This article differs from prior articles written recently in that it contains more specific information on the formulation of a lipstick. This is meant to provide some additional tools to the beginning formulator. It is not meant to sound repetitive as there could never be too much information to share with my fellow formulators. Many people wonder why a lipstick can cost so much and at the same time cost so little, depending on what brand and where you purchase the product. In fact, from an ingredient standpoint alone, it only costs a few cents to put together a lipstick. So what is in a lipstick that gives it it's low cost? We know there are waxes and oils. But which waxes and which oils and what other ingredients are used to make a point of difference at the cosmetics counter? Lipsticks are very simple to formulate in terms of ingredients. They can be simple and contain very few standard ingredients. They can also contain many ingredients to make for a more complex, elegant product and ingredient listing.