When I first thought of the title for this post I had to have a quick search to make sure that I wasn’t recycling an old one, but apparently not and I blame my addiction with RuPaul’s Drag Race for putting Tina Turner in my brain. For me, when the cooler weather starts to make a comeback, out the reds come too and it wasn’t until I started to have a rummage through my stash to pick out my favourites for this post, that I realised just how many there were. All textures, all undertones, all finishes – here they are…
Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in 110. A pink toned red that almost looks coral in some lights, this is a good place to start for those new to the colour. The texture, though matte, is creamy enough to apply straight from the tube and the lasting power is good. Plus, it’s an inexpensive way to see if bold lips are your thang.
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino. Another good starting point is this one from Clinique. I’d call it a raspberry red and the sheer, buildable texture means that it can be quickly swiped on for colour scaredy cats or really layered up for those who want things more ‘in yer face’.
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper. A liquid lipstick in such a light texture that you really don’t feel like it’s even there. I find the applicator on this makes it nice and easy to apply and once it’s dried down onto the lips (you need a layer or two) it’s staying there until you say so.
NARS Lipstick in Heatwave. I’m struggling to find a difference in colour between this and and the Bourjois and you know what? I really don’t think there is one. A little thicker and more matte in texture, it’s one of those brightening reds that helps to perk things up on lacklustre days.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella. I would class this a red but it wasn’t until I stood it up with the others that I realised it was more on the deeper side of things. A real wintery red. Matte, non-budging and not too drying, this is one of my favourites for the fact that its pencil get-up makes it so easy to apply.
Tom Ford Lip Colour in Wild Ginger. The orange undertone of this luxe lippie makes it a good choice for daytime as well as a night on the tiles (just don’t leave it unattended while drunk in the toilets). It’s a creamy finish which means that it’s easier to apply than the others and more forgiving on the texture of the lip bed.
Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01. This is basically MAC Ruby Woo but in cream form. The sponge tip takes a bit of getting used to to apply wobble-free, but once you’re there this is a one-stop one-layer shop to an opaque red semi-matte pout with zero maintenance. Good luck getting it off.
MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo. A classic and with good reason. I’d say it’s the most true rouge of the line-up with the defining tone of ‘pillar box red’ that really would look good on everyone. The finish is matte. Like, really matte. So make sure your lips are in good nick before you get going with that bullet.
BITE Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Rioja. A cream texture that applies with the same matteness-level as Ruby Woo – I have no idea how they’ve managed this one? It’s like painting powder onto your lips which though a little tricky makes it really long-lasting and it’s well worth the faff for the deep wine-y red colour.
Now these are just the ‘true‘ reds. There are a whole drawer of orangey-reds that didn’t make it into this post. Wanna see?
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