REVIEW: Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks – 1993, Tilt, After Dark & Blackmail

Hey everyone!

Urban Decay has recently stepped up its game with a whole new range of lipsticks – the Matte Revolution – in addition to its two existing lines, Sheer Revolution and the original Revolution (satin finish) which I absolutely adore.  With almost a full collection of the latter in my stash, you can say that I’m a die-hard fan of its opaque lipsticks. Therefore when I got wind of the exciting news of its latest lineup, the matte lipstick fanatic in me squealed in delight! I simply couldn’t wait to lay my hands on these new exquisite offerings from one of my all-time favourite cosmetics brands!

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick

Released early last month on urbandecay.com, this tantalising collection boasts a total of 11 new shades (with 2 being online-exclusive) namely Backtalk (OE), Carnal (OE), Blackmail, Bad Blood, Tilt, Temper, After Dark, Menace, Bittersweet, 1993 and Stark Naked made with a super-creamy and nondrying formula (Pigment Infusion System™) and encased in a sleek, dark-grayish metallic packaging.

(Hmmm, why do I have the impression that these names are Taylor Swift-inspired?)

Backtalk and Carnal weren’t available at time of my purchase so I settled for my next top 4 consisting of a nude, a red, a plum and a noir.

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Blackmail, After Dark, Tilt and 1993

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Blackmail, After Dark, Tilt and 1993

Also, these lipsticks are loaded with a long list of nourishing ingredients, including a blend of avocado, olive and babassu oils. Shea butter conditions; illipe butter (derived from Malaysian illipe trees) provides long-lasting moisture; and vitamin C and vitamin E provide a hit of antioxidants. [source]

Whoa, a lip conditioner and lipstick in one! Sounds like it will do wonders for my poor chapped lips which intensify under most matte formula. But do they live up to expectations?

#1 1993

1993 is a matte medium brown (US$22)

1993 is a matte medium brown (US$22)

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

1993

One of the more sought-after shades, this “dirty brown” was practically sold out in a matter of days and I had to wait for it to be restocked before I could cart out my order so I reckon it’s going to be a hit among Singapore buyers as well. Application was easy and smooth as butter and it has very rich pigmentation with a little sheen. Colour is slightly darker than pictured which works great on both fair and dark skin tones.

1993 swatch comparison

1993 swatch comparison with similar Revolution shades

As you can see, the Matte formula is a lot more opaque than that of the Revolution series.

#2 Tilt

Tilt is a matte bright orange (US$22)

Tilt is a matte bright orange (US$22)

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

Tilt

This cheery coral-orange looks bright but is surprisingly flattering on warm skin tones like mine. Bold and vivid colours have the tendency to accentuate and settle into my lip lines but Tilt doesn’t at all. It seemed to cover my lips well although it is less pigmented than 1993. The Matte finish is also more apparent here as it’s not as glossy as the rest.

Tilt swatch comparison with similar Revolution shades

Tilt swatch comparison with similar Revolution shades

#3 After Dark

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After Dark is a matte medium-dark berry pink (US$22)

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

After Dark

Similarly, After Dark provides even coverage in a single swipe with its superb pigmentation. It has a bit of a frost finish with tiny reflecting particles (perhaps of a lighter shade), giving a subtle ombre effect from bottom-up and leaving your lips with a lustrous shine. This shade is very similar to the existing fuchsias by Urban Decay, albeit marginally darker.

Swatch comparison after Blackmail.

#4 Blackmail

Blackmail is a matte deep berry wine (US$22)

Blackmail is a matte deep berry wine (US$22)

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail

My most anticipated shade but also the worst-performing one, Blackmail doesn’t fare well in terms of coverage and opacity – a common problem among really dark shades, I guess. Hated how it still looked visibly patchy and uneven on the lips even after trying to cover it up. Still, I don’t deny that it’s a gorgeous blackened berry and it’s perhaps my darkest lipstick shade in my collection after Hautecore.

Blackmail and After Dark swatch comparison with similar Revolution shades

Blackmail and After Dark swatch comparison with similar Revolution shades

Shame, the darkest shade from the Revolution range, doesn’t seem that dark anymore next to Blackmail with its brighter and redder hue and After Dark is just a more sombre and less iridescent version of Venom and Anarchy.

