Though I love the look of a neutral lip, I actually find red lips to be much easier to wear. And I will tell you why. With a nude lip, I often need to create a stronger eye, cheek and brow look to balance it, while a red (or bold) lip can be worn with lashes, a dash of bronzer and a quick grooming of the brows for a finished look. Here are 4 lipsticks that I recently discovered that I’ve been wearing a lot lately (and it doesn’t hurt that it’s the holiday season so I have an extra excuse to sport a red lip all the time).
1. MAKE Cosmetics in Maraschino Cherry – I am new to the MAKE cosmetics brand, but when they sent over some products for me to try, I zeroed in on this red lip immediately. It’s a comfortable satin formula that doesn’t wear too shiny or too matte and is a nice change from my regular orange-reds that I usually gravitate towards. Though the bullet is a different shape than I am used to, I found it incredibly easy to apply (even more so than the regular shaped bullets) and that’s half the battle with a red lip, amiright??
2. Gucci Lipstick in Iconic Red – This color is not for the faint of heart – I should warn you now. This is one of the boldest and most vibrant reds I have ever worn and I simply adore it. In fact, it actually ranks in my top 5 favorite reds at this point. That is how much it has impressed me and I’ve only had it for a few weeks. The color was designed to be the exact match for the red in the iconic Gucci green and red stripe, and it looks flawless on. The formula is a fuller coverage and surprisingly is so comfortable on the lips. I was not impressed with the Gucci lipsticks when first swatching them at the store and felt they wouldn’t be worth the investment. After caving and buying just this one and then wearing it over the past month, I can say without a doubt I was 100% wrong. This texture is one of the best I’ve ever tried and I only wish all of my lipsticks could feel this way on my lips.
3. Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipstick in Have Paris – This is a much more sheer formula but can easily be built up to give a full coverage as seen above. The formula is very soft and feels almost like a balm when it first applies. It has a slightly shiny finish so I find it doesn’t wear as long as some of my other formulas, but it’s a better option for days that I don’t want such an intense and bold look. We all have those days, right?
4. Kevyn Aucoin Lipstick in Eliarice – I am a bit disappointed in the way the swatches came out for this color because the camera is skewing it to be a bit more blue. The truth is that when I first saw this shade, it looked like a brown red with a hint of blah orange. I was not excited in the least since I always like the “wow” factor of vibrant shades. Sadly I waited a week before trying this out and wasted 7 days of my life not enjoying this color! It is AH-MAY-ZING. Wearable, not obnoxious, so comfortable on the lips and easy to pair with a stronger eye without competing or creating a look that screams “she is wearing too much makeup”. I don’t know where this color has been my whole life, but I feel like a better human being now that I have found it.
*pr samples included
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What are some of your go-to red lipsticks now? Let me know below in the comments!

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