master list that we keep for when we're stuck,” she says. “Sometimes nothing on the list works, so we get a whole group around the table to brainstorm. This can involve a glass of wine or two, and then the brainstorming can get pretty racy!” she admits, “There are no rules in the room and nothing is too awful, a suggestion doesn't have to leave the room or even make the list of backup names.”