From left to right: Bordeaux, Fervor, Berry Queen, Ruby, Alarm, Coral
There is no denying it, in terms of makeup nothing makes more of a statement than red lips. Choose your cliché; pin-up girl/ Hollywood bombshell/ edgy rocker /hipster/geisha (you get the idea) red lips have got you covered. Yet, because red is such an intense color it can be very intimidating to wear especially during the daytime. However, I do have some tips and tricks to tone down the color without losing the impact. The great thing about this trend is that anyone of any age can pull it off, assuming you have found a shade of red that compliments your skin tone, outfit, hair, etc... These are a few of my recommendations, for quality red lipsticks that are affordable!
Bordeaux by Rimmel London: This color is just beautiful, it’s a dark, vampy burgundy color with a glossy finish and bold pigmentation.This type of “ox blood” lip colors are very on trend right now but beware! Although it looks sultry on fair skin it can also wash out the complexion, so to avoid looking like a Goth (unless that’s what you’re going for) be sure to warm up the skin with a subtle bronzer.
“Fervor” by Cover Girl: This is a lovely muted, burgundy that is the most wearable red I own.The formula is creamy with a slight sheen. “Fervour” is a very unique color, it’s difficult to find pretty, brown toned lipsticks, so I knew I had to have it when I saw it. I think that this would look beautiful on darker ladies as well and it’s very work appropriate too.
“Berry Queen” by Rimmel London: I love Rimmel lip products and “Berry Queen” is one of my favorite reds.I would describe it as a dark, berry toned red. No lip gloss is required as it is already very glossy and I know from personal experience, that adding gloss just dilutes the intensity of this color. One thing about “Berry Queen” I could do without would be its strong “lipstick” smell.
“Ruby” by Revlon: In my opinion, the ColorBurst lipsticks are some of the best at the drugstore, I wanted to love ruby when I bought it, but I just like it. As you can see, it’s very similar to “Alarm” and “Berry Queen”, however I would say that this is my least favorite. Ruby is a pretty, true red with blue undertones. Like the others it has a very glossy finish, however the color payoff is not the best, and you do have to layer it on pretty thickly. Nevertheless, “Ruby” is still a fun, festive color.
“Alarm” by Rimmel London: “Alarm” is a bright orange toned red that is similar to “Ruby” except that it has a more satin finish and is a little thicker and more pigmented in terms of the formula. It has a sweet bubble gum scent and it’s the perfect color if you are going for that vintage, pinup girl look.
“Coral” by Revlon:This is another one of my favorite red lipsticks. The formula is rich and creamy, with a vivid orange/coral tone and a subtle glossy sheen.I saw a lot of girls on my university campus sporting this kind of punchy red lip these past couple of years, and I love it! The orange undertones also flatter warmer, honey complexions, but I see lots of girls with porcelain skin wearing it too and it looks striking.
From left to right: Bordeaux, Fervor, Berry Queen, Ruby, Alarm, Coral
Red lips are sexy, seductive and also very, very high maintenance. For best results I recommend using a lip liner beforehand and filling in the entire lip, not just outlining it. Blotting is of course a useful tip that will help keep the lipstick from smearing off. I would also suggest using minimal or no gloss as is can cause the color to bleed and look messy. Finally if you really want to get fancy you can outline your lips with a concealer or a flesh toned makeup pencil to really make the color pop. Thanks for reading, be sure to drop by soon!