But evidently, Urban Decay had retained most of the satin finish in their Matte range to make it less drying on the lips. I believe this has got to do with the nourishing formula Urban Decay had infused into the lipsticks too.

All in all, I’m very satisfied with the smooth finish of the lipsticks. Pigmentation is fantastic in general and they are all extremely opaque without having to apply layers upon layers of the product. Feather-resistant, hydrating and long-lasting, they are pretty much like the Revolution lipsticks, just a teeny-weeny bit less glossy. My only complaint is the flat surface of the lipstick bullet which makes it a little challenging for me to line my cupid’s bow. But of course, that can be easily solved using a lip brush.

However, purchasing from urbandecay.com can be a pain as it only allows international buyers to ship their orders via MyUS.com which charges really exorbitant shipping fees (in fact, more than twice the rate my designated forwarder offers), not forgetting the ridiculous US$10 registration fee upon sign up. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend buying anything at all from urbandecay.com. The better alternative would be Sephora.com (using your forwarder’s BuyForMe service) if you can afford to wait for a few more days.

Now that Urban Decay has added the online-exclusive shades  to its website, I feel really tempted to get them. But at the same time I’m deterred by the preposterous shipping charges. Argh, the dilemma. Should I decide to get them in the end, I’ll include the review into this post so do follow my Facebook or Instagram for updates!

Did anything catch your eye? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Thanks for reading and look out for my Naked Smoky palette review coming up next!

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks are now available on urbandecay.com and will be released in Singapore on 20 August 2015.

TAG: The Beauty Blogger

Hey guys! Hope your day is going well 🙂

I was tagged by some bloggers (didn’t keep track of the names but thank you, whoever you are!) to do a variation of tags a few months ago. Tags are a series of questionnaires about your personal life and you’re supposed to repost the questions on your social media account with your answers if you’re tagged to do it. It’s like responding to survey quizzes with Facebook Notes which apparently was the craze a few years back. Now, it’s back to haunt me on WordPress. Hahaha, kidding.

Well, throughout my 5 years on WordPress, I have been documenting my life in the form of product and service reviews. Very seldom would you see me writing extensively about myself here because I’m usually quite uncomfortable with the idea of baring my soul to the world and documenting my every move online (the internet is such a scary place).

But I actually thought that tags would be a fantastic way to unveil bits and pieces of my life without sounding too.. self-obsessed? And it’s about time I take a break from reviews and inject some personal touches to this space of mine. 😉

For this post, I have picked a beauty tag which I’m always very excited to talk about (and ‘coz beauty inevitably forms part of the backbone of this blog). So here goes!

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Lipsticks are my obsession

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Naturally straight. It used to be very straight before I chopped off my hair when I was 15 and people would think that I rebonded it when I didn’t 🙂 Now it’s more wavy than straight because I bun up my hair a lot.

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Shampoo and conditioner I use!

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I get it done at a salon because I can’t dye for nuts.. and my hands won’t be able to reach some parts of my hair.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

I’m all about convenience when it comes to dressing up and it has always been the case since I started buying my own clothes. Is that considered as a style? But I love anything pink, floral and girly.

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Floral dresses, my ultimate luv

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I… don’t do any mani or pedi.

*gasps*

Yes. I think it’s a complete waste of money and they won’t last more than a day on me anyway!

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

As above, no nail polish unless I’m in a destructive mood to scratch off paint from my nails.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Never!

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

It depends on how much time I have for makeup. Typically 10-15 minutes during morning rush hour (lighter makeup and sans highlighter and mascara) and 20-30 minutes on days I can afford to waste 😉

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What I use on a daily basis!

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Used to be my face until I realised that it’s way faster to do my eyes first! Plus, the foundation that comes after helps to cover up all the annoying fallout!

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Collectibles 🙂

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Highlighters

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I unabashedly admit that I collect makeup so I have tons of unused products at home. Eye palettes and lipsticks are just too irresistible.

