The Red Lip Wardrobe

The holiday season is in full force and if there was ever a time to wear red lips, that time would be now. Red lips are a great option year round, but around the holidays I love to put a red lip on. Over the years I've accumulated quite the collection - but I ain't really mad about it. I think every girl needs a red, and although no one needs this many it's really helped me build up a red lip wardrobe that I love. I've gotten my collection to cover all my basis - from drug store to high end, and from matte to satin to liquid formulas. Now I totally understand that I have way too many lip products for one person (and this group only contains the reds I deemed worthy to share..). But if you're looking for a new red lipstick number, look no further!

I know everyone always talks about those red lipsticks with yellow undertones vs blue undertones, but for the most part I don't really follow a certain path. I'll usually just swatch them and if they look good I'll go for them! It's all about trial and error, and mostly just finding what you think suits you best.

If you're really inclined to choose lip products with blue/yellow undertones, a quick check is to do the veins test. Simply look at the veins on your wrist and if they look blue you have a cool undertone, and if they look green then you have a warm undertone. And if it isn't a clear difference, then congrats - you're in the neutral group! Personally, my veins are more on the blue side so I tend to side with lip products on the cooler side with a blue undertone.

With the liquid lipstick craze that doesn't appear to be leaving anytime soon, let's start with my picks. On the neutral muted side I have the Kylie Cosmetics liquid lipstick in 22, which is described as a vibrant burnt orange. I have a swatch of me wearing that HERE, it's a perfect everyday "red" that has a softer look which makes it more wearable and easy to dress up or down. For my bright reds, I've still got Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Always Red and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso (they're basically dupes for one another). The Stila counterpart definitely lasts longer and is slightly brighter, but budget wise I think the Sephora one may be the winner. The newest addition to my red family is TooFaced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in Drop Dead Red which I picked up during the many beauty sales in November. I had previously picked up ColourPop LAX but I ended up hating the formula. I've been after a deep, vampy red-purple shade and this one just ticked all the boxes (for goodness sake, it's described as a mulberry shade - YAS). It's my first TooFaced lipstick product, and so far I like it. I did wear this to my holiday party with a layer of Nuxe Reve de Miel underneath but didn't completely wipe the balm off, lined my lips, and unfortunately it did start feathering around the edges anddd I got scared and just ended up wiping it off before I had a lip malfunction. Still gotta find a happy medium, but the color is beautiful and doesn't apply patchy in the least. Also, to be fair, I ate something oily which we all know is the demise of any liquid lipstick.

Next up are the many lipsticks. Let's work our way left to right based on the swatches below > > > What makeup collection is complete without MAC Ruby Woo? It's one of those hard to apply products, but once it's on, it is on. When I went to Paris last year I highly debated on which red lipstick to bring and in the end I went with Ruby Woo. It's definitely a bit sentimental to me as I wore it on my first day exploring Paris - it lasted through a morning at the Louvre, tons of food (including a Pain au Chocolat, of course), and hours of meandering around the most beautiful city ever. If you're on the fence, let's just save you the trouble and say - do it.

A somewhat recent addition to my collection is the MakeUpForEver lipstick in C404*. This one is a gorgeous bright glossy red which is also a must in any collection - check out my previous post to see what it looks like on HERE. Next up is NARS Afghan Red, which isn't exactly a red, but a nice gorgeous berry red. It's SO comfortable on the lips and gives that glossy finish, but at the same time completely sticks to your lips. It wears down well and fades nicely throughout the day. If you aren't into the glossy finish you can pat your lips with a tissue and it will help dry it down to more of a matte finish. On the budget friendly side is Rimmel 107 - such a classic drugstore essential. This has an interesting sweet/fruity scent, but it's also quite comfortable to wear. It's more of a red/wine shade and is one of those shades that can be patted in for a more casual shade, or worn full on for a bolder look. Another classic that almost every girl will have thanks to the NARSxSephora bday collaboration last year is the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella. This is a beautiful deep red that is flattering on every skin type. This is one of those bold lip colors that you can feel like a #girlboss rocking. Tbh, I need to get better use out of this one! Last up is quite possibly my safety net red - which is why it appears to be the most used of the bunch: MAC Viva Glam I. I've had this one for a good few years but it's still held up. It's one I had in college and one that I would whip out if I needed to use it for a special occasion. (Back in the day when I had less than 5 lipsticks.) My fun story with this one makes it a little more sentimental and a reason why I will most likely never get rid of it (or at least forever repurchase). Before I dated my boyfriend we were friends and at the beginning of our senior year in college he and his housemates threw a classic house party. We didn't have the same friends so when he invited me I was a bit nervous as I knew I wasn't going to know anyone (and none of my friends wanted to go with me). Anyways, I remember I whipped this out and wore this to the party. Quite bold and very much unlike me - who goes to a party with a bold lipstick without a friend to make sure it doesn't smudge everywhere?! Anyways, I'm pretty sure that sealed the deal because my boyfriend will still tell me he remembers me walking in with that red lip (LOL. Pretty sure red lipsticks are forever his weakness. I'm telling you guys, #bosslady status.)