After all it's Christmas season, therefore red lip season so to carry on from my Five Christmas Reds and 50 Shades of Red posts I'm going to talk you through the different red lip formulas available. It's not the easiest look to wear so if you're not a huge fan of red lipstick there are plenty of other formulas to choose from that all give a different look.
The Lipstick //
We all know how this one goes; satin, matte, moisturising or sheer. It's the classic way of wearing a red lip, it's effective and easy.
The Lip Lacquer //
Applies like a liquid, sets like a stain. Lip lacquers look bold on the lips and are really long lasting so I'd recommend them for a red lip lover. The doe-foot applicator makes precision application easy and the Rimmel Apocalips or Hourglass Opaque Rouge will both do the trick and come in great shades.
The Lip Stain //
Lip stains tend to be more sheer and give a just-bitten, fresh effect to the lips. They work well for a daytime look, during the summer or for any younger girls. The YSL Glossy Stains and L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash both work equally well to cover the lips in a subtle, long-lasting colour stain.
The Lip Butter //
If you're already a big lip butter/balm fan this is the easiest transition into becoming a red lip wearer. They're moisturising, comfortable but also give a nice wash of colour to the lips. My favourites include the Revlon and Korres lip butters.
The Matte Lip Crayon //
The matte lip crayon is bold like the lacquers so if you want something that wows this is the way to go! They're easy to apply, just like using a crayon and the matte/velvet formula helps it to last on the lips. My favourites are the NARS Velvet lip crayons the Lord & Berry 20100 Lipstick Pencils, which are slightly glossier but work just the same.
The Lip Liner //
You can wear a lip liner all over for intense colour and a long lasting finish, but for more tips on lip liner check out this recent post.
The Liquid Balm //
It's something that's quite hard to find, but this one from Almay has come in so handy for when I want a red tint with a slight glossy finish but nothing too bold. I use this instead of lip gloss, but a red gloss would also come in handy for layering over lipstick.
The Chubby Stick //
The chubby stick is the perfect red lip for your handbag. They're moisturising, easy to apply and you can choose from a range of different formulas. Clinique offers their Chubby Intense for a bold colour finish and their original Chubby for a moisturising balm finish. Revlon and Bourjois also offer chubby lip balms in quite a wide selection of shades.
So don't write off red lips too quickly, there are many options to try!