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My almost-complete collection of Urban Decay Revolution lipstick

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Some of my unused collection

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

I don’t wear them because eyelashes make a huge difference to one’s look (and I dislike the feeling of them weighing down my lids). I like my makeup to stay as natural as possible and I don’t wish to appear unrecognisable without my lashes 😉

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I rely on mascaras to enhance the look of my natural lashes. I alternate between Benefit and Urban Decay, sometimes using both (waterproof on upper lashes and non-waterproof on lower to prevent clumping). Also not forgetting my trusty Shiseido eyelash curler. I also own a Shu Uemura curler which works as great!

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Yes, as long as I have the time for it. And especially if I am experiencing breakouts.

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Full makeup

12. Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

Nope, I’m perfectly fine with my family and boyfriend seeing my no-makeup face. I’m not that self-conscious!

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes, definitely. I’ve done that a couple of times on days when my skin looks flawless HAHA. And also I don’t mind leaving the house without makeup if I’m commuting by car. But it’s a huge no-no if I’m heading to farther places from home like town by public transport.

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Face products I use to pamper my skin!

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I’m not a high maintenance person so I don’t seek brands like Gucci, Prada or LV. I think my most expensive accessories to date are my Coach wristlets (gifted to me by my cousin and boyfriend), Kate Spade bag and wallet (bought by my boyfriend when he was in US a few years back). My other high-end products are perhaps my more expensive cosmetics from Chanel, Dior and Guerlain.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

I have to plan my OOTD the night before. Otherwise, I would be late for whatever I’m rushing off to.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Rarely. I own tons of handbags but there’s only a handful (no pun intended) that I use regularly because of the size. I need a medium to large handbag to store my barang-barang hahaha.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

I’m nocturnal and I know it’s bad for health 😦 I typically sleep after 4am (latest was 7am) and wake up before 11am. That’s less than 5 hours of sleep each day and I’ve grown accustomed to this sleeping pattern. But what to do, I’m just so busy! 24 hours a day is not enough for me.

18. How often or when do you workout?

I try to do short exercises (sit ups, crunches, stretches, planking) every night before I sleep. I run at least 3 times a week if my schedule allows.

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right handed.

20. How tall are you?

165cm the last time I measured. I hope I’ve grown taller after all the stretching exercises 😀

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Is Cantonese foreign? I have studied basic French, Spanish and Malay but I doubt I can carry a conversation in those languages. I can understand a little though.

22. How many pets do you have?

One, for now. Planning on getting another dog soon (if the co-owner agrees to be more responsible)

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My lovely Chubs the Pomeranian 🙂

23. How often are you on WordPress?

Daily. WordPress is one of my pinned tabs and it’s also my homepage on my mobile Chrome.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

I don’t really bloghop (too busy for that these days) but I do head straight to the comments after reading a post/news article because I enjoy reading alternative views 🙂

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see on other posts?

Not really, I pick up whatever that catches my attention when I go shopping.

Great Singapore Sale is happening right now at ZALORA! Head on to ZALORA now for the best deals and offers 🙂

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

It’s my name, duh! I wanted a name that truly represents me and eventually concluded that it should be my name. So unoriginal but yeah. Hahaha.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

NX-2000 for product shoots and NX-mini for outdoors.

28. How often do you clean your house?

I sweep the floor everyday because my dog sheds a lot! I clean and scrub my bathroom perhaps once every two months.

29. What’s your favorite color?

Pink, definitely!

30. Do you swear?

Nope, because I feel that uttering vulgarities depreciates my self-worth. I’m not as liberal as the youth these days. I just can’t bring myself to swear. But admittedly I do swear when I’m extremely pissed off. Hahaha.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I’m just going to have cupcakes from Five One Degrees and torture myself with a bowl of spicy Korean instant noodles for dinner. 😀

… and that’s all I have for this tag!

I’m supposed to tag a few people to do this questionnaire but I really have nobody in mind. So I’m tagging all of you to do this! Let me know in the comments below if you’ve done it and I’ll hop over to your blog and take a look at your response! Whee, it’s gonna be so much fun!

Thanks for reading lovelies! 🙂

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