L'amour est Rouge

I think red is the perfect Valentine's colour and with Valentine's day tomorrow, I thought it would be nice to do a seasonal post, however whether you have a Valentine or not (join the crew), this post will probably be useful to you anytime of the year.

I love red lips because they're timeless, make it look as though you've made a massive effort even if you haven't made any effort at all and can be used for loads of different looks. Over the past year or so I've acquired a nice collection of red lip products and got to know my favourites so I thought I'd share them with you.

Here are some swatches of all of the products so you can see the consistencies and finishes of them. Sorry they're on paper and not on my lips but the lighting was terrible!

First of all the actual lipsticks//

MUA Lipstick: Shade 13
£1
First up is the cheapest of the lot from MUA. Don't be fooled by the very much affordable price of just £1 because this lipstick is really worth giving a try. This one is in shade 13 and although it is definitely more of a pink toned red is very much a bright red and has a lovely rich consistency. It is pretty much odourless but I think it has a slight fruity hint. Either way the smell is really pleasant and the only thing I don't like about the lipstick is the fact it doesn't have a pretty name, which I think should be a law. If you're trying out red lipstick for the first time or are a regular wearer, I think that this lipstick is a makeup bag staple and I would definitely recommend it.



Matte Lipstick by H&M: Dita
£3.99
I got this lipstick for christmas from my sister and am in loooove. As much as I love glossy lips, I'm a sucker for anything matte and this is just an all round perfect lipstick. The texture is rich and creamy and generally just feels really nice on your lips. I sometimes find lipsticks quite messy and a bit of a faff which is why I usually prefer stains, however this seems to stay put really well. It smells sweet and fruity but not overpowering and this is probably my favourite red lipstick at the moment. In terms of both consistency and colour, it is also quite similar to MAC's famous Ruby Woo.


Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick: Mayfair Red Lady/510
£6.49
I wouldn't normally spend this much on a lipstick when there are other cheaper alternatives but I received this as one of my gifts from the magazine that I did work experience with last year and think that it is well worth the money if you're willing to spend this much. It feels very moisturising unlike a lot of lipsticks which I feel dry my lips out quite a lot. It is a lovely shade of red and smells like how you would imagine classic, grandma makeup to smell. Wow, I'm selling this well, ha! That may have made it sound bad but it really does smell like an old woman's makeup bag which personally I find a really nice smell for makeup! It stays put pretty well and feels really nice to apply.


Now onto some alternatives. These are definitely more high-end and aren't quite as affordable as the lipsticks, but I couldn't not include them as I use both of them on a very regular basis. //

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon: Red Island/05

£7.99
Although this isn't the cheapest of lip products, it's a lot cheaper than the Clinique version and I really do love it. This is perfect for daytime wear as it is a lot more sheer than lipstick and feels really moisturising. Although it can be built up really well to look like a lipstick, I also often put on just a tiny bit and blend it in which creates a really subtle colour that looks really natural. The crayon is so easy to apply and so wearable and I would definitely recommend it. I'm aware that there are now so many products with the same concept which may be cheaper and I would love to give them a try, but I think this one is brilliant despite the price.



No7 Stay Perfect Lip Lacquer
£10.75

This is potentially my favourite lip product that I've ever tried. Oh my lord, I just love it. I got this as a gift but when it eventually runs out I'll probably have to treat myself because I think it's the best thing ever. As I mentioned earlier, I often find lipsticks a bit high maintenance and so using a stain is a much better option as I don't have to keep topping up. Unlike a lot of cheaper lip stains, like Sleek's Pout Paint for example, this doesn't end up everywhere and stain your face and clothes as well as your lips, and so as long as you apply it properly, it'll stay that way. First of all you apply the colour and wait for it to completely dry, which doesn't take much time at all, and then use the clear end to make it look glossy and glamorous. On mine, the sticker says that the colour is 'Sweet Pink', but this is most definitely a bright, rich red and from looking at the colour swatches on the website it looks like 'Chilli', so I'm guessing it has the wrong sticker on it. I would highly, highly recommend this if you don't mind spending this much but otherwise I'm sure there will be some dupes somewhere that you can try.


Aaand that's my lot for today. I hope you find this useful and have a lovely Valentine's day/life.

Loads and loads of love from your fellow Penniless Princess xxxxxx