I was originally going to title this My Favorite Reds, but then the first two entries (or the post entirely) would obviously be taken over by the Shawshank Redemption and That 70s Show… So a more makeup centric idiom was needed. While I’ve been dabbling in berry colored lipsticks the past few weeks, I’m still ever the sucker for a nice bold, red lip.
I didn’t intend to line them up in any particular way, but it does seem that I did order them from newest to oldest… From left to right we have: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam, Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Revolution Lipstick in Mrs. Mia Wallace, L’Oréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Ruby Opera, Mac Ruby Woo, and Bite VIB Rogue Créme Lipstick. All swatched below in the same order:
Just like the name implies, the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream glides on super nicely and then dries matte. I did find that while it is a matte formula, it wasn’t overly drying like Mac or NARS matte pencils. It does cling to dry patches something fierce though. If I don’t use I lip scrub before applying this, it’s noticeable, and has a tendency to pill. That being said when you do start with a prepped surface, the finish is nice and smooth, and hardly has any transfer. Unless I’m eating a bunch, I rarely have to reapply, and as the day goes on it wears down to a nice stain – as opposed to an uneven smudged mess.
If you have been reading us for a while (or following us on instagram), you won’t be surprised to see the Urban Decay Pulp Fiction lipstick included in this lineup. I was pretty impressed with my initial run through of it (written up here), and even wore it for like 4 days straight after posting it. Overall, super great color that wears great. My only complaint is that it was a special edition color, that I unfortunately did not stock up on. I have seen a bunch of the Pulp Fiction line hanging around some of the Nordstrom Rack stores lately though, so if you can find it, I definitely recommend picking some up.
I was lucky enough to be sent a full size sample of the L’Oréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire via Allure Beauty Enthusiasts before they announced their 2014 best in beauty awards. Though I was skeptical of the applicator shape (and the fact that it was a gloss…) at first, it ended up winning me over hard core. The applicator is not quite a doe foot, it’s like a doe foot that got thrown in front of those steam roller things. It’s rather flat and flexible, and while it took a little getting used to, I can pretty much apply this without a mirror (pointed cupids bow and all). Not something I can say for any of the other reds I’ve listed here. It’s also crazy moisturizing, and smells amazing. I was not expecting it to be as pigmented as it is either, and while this transfers a bit if you’re drinking coffee all day at work, it does leave a nice stained lip look like the NYX does. Finally, it’s shiny without being sticky – officially making this the only gloss that I actually will wear, let alone like to wear.
After randomly deciding to hit up Vegas for a girl’s weekend last year, the obvious next step after booking tickets was to pick out a new little black dress and red lipstick. I had been reading about how Mac‘s Ruby Woo was the penultimate shade that simply looked good on everyone, so a-swatching I went. It did look good. And in my basket it went. Wear and tear wise, this is probably the longest lasting of the bunch. Which probably has to do with the fact that it is also the driest and most matte. It has quite a bit of drag and pull during application (using a lip brush does alleviate this a bit), but hours later that blue-toned red will still be super pigmented and still making your teeth look slightly whiter. It’s very much a dependable, classic choice.
Upon my reaching VIB Rogue status, Sephora kindly sent me a mini-sized version of Bite Beauty‘s VIB Rouge Créme Lipstick. Unfortunately at the time it got stuffed in the back corner of my medicine cabinet. Thankfully, I rediscovered it upon cleaning out my stash of Ipsy bags. Hands down this is my favorite red color, unfortunately this formula has the most transfer out of the bunch. The formula is very creamy, and feels quite nice on due to how moisturizing the included oils are, but that probably contributes to the transfer rate. Even with a lip primer, this is one you’d want to keep with you for touch ups throughout the day. I’ve heard of some of the other beauty bloggers having some problems with color bleed, but I personally haven’t experienced that with it yet. At the end of the day though, the finish and the color itself totally outweigh my dislike of its transfer.
Here is another angle of the swatches. As Oregon was having a typical overcast day, you can’t really see much of the glossy sheen from the L’Oréal Colour Riche (#3), but the NYX (#1) and Mac (#4) swatches have an obvious matte finish.
You can find the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream here. While the Mrs. Mia Wallace shade is specifically sold out, you can find other shades of the Urban Decay Revoloution Lipstick here. The L’Oréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire here. The Mac Lipstick in Ruby Woo here. If you’re a VIB Rouge at Sephora you can get that specific shade here, otherwise there are similar Luminous Crême shades here.
What are your Holy Grail reds?
♡Em
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