Beauty Look: Red Lipstick

Red lipstick has become an iconic, bold shade. When worn the color expresses power and confidence. A classic red lip is timeless as seen on celebrities of the past like Marylin Monroe or of the present: Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and Rita Ora. The red lip trend has increased in popularity over the years that today it can be seen on almost every starlet at least once. Now that the trend is so wearable there are many color option by a wide variety of cosmetic brands. My favorite reds are by MAC. I have tried out Russian Red, Chili, Lady Danger and Ruby Woo. Russian Red is a classic red, that unfortunately I lost on a trip.  Of the four shades, Chili is my overall favorite because it has a warm, brick red shade that is more subtle for everyday wear. Ruby Woo is another favorite and a favorite of MAC buyers because of its blue undertones and the shade looks great on all skin tones. Both Chili and Ruby Woo are matte lipsticks. I find that matte lipsticks, like all MAC shades, have a long lasting wear ability however they can feel a bit dry and hard to get on.  Lady Danger is a bright, vivid coral/orange shade that comes on very easy. 

For those that want a more inexpensive option in the red lip trend. Pictured above are Alverde in 40 Red Love, Revlon Color Burst in 080 Coral, Barry M in 121/307 and L'oreal Infallible Gloss in 320. Alverde is a all natural cosmetic brand. Red Love is a good dark, warm shade however I find that it can feel sticky for a while and it does not last very long. Revlon's Color Burst is a coral, more orange tones lip color. The lipstick's creamy texture allows it to glide on easily. The one drawback with this particular shade is that it does not have the staying power of other colors in the series. The color Barry M's is a classic red that comes on very easy yet does not last so long as the MAC lipsticks. L'oreal's Infallible Gloss is high in gloss and is very long lasting. The shade can be seen on Gwen Stefani in her Settle Down video. 

I'm known to wear some red shade almost everyday. To prepare for the look I exfoliate my lips by rotating a toothbrush in a circular motion over my lips. Then I apply a moisturizing lip balm. My favorite is Smith's Rosebud Slave from Sephora. I leave the lip balm on while I finish my makeup and get dressed. Finally when I'm ready for the lipstick, I blot the excess balm and apply my desired shade. I like to do this before I wear a matte lipstick to prevent any dryness and to make it easier to put on.