Red Lips!
I LOVE a red lipstick. It’s a bold, powerful, uber-feminine statement. Worn by wonderful women like Madonna, and Marilyn Monroe, to name just two. It is the original lipstick. It’s the only lipstick for many, and every woman should wear red at least once in her life.
But, it is also hard to find the ‘perfect red’. I am not about to tell you how to do that in this one blog post, but, I am bringing you a choice of a few reds that you might want to consider, particularly this Valentine’s weekend.
I’ll start by saying that three of my favourite ever reds are these:
Paloma Picasso Red – I still have the bullet my dad bought me as a teenager – just the best red ever.
Tom Ford Narcotic Rouge – I wore this red on my wedding day – it’s a blue-toned, sadly Limited Edition, creamy to matte red, and I mourn the end of the this lipstick!
Urban Decay 714 Mega Matte – the latest of my red lip crushes, this uber, uber matte is a fave of Gwen Stefani, a modern day red lipstick queen. It’s just fabulous.
But, let’s have a look at another set of 14 reds, starting with Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noir Deliciously Shiny Lip Color in Red Bow Tie (£22, Debenhams). It is a 3-in-1 lipstick, it’s buildable, scented and shiny. Use a little, or a lot. A bit shiny for me, but this lovely lipstick, so beautifully presented, is a gorgeous gift for a gal pal!
I love an easy lip application, and red can be a bit of a task – but not with this NARS Velvet Matte Lip Crayon in Red Square (£20, NARS). So easy to apply and doesn’t move. It’s a real orange red this one.
Clinique’s Pop Liquid Matte Colour + Primer in Flame Pop (£16) is bright and matte, but not one of my top ten. Ditto Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet (£8.99). This is Gran Cru, a more berry red, and whist matte, it’s not the best matte, not enough for me.
Guerlain’s KISS KISS Lipsticks (£27.50, John Lewis) are truly beautiful. The black and gold packaging is stunning, and these are a real treat. Rouge Kiss is a lighter, more orange based red, and Red Passion, a true red. The lipstick is creamy and rich, and if I wasn’t on a matte crusade right now, this would be one of my new faves.
These Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks (£19) are just AMAZING! I give them 10/10. If you love matte, then you must buy. Bang Bang is amazing bright scarlet red. Apply with the precision tip, which lines the lip, then fill in. It goes on very ‘liquid’ and dries beautifully matte. It’s not drying at all, and one on, it is ALWAYS ON!
Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer (£16) in Passion Pop is a creamy red lip, a great colour, with added primer benefits. Too Faced Color Drenched Lipstick in 90210hhh (£18.90, Debenhams) is an extremely rich and luxurious lippy, very creamy, full of lip conditioners. Colour-wise, it’s a very true blue-toned red. NARS Audacious Lipstick (£25) in Rita, is a scarlet red, deep, rich and beautiful. Creamy, it’s a gorgeous finish.
Italian brand Diego Dalla Palma are available in M&S Beauty, and I suggest checking them out. The Rossetto Lipstick in 103 (£16) is a lovely scarlet orange red. I particularly love this shade in the summer – it was one of my faves last year. KIKO Milano, another Italian brand, have this lovely Velvet Passion Matte Lipstick in 311 (£10.90). A lovely bright red, not too deep, this is very matte, and a great bargain lippy. Bourjois Rouge Edition 12 Hours (£7.99, Boots) in Rouge your body is a lovely bright, fresh red, and although it promises 12 hours, I’m not sure any lipstick can give you this! It is a nice lippy though, and a good place to start if you are not overly confident with reds.
