Red lipstick collection (part 1 – high end)

About 500 posts ago, when I posted a blog concerning a new red lipstick, I promised I’d make a post on my red lipsticks. In other words, this post is long overdue and by now, I can’t even stick it into one post anymore. The red lipstick collection now holds 20 lipsticks in total, with an almost 50/50 spread between high end and drugstore brands. Today I’ll be showing you part one of the collection, which consists of 9 high end lipsticks. All I can say is: enjoy and regard the prettiness in both lipstick and swatch in the pictures below.

Before I get into the prettiness that is my red lipstick collection, I would like to point out that I didn’t purchase these lipsticks in one go. In fact some of these I’ve had for as long as 4 years. I tend to think carefully before I purchase high end lipsticks and on all occasions I tried these on before I took them home. And to answer the obvious question: does a girl really need this many red lipsticks? No. But I like trying new things and I tend to wear different shades in different seasons. Plus these also have a different texture and lasting power of which I will inform you below as well.

Chanel Rouge Coco 23 Rouge Orage

Creamy red lipstick with a brownish undertone. Looks not so nice in the tube, and I wouldn’t have picked it if a make up artist at the Chanel counter at KaDeWe in Berlin hadn’t slapped this on me and showed me how great this looks on. This was my first red lipstick and it’s extra special as I bought it in Berlin. Doesn’t last too long because of the creaminess.

Chanel Rouge Allure 98 Coromandel

Now you know a lipstick color is bang on when it does not only come as a lipstick but also as a nail polish! This baby is opaque, lasts a life time and comes in the insanely luxurious packaging with the click tube. One of my prized items in my make up collection.

Estee Lauder Pure Color F1 Rebel Raspberry

This purple toned red couldn’t have been more aptly named as it has the color of overripe raspberries. Looks more burgundy red on the mouth and has an insane amount of sparkle to it. Lasting power is great and I love this in fall/ winter.

Make Up Designory (MUD) Lady Bug

A perfect bright, in your face, fire engine, matte red. This red goes about as classic as classic red goes and what’s more: it lasts ALL day. That’s right! I wore this to work from 9 – 5, had lunch AND dinner with this on and by the time I went to the gym around 9 PM this baby had faded, but most certainly still visible. This came in a set with a matte eyeshadow palette, which I ordered online some years ago, so I don’t know if they still sell this.

MAC Matte lipstick in Russian Red

My first MAC red lipstick. Again a classic red color, though not as bright as the previous color. Hence why I tend to wear this more in the darker months. I love wearing this to work as well, as it again lasts a long time and looks classy with a number of outfits and make up looks.

MAC Retro Matte lipstick in Riri Woo

The much coveted Riri Woo lipstick from the Rihanna collection in the rose gold packaging. When I saw this color on Beauty Blogs the world over, I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted this. Once I got this home, I thought this looked similar to Russian Red at first glance. However, if you look carefully, you can see that Riri Woo is more of a blue toned 50s red than Russian Red and not as fire engine red as Lady Bug by Make Up Designory. This does feather though, so you can’t go without a lipliner with this.

Dior Rouge Dior 999

And then on to the biggest lipstick fail of the century: my Rouge Dior 999. THE classic Dior color and what does it do BEFORE I had ever used it? Yep it chipped AND broke on me. Can I please sit in a corner and cry? I have since tried to glue this baby back together twice, but alas to no avail. I’ll just keep it in it’s tube and use a lip brush to apply. Creamy texture, hence it doesn’t last too long and a bit more on the orange side in the red specter.

Dior Addict Extreme 756 Fireworks

Why should you own this lipstick? If you like wearing reds, but don’t want the full on matte look (which can be quite intimidating to first users and strangers alike) this is the lipstick for you. I bought it for those: I want to wear a red lip, but don’t scare my students type of days. It’s sheer and glossy and has a pink undertone. Oh and can we take a moment and look at that gorgeous packaging? *sigh*

YSL Rouge pur Couture no. 50 Rouge Neon

Part of YSL’s winter collection, this lipstick instantly caught my eye when I saw it in stores. It is a BOOM: in your face red that pulls into the orange range more than red. Unfortunately this swatch photographed hideously as my camera makes the entire frame orange. Trust me, I tried but this is the best it did under the current lighting circumstances. Care to see more? I reviewed it earlier this month in this post.

And that is the end of part 1 of my red lipstick collection. I hope you find this useful as an overview of how many different shades of red are out there and what might look nice on you. Reds can be difficult as it really depends on your complexion. Luckily, with my pale skin, I can pull of lots of different shades, which is why it’s my favorite lipstick color. Stay tuned, because part 2 is coming up next week! So if you’d like to see some of my cheaper lipsticks from brands such as Essence, Catrice and Rimmel than keep your eyes peeled.

Do you wear red lipstick at all? If so, what’s your fave red lipstick?