This Red Lipstick, Too | NARS Audacious “Annabella”

The dilemma that lies behind a friend asking you to personally buy her a NARS Audacious lipstick like one you already own is certain...especially when you find at the counter they're out of stock of the exact shade she wants. It is here you're most likely to get waylaid yourself. Here follows that moment when you need to swatch the remaining shades of that wonderfully formulated NARS Audacious line (a seriously often sold out permanent range) to find a shade close to "RITA" (in Rustans Alabang they had like 6 shades left). So you buy your friend the shade "MARLENE" (subtle difference...a touch more brick) but in the process discover the amazing something-special red that is "ANNABELLA". You look up in a blur and helplessly glance at the saleslady speaking to you in warped, slow-mo speech "Last...one...na...po...yan".

NARS "Annabella is in the realm of MAC Lady Danger but it isn't as packed with orange. It is, to me anyway, a near perfect example of a balanced classic red for my complexion. NARS "Rita" (which I blogged about first here) is the deeper less shouty red I prefer to wear if I want something less game and more elegant. When you see "Annabella", it's somewhat bright but not garish at all on medium to fair skin.

You also can't immediately say whether it's more of blue red or a coral red. It's caught almost in the center but not quite. In my eyes it is the Janeane-Garofalo-in-Reality-Bites red lipstick that I've been waiting to find after all this time. The NARS Audacious lipstick regular retail price is Php1650 at Rustan's NARS counters. Hefty, yes, but for a lipstick that is this exact hue and still looks the way it does in my first photo above after having greasy beef sinigang soup, green mango and bagoong, and a glass of water (with no lipcolor transfer) you can't go wrong. The key technique which works for me is apply-blot-apply-blot then press your lips together. Hands down so far the NARS Audacious red lipsticks guarantee the most beautiful, low maintenance, comfortably worn red lips. I rest my case, someone switch on "My Sharona", if you don't know what that is just click.