My Favorite Red Lipsticks
I don’t think it’s news to anyone that I love a good red lip. While I do wear other colors, I would consider red to be my signature go-to. I love lipstick because that pop of color helps to brighten up the face. Additionally, if you opt for a red lipstick, it makes your teeth look whiter and being an avid coffee drinker, my teeth need all the help that they can get.
Over the years I’ve accumulated a decent amount of red lipsticks. For whatever reason, every time I walk into Sephora, Ulta, or by a make-up counter a red lipstick catches my eye and I think I need it. I swipe a swatch onto my hand and immediately I think it looks different than what I already own. All the make-up lovers know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s all the same but different. I think that thought process could be applied to a lot of things…also coming to mind are black boots and jeans. Am I right?!
I’ve been really good about not buying any more varying shades of red lipstick. Obviously, as you can tell from this post, I really don’t need anymore. These aren’t all my red lipsticks, which is a bit embarrassing, but these are the only that are always on rotation. To me, the main difference in the last few red lipsticks I’ve purchased haven’t been so much due to the color but more because of the formula.
While I prefer more creamy formula’s for my day-to-day lipstick, I do like to rotate through the different formulas. I really love how a matte lipstick looks but they can be drying so I usually have my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask to help alleviate that dryness. I also prefer reds that have blue/cool undertones versus orange/warm undertones.
My ten favorite and go-to red lipsticks come from a variety of brands but I want to call-out a few of them and let you know my experience with some of their formulas.
Bite Beauty
This is by far my favorite lipstick brand. I can’t even begin to tell you how many shades of their lipstick I have. I remember first buying one of their lip crayon’s in Sephora back when the brand was so new they only had one row of shades to display. Their lipstick formula is so creamy and so pigmented plus it’s food-grade which means you don’t have to worry about ingesting a formula that’s full of chemicals.
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment
I love the doe foot applicator and how pigmented this formula is. One swipe and you get the color that’s in the tube. However, I’ve noticed that you need to be precise with this when outlining your lips. Every single crooked flaw shows up so if you don’t have a steady hand than this might not be for you. However, the applicator is also one of the things I love because you can get such a precise outline. It’s what I'm wearing in the photo above and you can see on the bottom left of my lip that the line is a little crooked.
Tarte Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint
When it comes to matte lipsticks this formula and shade is legit. It’s matte, dries quickly, and so opaque in the pigment. While I think my Kat Von D liquid lipsticks tend to feel more drying, this one does not feel as drying. However, I will say if I wear this and talk a lot, it starts to feel more dry and the part of the lipstick that is on the inner part of my lip starts to feel tacky. Let me clarify though that when I say talk a lot, I mean not normal everyday conversation. I wore this while recording podcasts and started to feel subconscious that my lipstick was looking gross. I had recorded three podcasts in a row so there was a lot of talking. Luckily, when I checked my lips in the mirror it was all in my head. My lipstick was intact but in the future I won’t make that mistake again. Also, this formula does not budge. I have to use a cleansing balm and make-up remover to get this completely off. Also, I want to note that while it looks streaky on my arm swatch below, it doesn’t apply like that on the lips. While the formula dries down to a matte quickly, it doesn’t streak on the lips.
— 10 Favorite Red Lipsticks —
(listed in order of swatch)
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick - Cayenne
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick - Sour Cherry
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick - Tannin
Bite Beauty Creme Lip Crayon - Pommegranate
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment - Cherry Bomb
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment - Don’t Stop
TARTE Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint - Cheerleader
Lime Crime Metallic Velvetines Liquid Matte Lipstick - Red Hot