The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics had 33 brand-name lipsticks tested by an independent laboratory. The lipsticks were purchased in Boston, Ma., Hartford, Conn., San Francisco, Ca. and Minneapolis, Mn.

The group includes this text as part of its "buyer beware" list:

"The lipsticks tested for this report may or may not be representative of the entire lipstick market. The lead levels could vary widely for other shades, and as the results below demonstrate, levels are not consistent by brand, shade or state of purchase," it says.

"This list should not be used to decide which brands are safe or unsafe. Instead it highlights two important findings: First, there is lead in some lipsticks and consumers cannot determine which those are from the ingredients, the price or the brand. Second, there are lipsticks containing no detectable levels of lead at every price level."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it would examine the findings, but warned that similar claims had not been confirmed in the past.