Our Favorite Retro Reds

Today we want to talk about red lipstick. It's been around since lipstick first came about. Red. Scarlet. Rouge. It's the favorite color of most pin-ups or vintage makeup enthusiasts today. Here are our favorites and why:

Tara's favorite: House of Exposure's Helmet Red.

Why: It stays on all day. A little bit comes off here and there when I kiss the husband or drink coffee, but for the most part it has excellent staying power. It keeps my list moist and doesn't dry them out like that popular lipsense stuff. It's a color that promises to look good on any skin tone. 

The results:

Get your own:

Christina's Favorites: I have to say this was a tough one for me to write because I have SO many red lipsticks, but I was able to narrow it down to my top reds, some are favorites, some were favorites.. I don't really have a #1 favorite, so just know these are not in rated order, they are in a completely random order.

#1 NYX Liquid Suede in Kitten Heels
#2 Absolute New York Matte Stick in Dark Red
#3 L'ORÉAL Infallible 2-Step Lip Color in Continual Crimson
#4 Hard Candy Velvet Mousse in Tulip

Next to a window.

I tried to get some decent comparison photos here so you could see the various kinds of lighting that would affect the color of your lipstick. The NYX and Hard Candy are tied for my top favorite. 

#1 I like the NYX because it is more of a warm undertone red, and it applies velvety smooth. I talk about this brand my outfit of the day post from 6/8 & 6/9. It lasts all day, and I rarely have any issues with this brand. It leaves my lips feeling soft and moist all day.

#2 The Absolute New York is a standard waxy formula lipstick that I found to be a little bit dry, and a little bit on the purple side, but I got it free in my Ipsy Glambag, so I'm not complaining. It makes a good base to put a lighter red over, to add a more dramatic ombre look. 

#3 The L'ORÉAL I have a love/hate relationship with. It was one of my first 2-part lipsticks, and I thought it was great until I realized I hate 2-part lipsticks. When you first apply it it is all shiny and smooth and everything seems like it's going great but it is extremely sticky when it dries and you better hope you don't get a thick spot and you need to add more because then it gets all chunky and uneven and you basically have to hope you do not have to start over. Then you add the clear coat, which don't get me wrong, it does last for a long time, but then when you start to dry up and need to add more clear, which rubs more of the color off. If you do decide that you need to add more color, you better forget it because it just clumps up into little balls and rolls off your lips, which is incredibly disgusting. It's a little hard to tell in the photos but it is a blue-base formula, and it is slightly transparent as well. It was my favorite until I realized there are better lipsticks out there for me, but again, if you like 2-part lipsticks this may be for you. I know lots of women that love lipsense and lots that hate it, so it is definitely different for everyone.

#4 If I'm being completely honest with myself I bought the Hard Candy Velvet Mousse because it came in an adorable little tin with a mirror, that I now use for bobby pins in my purse (win-win). But I do really like the formula. It has more of a cold undertone to it, which works well in comparison with the NYX, I have found the formula for the two is very similar, but there is a huge difference between a warm undertone and cold undertone red lipstick. The formula is very creamy and smooth, and I can wear it all day without having to re-apply.

Sitting at my vanity, with soft white light bulbs.

Next to a window.

 I forgot to also add, the nice thing about the velvet mousse/liquid lipsticks, at least with these ones here, is that you do not need a lip liner. The formula is just thick enough that it does not run into my foundation, or off my lips when I wear them bare-face. The Absolute New York one however I have found does need a liner because it tends to spread as your lips warm up, since it is waxy. But again, the Absolute New York one also requires multiple applications, if you like wax-based lipsticks though it is great.

Next to a window.

  Here I attempted to remove the lipsticks with a Walmart brand makeup remover wipe. I didn't scrub too much, so as not to make my entire arm red, but as you can see, they all left a bit of a stain, which is to be expected with red lipstick. The L'ORÉAL left the darkest stain, remember I mentioned getting thick spots? The Absolute New York rubbed off almost completely in one swipe.

And that concludes my favorite reds, but one thing to remember is that every lipstick in any color will look different for each person depending on personal preference as well as skin tone. Knowing your skin tone is very important when it comes to red lipstick, because it will help you determine which undertone will look best with your skin tone. I am a warm undertone, though I am pale, but I still prefer to use both warm and cold undertone red lipsticks depending on my outfit. I do hope you found this article helpful and I know there are a whole bunch out there that I have not tried yet, and I would love to hear your opinions on these, and let me know your favorites in the comments below!

Ginger's Favorites:

Two of my favs are the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Mega Matte and Lipsense Blu-Red.

I got the Urban Decay Mega Matte at Nordstrom Rack for about $10. Yes, I said Urban Decay for $10... (They have a dang good selection of high end makeup for super cheap prices. I know, who would have thought!)

I get the Lipsense from a friend at work.

Lipsense Blu-Red
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Mega Matte



Blu-Red
Mega Matte

Urban Decay Mega Matte

Urban Decay - Top
Blu-Red with Matte Gloss - Middle
Dark Pink with Blu-Red over it - Bottom

 You can mix the Lipsense colors to make new ones. Here I have used a Dark Pink base with Blu-Red over it. See how that deepens the color... I lover that!

Lipsense Matte Gloss
Lipsense Blu-Red

Note that on the Lispense I use the Matte Gloss. I can't stand shiny glossy Gloss. It is that wet, sticky, smack your lips all day feel that you get with any gloss, yuck! I love the Matte though. It covers the tackiness of the color but feels silky when it dries. I do put it on 3 - 4 times throughout the day and evening but in my opinion that isn't bad for a color that lasts until you scrub it off. I have not had any issue with drying out my lips that some people experience.

Using Coconut Oil as makeup remover

 I use coconut oil as a makeup remover. It works fabulous on my whole face, even the waterproof stuff... It also acts as my moisturizer.

Using Granier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water to remove Lipsense

I don't like the Lipsense Oops remover, it tastes GROSS and for some reason it irritates my throat. Oh! and it doesn't work as well as I would like for that price. My daughter had me use the Granier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water on the cotton ball to remove the Lipsense and I loved it.

The removers I use

Both removers are available at Target, Walmart, etc.