Ravishing REDS!

Hey Beauties!

Have you tried wearing red lipstick? I can be intimidating for some people, particularly for our fairer haired friends. There are so many shades of red out there: deep dark burgundy to paler coral red. I truly believe that there is a red for everyone, but I acknowledge that it can be very difficult to find that perfect red. Some people still have a mind block about red...they have the perception that it is trampy or trashy. I think that is only true if the person wearing it is going for that image. Red is CLASSIC! In the 40's red was the standard! Ok, enough of the soapbox...

I have used Mary Kay lipstick in "Red" for years. It is definitely in that darker wine-red category, but for my pale skin, the blueness of the red works perfectly, if only for a more dramatic look. This lipstick has good staying power, stains well and doesn't have too much slip.

I recently purchased two reds in a couple of new lines, so here is what I found...

I tried the L'Oreal Color Riche (with lip serum in the middle of the lipstick) "Real Red" first. It is a very vibrant blue-red (as opposed to an orange-red) that will definitely get you noticed! The lipstick went on so creamy and smooth, it was like heaven, but after a few minutes, my lips started to sort of tingle. I toughed that out, owing it to the serum that you can see right in the middle of the stick. In my work, I talk to professional clients both on the phone and in person. I really don't want to worry about my lipstick, so good staying power that doesn't dry out my lips ranks as tops in my book, which was why I tried this particular product with the serum inside. I checked my lipstick after about an hour because it felt like it was wearing off and sure enough, it was. As the formula warmed up on my lips, it became very slippery and it began to wander outside my lip line...right over the lip liner...and it just disappeared (yeah, I know, it was on my water cup and I'm sure I swallowed a bunch). Even though it was a good color, it just had too much slip and virtually no staining power. I give this stuff an F, which is sad, because I have several of the original Color Riche line and I love them.

The second one was the Maybelline Colorsensational "Red Revival." This is also a blue-red, but in a slightly darker shade. By darker, I mean just not as bright. It is still a basic red, but I wouldn't say it was bright. This lipstick went on smoothly, a bit thicker and lots less slippery than the L'Oreal. Again, I was at work (which I consider to be the ultimate test for lip products!) but I did not feel it wearing off. In fact, I was stunned to see that it was still perfect after a couple of hours!! This had all the makings of a brand new HG!! After lunch I reapplied and did not have to touch up until I had a snack later in the afternoon. Then I touched it up and it lasted the rest of the day. This stuff is AWESOME!! A+ I plan to get a couple more colors!

A note about application: I always use a lip liner pencil with red or any color far away from my natural lip color. For red I love MAC "Brick" or "Cherry" Lip Pencils, and for bright pinks (MAC "Lickable" is my fav) I love "Cranapple" Creamstick Pearl Liner also from MAC. I don't always use a lip liner with nude shades but I like Maybelline's "Toast" color. I start by making sure my lips are smooth and exfoliated. Then I apply a tiny swipe of Burt's Bees Lip Balm. I use the pencil to outline then fill in my lips. Then I blot with one ply of a two ply tissue, the cheap kind, not Puffs or anything too soft or you'll get lint all over your lips. Then I apply the lipstick carefully to my lips, ideally with a brush, but more typically from the tube at a stoplight in the car. I press my lips together, blot, check the outline and use either a reverse lip liner like DuWop or concealer (I love my Smashbox Camera Ready Concealer for this because it is in a slim tube that fits well in my makeup case) around the outside of the lip line to correct or contain the color. Then one more light coat and Voila! Perfection!

My first attempt at swatches...not a fabulous pic, but let's just go with it...

L to R: Mary Kay Red, L'Oreal Color Riche True Red, Maybelline Red Revival, MAC Brick Lip Liner.

I hope you'll consider trying one of this fall's most popular trends, although I would say that red really never goes out of style. Go somewhere to try different colors, like Sephora or other makeup counter, until you find the one that you like. You can also go to Maybelline's Color Advisor at http://www.maybelline.com/mca/index.aspx to locate your best shade!

Until next time, Stay Beautiful!!

Suz

P.S. Stay tuned for a video blog test...I want to see what my web cam can do...