Shopping For the Best Red Lipstick!

Here's the thing. Everyone can wear red lipstick, it's just that not everyone is confident enough to do it. Wearing red lipstick has nothing to do with your skin tone, it's all psychological. 

If you have never worn red lipstick, it is the ultimate game changer. It really is perfect, no matter your makeup routine. Red lipstick gives immediate chic to minimal makeup. I always think of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy as the poster girl for the red lipped minimalist!

Now that I've shot down your multiple excuses, let's find a good shade!

A good starting point is determining whether you have more golden or warmer skin tones or whether you have more pink or cooler tones. The majority of women have golden undertones despite the depth of their skin tone. I've always hated the whole "winter/spring/summer/fall" color category's, but if this is something you're familiar with run with it.

A good rule of thumb is if you are warmer toned, wearing cooler tones give a more dramatic look and vice versa. If you have a warmer undertone and wear warmer tones, it looks softer, often more natural ditto for cool toned folks.

When you think of all the glamour girls in film, books and on the music scene, I guarantee you that 99.9% have a photo of them wearing a red lip. I'd even venture a high percentage use red lipstick as their signature look! Finding a red lipstick is fun as there are so many levels of coverage, so many depth levels, so many different finishes that there is no excuse for not wearing the color. These are some of my faves!

Wet N Wild's Perty Persimmon is a beautiful warm red. It does have a coral-red tone to it, but leans more to a true tomato red.

Perty Persimmon is from the Megalast collection and is more of a satin finish, meaning not totally matte, but not glossy. It is also a great dupe for a couple of my favorite MAC lipsticks: So Chaud, Sail La Vie and Scarlet Ibis. Out of all three, the closest dupe is Scarlet Ibis as it gives the same coverage, same color payoff and same finish. 

Wet N Wild lipsticks are some of the best around. The whole brand has really stepped up their game and have come to the party, showing that they are a serious contender in the cosmetic world! 

Lady Danger (above) has been touted as a dupe for Perty Persimmon by a few other bloggers. They aren't totally on the wrong track, but it's just enough different in terms of color and coverage that take it off my dupe list. Lady Danger is more of an orange red than Perty Persimmon. Side By Side in the tube, they look pretty damn close, but when you swatch them, Lady Danger has more coverage, less sheen and almost makes Perty Persimmon look more pink red than coral red. Not a spot on dupe, but close enough for those that don't really care.

Again, this is not rocket science, but most lipstick customers appreciate the hair splitting efforts we bloggers go to. You're welcome.

About a year ago, I really got into Wet n Wild and started discovering some of the lipsticks that are featured in this post and on the lips of my many models and other clients. Salsa Lessons was my first WNW lipstick purchase and I definitely chose right! 

I love the texture and hydration from this formula. If you have parched lips or tend to apply a rich balm before your lipstick, you won't need to with the Mega Shield formula. You truly can get rich color, quenching hydration, buildable coverage and great wear! This is very comparable to Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine but more color range and more moisturizing. I got this as a close dupe for Liberté from Chanel and even though it's not a dead on dupe, I actually like it better and have used it way more than my Chanel lipsticks.

Wet N Wild, if you're reading, I must have one of each color in this formula!!!!!

Cherry Picking is yet another Wet N Wild star! Cherry Picking is the perfect cool toned lipstick, hands down. Each time I see a new cool red lipstick or gloss, they pale in comparison to this baby!

Wet N Wild is known for having dupes for more spendy lines and doing them better and this is a perfect reflection of this fact. Cherry Picking is a great dupe for another limited edition lipstick, MAC's Love Goddess. That collection was sold out before I got around to shop for it, so this color was salve for my hearts deep wound!

I once had a dream that I was searching high and low for a red lipstick from NARS and nearly wept when I finally had it in my hot little hands. True story!

Gypsy is a sheer berry red and a more neutral red. If you are looking to start off slow on #TeamRedLips, this might be a good one for all skin colors and undertones. If you naturally have darker lips, it will be a "your lips but better" look as it is a more sheer coverage formula. It will give you healthy shine and is a great one to just have in your purse when you need to polish up before heading in to the post office.

Cailyn Cosmetics is a newer brand for me and was featured in my 5 Minute Makeup review recently http://missladymo.blogspot.com/2013/10/5-minute-makeup-glam-edition.html . You're welcome!

It is marketed as a balm, but it is almost a cross between a stain and a balm. It gives a matte finish, full coverage and deep pigment like a stain, but is lightweight like a lip balm. 

In the photo above, I used it on its own, but this is great as a base if you have sparkly gloss to put on top!

Chanel has always been my go to for a red lipstick. Rivoli was a new red for me after rocking the blue red of Coco Red for many years. This is a deep red that has almost a chocolate covered cherry effect to it. It's very rich in coverage and finish. The only thing that Chanel neophytes might not like, is the rosewater fragrance of Chanel's lipsticks. I think that is part of its charm and really make me feel more glam when I put it on.

Btw, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has Face Stockholm's Cranberry Veil, Bobby Brown's Ruby Sheer (formerly Ruby Stain) and MAC's Russian Red in her arsenal. 

You're welcome again ;)

Feel free to give me a shout at mo9191976@aol.com