The Hit List: Best Red Lip Products
Ah, the red lip. A statement of femininity for decades. I love wearing a red lip, both in the evening and even during the day sometimes, to perk myself up when I’m feeling a bit drab.
Here are my top picks for red lip products, from pencils to lipsticks to glosses, and everything in between.
- MAC “Lady Danger” Lipstick (x)
- MAC “Russian Red” Lip Glass (x)
- Sephora #20 “Real Red” Nano Lip Liner (x)
- Revlon #035 “Candy Apple” Colorburst Lip Butter (x)
- MAC “Russian Red” Lipstick (x)
- Revlon “Firecracker” Super Lustrous Lipgloss (x)
- Urban Decay “Revlolution” Lipstick (unavailable)
- NARS “Dragon Girl” Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (x)
- MAC “Viva Glam I” Lipstick (x)
All of these are beautiful on, and I’ve worn them all both individually (yes, the pencils too) and in combination with one another for an eye-popping effect.
It really just depends on what I’m looking for that day – something sheer and effortless, something more glamourous, something matte, glossy, pink/orange based, etc.
1. MAC’s “Lady Danger” is a gorgeous, orange-based red. It has a creamy formula – not completely matte, but not glossy either – and feels marvellous on. Buying beware, though: it’s incredibly bright, almost neon! So if you’re not used to stares, either skip it or tone it down with a less-bright gloss over top.
2. MAC’s “Russian Red” Lip Glass is the perfect pair to their well-loved “Russian Red” lipstick. It’s very opaque and powerful, and a little goes a long way. If you’re looking for something more subtle, apply only a tiny bit, and spread it over your lips. Otherwise, apply it normally for a full-on, glossy red pout. You don’t even need to wear a red lipstick underneath!
3. Sephora’s “Real Red” Nano Lip Liner is a little gem I came upon nearly accidentally. I needed a basic red lip liner, and grabbed the cheapest one I could find at Sephora. For only $7, it’s completely brilliant! It works as any normal lip liner does, to line the edges of your lips before applying lipstick, but I prefer to use it by itself, as an all-over lip liner. Looks fantastic and stays put all day!
4. Revlon’s “Candy Apple” Lip Butter is probably one of my favorite lip products of all time. Semi-sheer, it can be made to look like a natural, healthy flush, but you can build it up into a proper red lip. Its creamy, moisturizing formula makes it feel like a balm on your lips, and it’s super low maintenance – you can reapply without a mirror!
5. MAC’s “Russian Red” Lipstick is a cult favorite, and with good reason. It’s the classic, matte, vintage pin-up red. Need I say more? Being a blue-based red, it makes your teeth look whiter, so bonus points for that! It’s extremely similar in color to MAC’s “Ruby Woo”, but slightly less drying on your lips.
6. Revlon’s “Firecracker” Lipgloss is a nice, sheer red gloss. It’s great to dab on top of a red lipstick to make it slightly more moisturizing without tampering with the color of the lipstick too much. On it’s own, it’s an coppery red, which makes it particularly flattering on redheads (though all hair colors can rock it).
7. Urban Decay’s “Revolution” Lipstick is da bomb dot com. Another true red hue, but more moisturizing and glossy than its MAC counterparts. I always get a ton of compliments when I wear this. Plus, the packaging is amazing – it has a sword hilt at the bottom, so you can feel like a real badass! (While writing this post I discovered that Urban Decay discontinued their lipstick line, which is a real shame.)
8. NARS “Dragon Girl” Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is just spectacular. Their Velvet Matte lip pencils are unlike any lip product I’ve ever experienced. They go on like, well…velvet. Though completely matte, they’re not at all drying, and last for hours and hours. They actually feel like you’re not wearing anything at all on your lips! Dragon Girl is more pink-based than any of these others are, but oh so Mad Men. Love it.
9. And finally, MAC’s “Viva Glam I” Lipstick. The first lipstick I ever bought from them, actually! It’s another beautiful matte red, but darker and vampier than the others. Looks wonderfully dramatic on – think Eva Green as Vesper in the Bond film. I would be remiss not to mention that 100% of all proceeds from MAC’s Viva Glam lipstick line go towards fighting AIDS in Africa!
And finally, some swatchy-swatches so you can compare the colors:
Do you have a favorite red lip product? Share it with me below! x
-
Liz
