FAVOURITES: 13 Red Lipsticks

Hello ladies!

Sorry for the lack of updates! I am into my second week of internship and my schedule has been pretty packed with work, events and other activities, leaving me with no time for leisure. Only managed to squeeze in time to blog today since my Mom made me dinner at home.

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It has been 4 months since my last FAVOURITES entry and I’m pleasantly surprised that the series has reached out to so many lipstick fanatics like myself! *waves* Thanks for the support, guys! And yes, I know I promised a continuation somewhere in my MLBB post. Well, this is it! It took a long while to be up because of my decreased presence at home, which had only allowed me to do shorter reviews like new M.A.C launches. To make up for the wait, I’ll be featuring 13 of my favourite red (any shade of red) lipsticks instead of the usual 10! Yay to more lip goodness! 🙂

Love dark lipsticks? Check out what top my list here! Or here if you’re into nude lipsticks 🙂

(Actually I just couldn’t choose lol)

If you’re still searching for a perfect red lipstick, look no further! For all you know, you could just find one right here 🙂 Even if you’re not a huge red lipstick person (like me), I feel that you should invest in at least one for special occasions like proms, weddings and your company’s Dinner & Dance!

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Overview. Do you own any of these?

If you’re surprised to see so many M.A.C lipsticks topping my list, you must be new here. I’m an absolute devotee of M.A.C so naturally more than 70% of my lipstick stash are from the said brand.

I’m gonna kick off the list with some recently-launched and reviewed-before M.A.C lipsticks just to create suspense.

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The first 3 (from left): MAC in Strange Journey, Oblivion and Stunner.

1. M.A.C in STRANGE JOURNEY

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Strange Journey is a yellowish brick red with Matte finish.

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The Halloween collection in 2014 did offer some of the best reds I’ve ever seen from MAC and one of them was Strange Journey. It wasn’t the most popular choice from that collection (sold out nonetheless) because according to some people, it’s too orangey? But look, it doesn’t appear like that on my lips right? 😀

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C’mon, it’s really not that orangey!

Read more about it here.

2. M.A.C in OBLIVION

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Oblivion is a vivid blushred with Amplified finish.

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As you can tell from my lips, Oblivion is slightly hydrating and opaque, a bit like lip tint. It’s my favourite red lippy at the moment.

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In fact, all the lipsticks from The Rocky Horror Picture Show collection are drop-dead gorgeous!

Read more about it here.

3. M.A.C in STUNNER

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Stunner is a clean red with Matte finish.

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One-third of the MAC x Nasty Girl collection and the least popular of the lot, it is no doubt a very dupe-able shade. MAC has a couple of colours similar to this. Hence, it took quite a long while to sell out (when the other two shades were already gone by the end of the launch week). But still, it’s still a very pretty shade of red, isn’t it? 🙂

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I find it to be very flattering on my skin tone!

Read more about it here.

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The next 4 (from left): MAC in Ruby Woo, Lady Danger, Russian Red and M.A.C Red.

4. M.A.C in RUBY WOO

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Ruby Woo is a very matte vivid blue-red with a Retro Matte finish.

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Like the other Retro Matte lipsticks I own, Ruby Woo tends to be a bit more drying, so multiple applications are needed to completely fill the lips. And while you’re at it, you’d feel like you’re colouring your lips with a red crayon (the dryness and inconsistency). It takes a little more effort to be removed.

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But it’s very long-lasting and it gives the perfect matte texture! This explains why it’s one of MAC’s best sellers.

5. M.A.C in LADY DANGER

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Lady Danger is a vivid bright coral-red with Matte finish.

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Highly raved and recommended by lipstick users and on beauty magazines around the world, Lady Danger has proven to be one of the best orange-red lipsticks in the market. Perfect for fall, it can be a little drying though (I think this is a common problem for the older MAC Matte lipsticks) but it’s not as bad as Ruby Woo.

