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Friday 8 February 2013

Lipsticks For... When you want to feel like Marilyn Monroe

Hi, everyone! A couple days ago I launched my first-ever giveaway to celebrate my 100+ follower milestone. Exciting! You can check it out here!

Now onto another lipstick-by-colour family entry! Over the past few weeks I've highlighted my vampycoralhot pink, and nude lipstick shades and today's post is all about reds. Though I don't reach for red lipsticks on a regular basis, there's no denying that a red lip is a fail-proof way to feel instantly dramatic, sexy, and classic. Who doesn't want to channel Marilyn Monroe (or any of the lovely screen sirens and pinups from days past) once in a while?!

My collection ranges from vivid tomato reds to cooler-toned vibrant cherries, some of which just narrowly escaped being included in my coral/orange and hot pink/fuchsia groups. They vary from shiny and sheer to full-on matte finishes; truly a red for everyone! Hope you see one that channels your inner pin-up :)

(L-R): MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition, NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella, Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover, Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon

Close-ups of the lipsticks:


(L-R): MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition

(L-R): Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition (also in previous photo), NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella, Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover

 (L-R): Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon


And swatches!

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition, NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella, Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover, Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon


Close-ups of the swatches:

(L-R): MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition, NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella

(L-R): Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover, Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon


I've featured a good number of these shades in past posts, so check the links below to see photos of me wearing them!

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug is one of my favourite MAC lipsticks. Ever. It's a lovely orange-based red with a slightly sheer, slightly shiny finish. Great for those who want to try a red lip but don't want full-on colour. You can see me wearing it here!
NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave has a similar tone to MAC Ladybug, but is slightly warmer (it has a very orange base) and has a more opaque, matte finish. Extremely vibrant, yet quite sophisticated. Makes me feel like a 1940s screen siren. Can't go wrong with that! You can see me feature it here.
Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition is the brightest and most opaque warm red in my collection. It's incredibly vivid and bold and has a lovely creamy finish. You can see me wearing it (mixed with Lush Emotional Brilliance Lipstick in Power) here!
NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella is a full-coloured, matte red with a slightly cool base (but without leaning pink or fuchsia) that evokes the power of the Disney villainess herself. Very matte, quite bold, but surprisingly flattering! See my review of it here.
Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover was one of the first red lipsticks (and first high-end lipsticks) I ever bought. It's a deep, nearly-vampy, slightly cool red with a satin finish. Instant drama! See me wearing it, here and here.
Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse could have easily made it into my fuchsia lipstick category, but it crept into this post because its name. It's a bright, slightly warm electric pink-red that feels quite comfortable on the lips. The finish is not-quite opaque and nicely moisturizing. See my review of it here!
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry is a moisturizing, sheer cherry red that packs a nice colour punch without being overpowering on the lips. I wore it nearly daily during December; the semi-sheerness makes it versatile and the gorgeous colour and packaging make it unique! You can see me wearing it here.
Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon is one of the newest reds in my collection. The formula is quite unique- it feels creamy on application, but dries down to a matte finish that feels surprisingly comfortable on the lips. It's a stunning, bold cherry red that's not for the feint of heart. It's also the only red from today's post that I haven't featured on the blog previously, but I'm planning a 'look of the day' with it soon. Stay tuned!


And a few more photos for good measure! Giant-sized so you get the full picture :)

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ladybug, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition, NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella, Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover, Dior Rouge Dior in Red Muse, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon


There you have it! This post has definitely reminded me of some of the unique and luxurious red shades I have in my collection. I really have to channel my glamorous side more often!

What are some of your favourite red shades? Do you love a red lip or do you find the look intimidating? Any of the shades I've featured calling your name? :)

Thanks for reading!

53 comments:

  1. Great swatches, The Nars Heatwave looks lovely and I'm impressed with the lush lipstick! Their makeup range is something that I never even think about looking at because I don't associate lush with makeup but I think I'm going to have to go and have a better look at their range :)
    Rosalie x
    rosaliejayne.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, the Lush Emotional Brilliance line is worth checking out for sure! Very unique shades and formulation. And NARS Heat Wave really is lovely :)

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  2. I love the looks of the Lush lipstick! I really need to pick up a few of their cosmetics besides shampoo and lip scrubs. My current red lip (I only have one at a time) is Kate Moss by Rimmel in the shade 01. However I'm finding it too dark for my moods lately, so I'm in the market for a brighter, lighter red - perhaps another Revlon Balm Stain? ;) xxx

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    Replies
    1. You should check out the Lush makeup range for sure! And thanks for the Rimmel recommendation! I actually just got Revlon Balm Stain in Romantic (a bright, warm red) and have been loving it :)

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  3. You have a lot of lipsticks girl! and every time I see one of your lipstick's posts I am getting more and more curios about the Lush's Liquid lipsticks xx

    www.lam-style.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Haha, yeah- my collection is pretty crazy! You should check out the Lush lipsticks for sure! Really some unqiue shades :)

