Guys, it's nearly Christmas. Skipping past the how, why and when of the matter, we all know that time moves super fast, there are few things I love more at Christmas - other than the food, the presents, the quality time with loved ones... in that order - than getting a bit jazzy with my make up. A glitter shadow here, a winged liner there, highlighters giving you the reflective appearance of a bauble... it's the most wonderful time of the year for us make up lovers, and you know all the other Christmas celebrating folk out there.
For me personally, there is nothing more festive than a red lip and I don't know if you know this about me but... I love lipstick. I super love lipstick. I know, I've been really low key about it, so why would you know? Anyway, shameless sarcasm aside, I know a thing or two about lipstick, particularly red lipstick. I just know what I'm talking about. I've done all of the research. In all seriousness though, I've been rocking a bold lip for a long time and I know what works and what doesn't. Here's my pick of the best red lipsticks for Christmas.
For those of you not quite ready to embrace a full on bold lip Generation G is the perfect entry point. A lightweight sheer matte lipstick, a concept that almost two years later I still can't quite wrap my head around, Generation G is essentially a tinted lip balm with a matte finish. It contains less pigment to create a diffused 'just blotted' look on the lips but can be layered to create something a bit more intense. It has a really soft, comfortable texture, that makes it ideal for everyday. and is designed to work with the wearer's natural lip colour to create a lipstick that is completely unique to them. It's very cool.
Now that I've lured you into a false sense of security with Glossier's Generation G, let's talk about Endangered Red, an intense burgundy that is so dark it's almost purple. Nars' Endangered Red is not for the faint hearted but if you, like me, have a fondness for a dark lip then this is one of the best. A chunky lip crayon with a rich, thick consistency, Endangered Red is really easy to apply and is beautifully pigmented with excellent colour pay off. It lasts well on the lips, (check out my tips for getting the most out of your lipstick here) and is a firm favourite because it's fabulous, but with a £22 price tag it bloody well should be.
A hybrid between a tinted balm and a matte lipstick, Bobbi Brown's Crushed Lip Color lipsticks were something of a game changer, offering a new type of lipstick that offered a wearable bold lip, when they first launched two years ago. Now, usually this type of lipstick wouldn't be my cup of tea. I prefer my lipsticks to be completely matte and long-lasting. Having said that, I can still appreciate a good lipstick, and this is a good lipstick.A deep wine red, Ruby - although I'm not sure why it's called Ruby when Wine or Merlot would've been a better fit - makes a dark, bolder lip more accessible to people who still find them quite frightening. And people do, even if I'm not one of them. This lipstick is here for those people. It has a soft matte finish and a creamy texture, which means the colour pay off isn't quite so intense, and is really comfortable to wear. It also fades down into a nice even stain so it doesn't have to be reapplied constantly. It's a really nice lipstick and a nice option for a more muted, toned down red that still adds a little somethin' somethin' to the lips.
A long time love of mine, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipsticks were kind of my entry point into lipstick when they first launched back in 2014! Five years later and Hot Pepper, a fiery orange-toned red, is still one of my very favourite liquid lipsticks, mostly because of it's unique gel-like formula, which has an almost bouncy texture making it super comfortable to wear. It also has great wear time, and whilst not completely transfer-proof, does stay where it's meant to. I've loved these for a long time because they are so nice.
MAC Retro Matte in Ruby Woo (£17.50)
We're getting to the really good stuff now, lads. The creme de la creme of red lippies (LOL autocorrect changed lippie to hippie, twice, and I'm still laughing), the Moët & Chandon of red lipstick. Sidenote: I have never drunk and am unlikely to ever drink Moët & Chandon but you get the gist. Yes readers, this stuff is the TITS! Something of a cult classic, and for really good reason, Ruby Woo is a beautiful, classic red that boasts a super dry formula, which almost has to be dragged onto the lips. However once it's on it's on, it does not move. Seriously, I wore this in Paris in 40°C heat and it did not budge, so it is more than capable of taking on a Christmas dinner. It's beautifully pigmented, which means the colour pay off is insane, making it a one swipe and done kind of application, and whilst it is drying not overly so and still comfortable enough to wear that you don't really notice it's there after a spell.
I believe it was Vanessa Williams who once said: "Sometimes the snow comes down in June, sometimes the sun goes round the moon, just when I thought our chance had past, you go and save the BEST FOR LAAAAAAAST!" And reader, that is EXACTLY what I have done. If you've followed my blog or watched any of my youtube videos (if not, why not hmmmm?) for even a minute you'll know that Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are my absolute favourite of all the lipsticks, and as I said earlier, I've done my research. Outlaw, a bright, bold red, and Nahz Fur Atoo, a dark burgundy, are perfect reds, offering absolutely everything I want in a matte liquid lipstick. They are pigmented, they last beautifully, they are comfortable and they're easy to reapply, with no clumping, bunching, caking of flaking in sight. The one gripe I have with them is that Outlaw does tend to transfer as it has a slightly creamier formula, probably due to the different pigment, but other than that they are damn near perfect.
l-r: Nars, Glossier, Bobbi Brown, Bourjois, Collection, Kat Von D Outlaw, Kat Von D Nahz Fur Atoo, Mac
What are you favourite festive reds? Let me know
L xxx
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