7 Great Ruby Red Lipsticks

If you missed my post last week on Dayre, here is a recap of 7 great reds that I'm currently loving.

L'oreal Colour Riche in Bloody Mary

L'oreal Colour Riche in Bloody Mary

L'oreal Colour Riche is a great range for satin-textured, high-coverage lipsticks. And it seems the updated range is also packaged a little better (I haven't experienced any smooshing against the insides of the tube yet, as the older range frequently did). 

Bloody Mary is a very deep scarlet creme lipstick that is a true red. Not too brown, not too blue, not too orange. 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm 250 Standout

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm 250 Standout

I'm a long-time fan of Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm range, and one of the very first shades that I grabbed for when they launched was the deep red, 250 Standout. These aren't as intense as the Super Lustrous mattes but they sure do the best job of marrying matte intensity with hydrating comfort.

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte in Revlon Retro Red

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte in Revlon Retro Red

You can't mention drugstore mattes without mentioning Revlon Super Lustrous Matte lipsticks. And while the darling for the last few years is the classic Really Red, my personal fave is actually the newer shade, Retro Red.

This is a deeper blue-based red which is much more intense and creamy than Really Red, which is a waxier, thinner, older formula that actually doesn't build up very well. Retro Red is less brown-toned, opaque enough to stay truer on dark or brown-pigmented lips, and and will not look orange on darker skins.

Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick in R17 Red Flame

Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick in R17 Red Flame

Laneige is better known outside Asia for their skincare items, but if you ever get the chance to try out their Serum Intense lipstick range, make sure you check them out because they are the most gorgeously glossy and hydrating lipsticks. And the best thing is they don't go on all sheer. The color actually builds up to a good intensity.

MAC Russian Red

MAC Russian Red

No lover of deep matte reds can be unfamiliar with the queen of deep reds for long. Russian Red was created in the 90s by MAC founder Frank Toskan for the Material Girl herself. Madonna wore Russian Red throughout her Blonde Ambition tour and that helped kickstart MAC's journey from a little-known artists' brand into the mega-brand it is today.

This is one of those deep reds that never looks garish and bright. It's just a touch darker than crimson, and there's a certain regal beauty to it. Whether you have dark skin, dark hair, red hair, or are as platinum as Mads herself, this is a shade that will probably look good on you.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture 55 Rouge Anonyme

YSL Rouge Pur Couture 55 Rouge Anonyme

On the slightly lighter and brighter side of things, there's Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Pur Couture No 55 Rouge Anonyme. This shimmery red has both warm AND cool undertones, so it manages to be vibrant and neutral at the same time.

It's not as opaque as many Rouge Pur Coutures but it is a great, creamy, easy-to-wear shade for those who don't like things too deep and serious.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte

One of my absolute favorites this year has been NARS' Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte. Actually there are LOTS of shades I love in the Audacious range. But for Fall/Winter, Charlotte is it.

This dark cherry-oxblood shade is so chic. And when reds go deep, they actually work like neutrals and go with most hair and skin colors. I love wearing these with soft shimmery taupes and soft greys on the lids.

Tom Ford Lips & Boys in Leonardo

Tom Ford Lips & Boys in Leonardo

The last shade I've been loving recently is Tom Ford's Lips and Boys lipstick in Leonardo, which is a re-release of Smoked Red, a subtly shimmery deep cherry red. It's not as intense or opaque as Nars Charlotte but it's a gorgeous cool-toned red that looks very sultry and makes the teeth look white.

Spring Pinks: Some of the best Light Pinks for every skin tone!

[Click to enlarge]Swatches L-to-R: NYX Strawberry Milk, NYX Jupiter, Maybelline Watershine Pure B24, MAC Pink Pearl Pop, MAC Pink Plaid, NYX Tea Rose, Revlon Pink In The Afternoon, Revlon Pink Pursuit, MAC Right Image, Revlon Crystal Lilac.

We find outselves drawn to that soft, candy-like pink lip on other people, but it can often go terribly wrong when we apply it on ourselves. Here are 10 options and the women they’d look good on.

Here are some recommendations for different skintones!