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Looks better on fairer skin.

6. M.A.C in RUSSIAN RED

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Russian Red is an intense bluish-red with Matte finish

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Russian Red to me is like a cousin of Ruby Woo – both are the ultimate timeless red lipsticks that lovers of sultry lips would know for sure.

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But it’s better than Ruby Woo because it glides more smoothly and it definitely didn’t make me feel like my lips are peeling from the rough application.

7. M.A.C in M.A.C RED

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M.A.C Red is a vivid bright bluish-red with Satin finish.

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Another lipstick with a gorgeous sheen that leaves behind a lip tint-like stain after a few hours of wearing.

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It’s smooth and doesn’t feather despite it being creamy.

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The next 3 (from left): MAC in Chili and Viva Glam Rihanna, Chanel Rouge Allure in 99 Pirate.

8. M.A.C in CHILI

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Chili is a brownish orange-red with Matte finish.

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Swatched it on my hand before purchase and fell in love with it instantly (plus, MAC was having a collaborative sale with Sephora ION at that time!) It’s not your typical red – it’s a sophisticated red that doesn’t appear too “intimidating” like the others.

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Love it but don’t think I pull off the look. I’m sure it’d be very flattering on warmer skin tone 🙂

9. M.A.C in VIVA GLAM RIHANNA

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Viva Glam Rihanna is a blue-red with Frost finish.

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Rihanna is no stranger to the MAC community. Having worked with MAC twice (or thrice?), she has produced countless of incredibly gorgeous lipsticks (hate myself for not getting anything from her 2013 Holiday collection). This one I’m holding right here is no different. The frost finish leaves your lips looking moisturised and healthy.

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Andddd I love that it is not in the standard packaging too. *thumbs up*

Moving on from M.A.C…

10. Chanel Rouge Allure in 99 PIRATE

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99 Pirate is a blue-red with a beautiful sheen.

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Originally released in 2012, it was recently repromoted in the new Allure Rouge range with an improved formula that helps keep lips supple and protected. I saw it once on BoA (one of the pioneers in K-Pop) and thought it really looked pretty on her. Heh.

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The new formula also made it more pigmented!

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High-end brands differentiate themselves with their unique packaging. Chanel uses the push-to-open mechanism for easy handling.

Of course, being an ardent fan of Urban Decay, how can it not be on my list, right? 😉

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The final 3 (from left): Urban Decay in 69, F-Bomb and Bang. (yes, all the sexual connotations)

11. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69

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69 is a bright red with pink undertone.

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My favourite red from Urban Decay, it’s very pigmented, moisturising and has a very nice cool undertone.

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It’s prettily bold and extremely emollient. LOVE IT TO BITS! (In case you’re wondering, Catfight is way darker and pinker, hence it does not qualify to be on this list)

12. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-BOMB

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F-Bomb is a classic red.

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Extremely creamy with a not-so-strong blue undertone, this is even redder than the reddest MAC lipstick in my stash. It’s probably called F-Bomb because it transforms the user into a bombshell with this insanely pigmented red. A mini version of F-Bomb is also included in the Full Frontal Lipstick Stash.

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Forget about red undergarments. This red lipstick is sure to bring you lots of luck and fortune at the gambling table this Chinese New Year 😀

13. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in BANG

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Bang is a bright orange-red.

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The “Lady Danger” of Urban Decay, it actually bears a stark similarity to the popular orange-red MAC lipstick but this is a tone darker. It is also more buttery and saturated.

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This bold colour will turn heads on the streets!

And finally, some swatches to conclude this post:

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Swatch of all the featured shades! Whoops, my poor planning led to the mess towards the end hehe. But yes, some of them are really dupes of each other!

And there you go, different variations of reds to choose from for a more glamourous look. 😉

What do you guys think? Feel free to share with me some of your favourite red lipsticks in the comments below! I believe there are some mention-worthy red lipsticks, or cheaper dupes which you can get from drugstores at half the price of those featured here.