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  4. This proves u can never have enough red shades.. Love it x

    1stepclosereveryday.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. hourglass is amazing! and they also have a stellar liquid foundation.
    another great red is from kate moss' rimmel - def check it out.
    now following you on gfc. hope you do the same xx
    www.vicariousLA.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the recommendations, and for following! I'll check out your blog for sure :)

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  6. You have me lusting after so many reds now xx

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  7. GAH, I have so much red lipstick, but that LUSH one is killing me right now! It's so perf.
    This post is amazing~

    xo,
    www.derae.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, Lush Ambition is super gorgeous! Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by :)

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  8. Replies
    1. Yay! Glad you liked the post :) Thanks for taking the time to comment xoox

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  9. Red is probably my favourite colour lipstick! I like the look of the Lush lipstick the most. The red lip colours I love the most in my collection is MAC Ruby Woo and Revlon balm stain in Romantic.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, the Lush shade is totally fantastic! I actually just purchased Revlon Romantic and have been loving it! I've heard so many great things about Ruby Woo- I'll have to check it out soon :)

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  10. Amazing swatches! The Lush emotional brilliance swatch looks gorgeous. I've been meaning to buy it lately but still haven't ahhh :(

    dreamdustx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Louise! Seems like Lush Ambition has made an impression- have gotten a lot of comments about it. It really is a unique shade! :)

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  11. Gorgeous collection. Beautiful swatches. Wish I have your lipstick collection.
    xx

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    1. Aww, thanks Wanischa! Appreciate your comment, as always :) xoxo

      Delete
  12. I also love lipsticks!
    I like your blog, would you like to follow each other? I've already followed you ;))

    Kisses :)

    http://jesuismonika.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Monica! I'll check out your blog for sure :)

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  13. i'm so desperate to try a nars velvet pencil!

    from helen at thelovecatsinc // youtube

    ps. enter my new giveaway to win the UD naked basics palette, real techniques brushes and essie polishes! click here.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, the Velvet Pencils really have a unique texture and some great shades! Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  14. Wow, you're lipstick collection is impressive. And those are just the red ones!:) I love a bright lip, so I really like most of these products.

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    1. Thanks, Peet! Glad you saw some shades that you liked here :)

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  15. I think a good red lip can really make an outfit, although I do find it too much sometimes to wear everyday! The nars pencil is my favourite shade xx

    http://aztecdoll.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, a red lip can really make a huge impact! Cruella really is a fantastic shade- glad I piqued your interest :)

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  16. Beautiful collection of reds here I have tried the lush lippies but some people say they dry the lips out really bad but I always use lip balm after applying love the post xx

    http://krystelcouture.blogspot.co.uk/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Krystel! Yeah, the Lush lipsticks can be slightly drying, but nothing some lip balm can't fix! Glad you enjoyed the post :)

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  17. I really want the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy in Luscious Cherry. It's not as sheer as I thought it would be. Looks a like nice lovely shade for valentines.

    http://beautyonrehab.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I shied away from the Sheer Candy range for a while because I heard they were super sheer, but Luscious Cherry really does have a good amount of colour! Great for Valentine's, indeed :)

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  18. These are all such beautiful colours!
    http://thelipstickthegirlandherwardrobe.blogspot.co.uk

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  19. Love all these shades.. Uve got soo many reds :o xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, yeah- I do have quite a few! Glad you saw some shades you liked :)

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  20. Gorgeous shades - great swatches too :) x


    www.ofbeautyandnothingness.blogspot.co.uk

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  21. What a great collection!
    I'm not a huge fan of pillarbox red (on me that is) but I love deeper toned, ruby red type colours.
    I think that my favourite is the Nars pencil in Cruella.
    I've also just ordered my first MAC red lipstick which I think is comparable to that shade :D

    Emily x - prettypleaseprettyplease.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Emily! Glad you're liking Cruella- it really is a great shade! And yay to new MAC lipsticks :)

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  22. Omg! You made me fall in love with red lippies even more. :) I am now eyeing on that NARS velvet pencil in cruella. :)

    The Sun Kissed Girl

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    Replies
    1. Yay- glad this post inspired you! You should check out Cruella for sure- it's a fantastic shade :)

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  23. Beaut colours!!
    I defo want ALL of these

    http://www.candyliquor.co.uk
    UK High Street Fashion & Style
    xoxo

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  24. Great swatches! my faorite is the lush one, so intense! Would never choose that one, that's why swatches are so important.

    http://lookluisa.blogspot.pt

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    1. Yeah, the Lush lipsticks have really surprised me! Glad you saw some shades that you liked- and thanks for the kind words! :)

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  25. So fabulous! Looking good!

    www.goodbadandfab.com
    personal style and fashion musings of a LA fashion lawyer living life in the fab lane!

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  26. I noticed you have quite a lot of Lush Liquid Lipsticks, what do you think about them? Are they worth it? Because I've been hesitant to buying one..

    -Cecile http://whatcecilethinkstoday.blogspot.com/

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All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)