Red Lips

I'm a lipstick snob.  I said it.  I try not to be, but there really is nothing quite like an expensive red lip.  There is just such a marked difference in the depth of colour, the texture and the finish.  For me, lipstick can be quite an intimate experience -- the brush, the blot, the phallic, stain-preventing finger-suck.  It's exactly what it sounds like.  Below are three of my most luxurious red lip purchases (plus a budget buy!).

My first luxe lip acquisition was Giorgio Armani 400.  Check out Emily Weiss wearing the Maestro here (the photo that inspired this very post!).  It's a very classic red (as most of these are) that looks different on everyone.  Because the colour is relatively neutral, your skin tone will play a huge role in the colour you end up with.  For example on Tod, it pulls extremely true red, while on me, it's a much richer, blue-red.

Next up is my most recent acquisition, Chanel Pirate.  This is less blue than GA 400, but the texture is to die for.  It goes on 98% matte, and the pigmentation level gives the most beautiful painted lip finish.  This texture is my favourite of all the lipsticks here -- it's not quite as lightweight as a Tarte Matte Lipsurgence, but it is the closest I have ever come to it in lipstick form. I also can't stop playing with the packaging -- you press the gold logo and the lipstick shoots out at you.

Le Metier de Beaute Madaket is a higher end version of MAC's Viva Glam I (with a touch less brown), a long-time favourite of mine.  It's a dark, berry-red that epitomizes vampy sex.  It's not quite as matte as the Chanel Rouge Allure but definitely nowhere near as shiny as Armani's offering.  This colour pairs so beautifully with a nude eye and barely-there mascara -- easily the most chic option of the bunch.  The slightest blue undertone lets me lightly blend this into my cheeks without fear of ruddiness.  This leaves the most beautiful stain of all these options -- like you've been eating berries!

The bonus red:  I've been loving OCC NSFW Lip Tar for days that I know I want a super pigmented lip.  There is no way to stain your lips with this -- it's all or nothing.  Most people claim that a lip brush is essential for these, but I always end up applying it with my finger and using way too much.  I wouldn't worry about wasting it though, you get twice as much product as you do in a normal lipstick.

My favourite red lip trick is to powder the lip after you've applied it.  I'm a matte lip lover and Marcelle Face Powder ($14 for an incredible 70g)  gives the most satiny, beautiful finish.

What are your favourite reds?