That’s all for this post! Thanks for reading 🙂

Read also:
FAVOURITES: Top 10 Dark Lipsticks
FAVOURITES: Top 10 MLBB Lipsticks

LAUNCH & REVIEW: MAC Rocky Horror Picture Show Lipsticks – Strange Journey, Oblivion & Frank-N-Furter

HEY EVERYONE! How did you spend your Halloween? 😀

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Mine was nothing short of extraordinary because for the first time in my life (I think), I actually headed out on the actual day of Halloween! Mind you, I’m living in a country where Halloween isn’t largely celebrated. The only places where you’d find people dressed up for the occasion are clubs which I hardly frequent so yes, Halloween is usually stay-home day for me (as the city area would be crowded with people who want to soak up the atmosphere and gosh, I’m totally not a crowd person).

But this year was an exception because MAC Singapore decided to launch something I wanted SO MUCH on 31 October! Yes, you’ve seen the title (that’s why you’re here, right?). It was the launch of the Rocky Horror Picture Show collection which was snapped up online in minutes! I was this close to buying the lipsticks off eBay. Have you seen the prices?!? They are MADNESS.

Thank goodness I didn’t have to fork out so much money in the end since the collection was gonna be launched here! In fact I didn’t know it was coming to Singapore so I was really surprised at the news! Yet excited at the same time!

Excited partly because it was launched at Sephora ION (the only MAC store in Singapore under the umbrella of Sephora) which meant that I could use my Black card AND my 10% discount coupon which I hadn’t redeemed! Yay to cheaper prices!

Anyway, back to the launch event. I’m so proud to say that I went alone 😉

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COBWEBS!!

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So cute the pumpkin =^_^=

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Featuring the Viva Glam collection!

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Finger food served!

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Bloody beverage! Champagne was served too! The partehhh is on!

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Trick or treat?

I was approached by this nice lady and she asked me to choose between trick and treat. Since I’m sucha fun person, I went for trick! And this was her question:

Who won the skeleton beauty contest?

(Don’t cheat! Don’t Google for the answer! I will reveal the answer at the end of this post hehe)

It was a launch-cum-Halloween party at Sephora ION so some shoppers came with a scary getup. The event started at 6.30pm (also to cater to working adults since it was a weekday) but I was there a few minutes early to beat the crowd. When I was there, the products were not displayed yet so I browsed around Sephora and saw a tarot card reader stationed at one corner of MAC. She invited me to take a seat at the table and proceeded to read my 8 chosen cards. Ooh my first tarot card reading. How exciting!

I had to identify an aspect of my life to discuss about for the session. Among relationship, career and health, I picked the last one. I was told that I needed more vitamin D (more exposure to the Sun) and water in my body lol. I don’t deny the latter because I don’t have the habit of drinking a lot of water everyday. But I run a lot under the hot sun (that I got so tanned) so I wonder why I’m still deficient in vitamin D. Oh wells! But she did mention that I was healthy in general. Teehee!

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I wasn’t allowed to take my reading 😦

Came 6.30pm, and every product under the Rocky Horror Picture Show collection was revealed at the counter!

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Not the complete set (as you can see from the holes) as some shoppers took some of the display items away haha.

I was there at the launch for the lipsticks, but after swatching the lip pencil (Vino) on my hand, I kinda wanted it too 🙄

Like the online launch, Frank-N-Furter was held back at time of launch. It was only released after the Halloween-theme beauty demo by Senior Artist Beno Lim. Of course, if you were there early, you could request the reservation of the lipstick and then collect it from the sales representation whom you spoke to after the demo. While waiting for Frank-N-Furter to be made available, I already had Strange Journey and Oblivion in my hands. I didn’t get Sin because I already have it albeit in its regular packaging (which makes me wonder why people bought Sin from this collection instead? It’s like US$1.50/S$3 more :\ )

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SA Beno Lim doing his magic, shading the model’s eyes with the dark shades of Riff-Raff.