NYX Strawberry Milk.
This perennial favorite is filled with white pigments and is PERFECT for uber-pale girls on whom most pastel pinks look too strong and bright. Girls with medium-light skin who also have pale lips can wear it as well, but if you are any darker than an NC25 or NW20 and have pigmented lips, this will look very chalky on you.

NYX Jupiter.
A pale pink that’s a bit more forgiving simply because it’s translucent and frosty. Works on pale to tan skins, but if you are very dark, this might look too silvery. It still works if you like that sort of dramatic sheen, but go easy on it or you could look very 80’s sci-fi.

Statement Metallic Ombre Lips (Chinese Festival Colors)

This is a fun tutorial with a twist on the "traditional" ombre lip using a metallic pigment. You can choose any colors you want as long as they sort of stand out from each other. (Test on the back of your hand to see if you like the effect.)

Just because this is the Mid-Autumn Festival period for many Asians, I went with a nice coral red (Revlon Ravish Me Red) and a bright amber-gold pigment (Coastal Scents mica in Metallic Rustic Gold).

The only other things you'll need are a flat eye brush that isn't too small, and Q-tips in case you need to clean up any mess.

Step 1: Simply slick on your lipstick as neatly as possible. Matte lipsticks will allow the pigment to "float" and be more obvious. The glossier the lipstick, the more the pigments will sink into the moisture (and look dull).

You can still use a creamy lipstick. You'd just need to layer on more pigment.

Step 2: Using your flat brush, press one side of it into the pigment and then tap the brush to remove any excess. If you don't, all the pigment is going to end up on your chin. Not very sexy.

Step 3: The 1st step to laying down the color is to gently pat a thin layer of pigment onto the top lip. Go from center outward one side at a time, so that most of the pigments will be concentrated in the center. The first layer you lay down may not be very vibrant and opaque, but don't worry about that.

Step 4: This is where you pack a 2nd layer of color down the center of both top and bottom lips. On the top lip, this should give you that nice ombre effect where the gold is most intense in the center and then slowly fades out into the red.

On the bottom lip, I wanted more dramatic contrast (like gold foil pressed onto the lips), so I only pressed the brush down around the center. No ombre, no fading outwards like we did with the top lip.

If you need to, use a Q-tip to carefully clean up the edges if your lip, but if you didn't pick up too much pigment earlier, you shouldn't need to.

Now all you need is minimal makeup on the rest of your face, and you'll have the most vavavoom lips at the party! (Just be very careful about eating and drinking.)

10 Favorite Lipsticks (March 2011)

I've always been obsessed with lipstick. Nothing in the world feels quite the same a gliding a creamy bullet of rich color over your lips.

Here are some of my current favorites.

Group 1

1. Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine #59 Rose Etincelant
Sweet sheer candy pink with gold highlights makes this a soft peach/nude on the lips (below) that's flattering if you have medium to dark skin.

2. Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick #301 Crystal Baby


3. Sephora Lip Attitude #G20
A more chocolate-y version of Crystal Baby, this is a sheer glossy nude-brown lipstick which feels and looks almost like a gloss. Perfect as a base color to mute redness when wearing sheer tinted gloss. Best thing? It's so inexpensive!

4. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Fresh Brew
A slightly deeper version of Sephora #G20, but I love it because it can look like a nice caramel-y true-brown on lighter skins, and a non-chalky nude on darker-toned complexions. Definitely check this out if you are NC40 and deeper, and can't find nice nudes.

5. Maybelline Watershine Pure Lipstick #B24
A pale pink-based nude which is the pinker and more opaque counterpart of Crystal Baby, but at a fraction of the price. If you like milky nude-pinks with a glossy sheen, this is a great one to try.

___
Group 2

1. Sephora Lip Attitude Star #S22
A flattering, ultra-shimmery caramel, I bought this because it looked so much like a Dior Addict Shine lipstick. It's rich, creamy, sheer, and feels just as luxurious as a high-end lip color.

2. MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Till Tomorrow
Bruised-lip color which stays put for a few hours with normal activity. I'll always find kiss-proof lipsticks fascinating because of Revlon Colorstay, but then there are no Revlon equivalents for this shade where I am.

3. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick #180 Vintage Pink
This quirky and beautiful dusty lavender-pink always makes me think of a scene in Anne Rice's Pandora, where an ancient vampire sits anonymously in a cafe, writing the story of her life wearing a "purple" lipstick. (I somehow always imagined it to be a mauve that is atypical but subtle, rather than dark and dramatic.) On light to medium skin, this is a medium tone, but if you are about NC40 onwards, this will be a lovely cool-toned nude pink for you.

4. MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up The Amp
One more purple. And what a purple! It goes on more blue than the swatch above. This is the loud and attention-seeking rebel of the family. If you have golden or olive-toned skin, this purple looks sooo nice as statement lips, paired with minimal makeup.

5. L.A. Girl Lipstick in Dreamer
I mentioned this before in my Robin Blue nail polish post. This is a lovely, lovely black. I say so because it does not go on streaky or patchy, and is not stubbornly hard to even out (below). Wear this with any other shade you have to deepen it dramatically.



P.S. Some other favorites which I love but are either discontinued or a little easier to duplicate are:

1. MAC Syrup (dupe this with Urban Decay Rush or Etude LED lipstick #10)
2. Revlon Matte lipstick in Really Red
3. Lancome Color Fever Dewy Shine lipstick #258

Spotlight: Revlon Ravish Me Red Lipstick

Revlon Ravish Me Red is part of the Super Lustrous Lipstick line, and I’m not sure how close it is to the original Ravishing Red (above). Still, it’s a brilliant creme tomato-red (below) which should actually look good on many skin-tones.

Top-to-Bottom: Bourjois So Rouge #32 Fashion Rouge, Revlon Ravish Me Red

Swatches on hand are a comparison of Bourjois So Rouge #32 Fashion Rouge, a true red (above) and Revlon Ravish Me Red (below), which is more of a vermillion red with a coral tone.

This would look lovely on golden or uber-pale skins!

INs/OUTs: Jan 2011

Things I've been reaching for, and things I've stopped reaching for.
For now.

IN:

1. Oil-based makeup removers: Like removes like. Nothing else removes makeup and post-workout grime quite as well as massaging with an oil-based cleanser. Just make sure to follow with a normal foaming cleanser to remove all traces of residue. I’m using DHC Cleansing Oil. Cheaper and just as effective as Shu Uemura’s, which I previously used for a couple of years.
2. Browns: Am rediscovering all the warmer browns in my eyeshadow collection. I like gold browns that aren’t too coppery or brassy. Current faves include L’oreal Chrome Intensity “Magic Amber” Quad (wear an equal blend of all 4 shades) and Make Up Store “Savanna” Microshadow
3. TheBalm Hot Mama: I don’t know if I’d call this “sexy” but it does give a healthy coral glow to the cheeks.
4. Revlon Pink Pursuit Super Lustrous Lipglosses: Just discovered these gems. They are not too sticky, don’t leave an odd taste at the back of the throat, come in a nice range of shades (although I wish more shared were carried here). My favorite is “Pink Pursuit” (left), a soft neutral pink that is not too shimmery, not too sheer, not to sticky, not too runny, not too deep and not too pale to go with most things.
5. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream: It might be over-priced petroleum jelly for some, but this remains the best intensive under-eye treatment which never causes milia or breakouts for me.

OUT:

1. Everyday Minerals Compact in Golden Medium: I gave up trying to make the gritty, lumpy texture and dull texture work for me. Stick with the loose, matte version, which is great.
2. Using a stippling brush for foundation: You end up using more and getting less coverage. And it does still look mildly streaky if you’re not careful. It’s still my favorite tool for applying liquid and cream foundations, but it can’t beat your fingers.
3. I Nuovi Undercover concealer #3Y: It’s still one of the best concealers around in terms of giving good correction for under-eye circles without settling into lines or caking, but the shade I have is a tad too deep at the moment. I’ve just been reaching for my Bourjois Healthy Mix more lately.
4. MAC Taupe Brow Pencil: I love the shade still. But the darned tip keeps breaking off when I’m sharpening - I don’t know how much of the pencil I’ve wasted. It’s just as well that the local MACs don’t seem to carry it anymore. I’ll be switching to the automatic Eye Brows in Fling.
5. Lip-liners: I don’t like how they change the consistency and opacity of glosses, somehow. I prefer just applying a lip primer to mute my lipcolor and keep my lip-line clean, without altering the lipgloss over it.