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Then applying glitter at the corner of her eyes. He also used the same product to highlight her face.

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Rocky Horror Glitter

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Frank-N-Furter x Vino. SO PREETZ

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Final look!

And now, the part you’ve been waiting for!

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Official lipstick swatch

The Rocky Horror Picture Show collection consists of an eyeshadow palette (in Riff-Raff), a pair of falsies (Rocky Horror 7 Lash), mascara (Zoom Fast Black Lash), eye liner (Superslick Liquid Eye Liner), Chromagraphic Pencil (in Basic Red & Basic Black), Greasepaint Stick (in B & Black), lip pencil (in Vino), lipstick (as shown above), set powder (in Invisible), Sculpt and Shape Powder (in Bone Beige/Emphasize), powder blush (in Crazed Imagination), glitter (in Gold & 3D Black), pigment (in It’s Not Easy Having a Good Time) and nail lacquer (in Bad Fairy & Formidable). A pretty huge collection as you can see!

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Adorbs packaging!

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Seeing red. I love the lipstic tube! It’s so nice to touch hahaha.

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*screams*

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So cool! Art inside the box! 🙂

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My swatch! I bought Sin a few months back. You could check out my short review of Sin here!

Time for individual reviews!

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Strange Journey is a yellowish brick red with Matte finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Ok since this is Halloween themed, let me put on my sinister look *huehuehue*

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Just kidding. I’m FRIENDLY!!

Note to self: natural lighting at 5.30pm is the best.

I really think MAC “improved” the formula for their Matte lipsticks because they feel much more moist now and hence my lips look less opaque. I don’t know what to feel about this change because I really liked the dryness of Matte finish even though my lips do feel more hydrated now haha. But it doesn’t seem to last as long already.

For those who couldn’t get Strange Journey when it was launched, don’t worry. Lady Danger (permanent shade) is similar to this! I’ll show you some swatches in awhile.

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Oblivion is a vivid blushred with Amplified finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Applying Oblivion is like smacking strawberry jam onto your lips – just look at how creamy and PINK it is! It also gives a subtle shine for healthier and more hydrated-looking lips. Also not forgetting that it offers such great colour payoff. I LOVE IT. It’s such a kissable shade (but Bf wouldn’t let me kiss him with this obviously! Haha).

Likewise, quite a few dupes for this shade (also from MAC, but cheaper!) so no worries if you didn’t manage to cart this out!

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Frank-N-Furter is a deep raspberry wine with Matte finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Constiderpation face hawhawhaw

This lipstick… it was the last to be released but first to be gone! But I totally understand why this is the most anticipated lipstick shade for this collection because everyone likes Russian Red. And if you like Russian Red, you’re so gonna like this as well. However, I thought Russian Red was a little too red for me but this one works because it has slight blue undertone hence it’s a bit darker (dark lipsticks are my drugggg). Besides it being so gorgeous, it also creates an illusion of pouty lips à la Angelina Jolie! Plus it is MATTE! So what’s there not to love about this shade?!

Let’s now compare the above lipsticks with some permanent shades from MAC!

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I hope my forearm was longer so that I could do more swatches!

In summary, Strange Journey is pretty close to Lady Danger and Chili. If you already have Viva Glam Rihanna, you can do without Oblivion. Otherwise if you don’t have either of them, Brave Red is a good alternative too! And lastly, don’t bother paying so much for an overpriced Frank-N-Furter because you can get Russian Red at a much lower rate.

But I know.. we beautyholics have a common issue. We have poor self-control when it comes to buying makeup. HA!

Alright, that’s all for this post! Were you one of the lucky few to grab one of these lipsticks? Let me know your thoughts about your purchase in the comments below!

So who won the beauty contest? NO BODY. Get it? Nobody. Hehehe.

Thanks for reading! ❤