Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Permanent Pout

When I think of vintage style, one of the first elements that comes to mind is a red lip. It's considered a classic, and I think it's here to stay! And trust me, I have spent a fair amount of time annoying sales girls as I try to choose the perfect shade. I am a picky person in general, and lipsticks are no exception. I prefer smooth, matte shades in just about all areas of beauty and really can’t get into sparkly or pearl finish products. I was just telling my friend the other day how drugstore cosmetic shopping would be so much easier if they only listed the type of finish!

You might think all reds are the same, but ah! Apparently it isn’t so. There’s your coral red, blue tone red, yellow tone, ones that wear more brownish - it can be a confusing thing! And well, sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think I’ve found my perfect shade yet. Truth be told, a bold lip makes me pretty self-conscious! Someone told me once to wear it around the house for awhile to get comfortable, and even though I feel silly, I may just try that.

Part of my search includes of course, scouring flickr and bloggy folk. And boy, did I find some lovely ones! I even found out what color/brand they are so that perhaps you might do some trying out yourself if you’re on the hunt like me!

































Solanah - Chanel Red Velvet (or she suggests her cheaper alternative too, Revlon Really Red!)















































Johanna - Flamenco by Clinique (discontinued, but you can find it on Ebay!)



































Diary of a Vintage Girl - MAC Viva Glam I


































Piksi - A combination of MAC Russian Red and So Chaud.















































The Stylish Wanderer - MAC Ruby Woo





























Super Kawaii Mama - Boots No. 7 Moulin Rouge

When it comes to beauty products, I spend a lot of time researching beforehand, and one place I always check out is Makeup Alley. Not only does it have tons of awesome reviews, but you can actually swap on there, too! (And yes, I do! If you're worried about sanitation issues, just use alcohol for lipsticks, baby shampoo for brushes, etc. A lot of ladies even swap brand new sealed stuff.) You can find me on there as "starry9oclocksky" if you wanna trade :)! Oh! And if you're looking for swatches, check out Karla Sugar.

Anyway, I’ve already tried most of the MAC shades above (though I do love other MAC lipsticks! Like High Tea & Touch), and I'm way too poor for Chanel, so I guess I'll just have to keep on keepin' on. Back to the drawing board!

P.S. Thanks a million to all the pretty ladies I bothered about their lipstick color :D!

13 comments:

  1. This is a treasure trove!! I love that you asked all these gorgeous ladies what shade they use!!

    I must try a few of these out!! Thanks so much.

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  2. I love a bold red lip! I actually wore it a lot last summer--when I wear red lipstick I don't wear any other makeup, which is nice when you're sweating a lot!

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  3. Thanks for the link to makeup alley, what a useful site! I love Estee Lauder Rich Red.

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  4. Revlon Really Red is a great matte lipstick. I often use it. I have a few other shades as well.

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  5. Oh, thanks so much for the link! I find sometimes that bold red lipstick sets my pale skin wayyy too much off-- I guess I just have to find the right one! :P
    Be sure and enter my giveaway-- it's really easy to enter! And please do pop by & leave a comment.

    -Laila
    www.randomweavings.blogspot.com

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  6. wow these pictures are so beautiful, they make me want to go and put some red lipstick on <3

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  7. i love piksi, she's just too cute!

    i dont wear red lipstick alot, just on special ocasions^^

    x

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  8. I'm kind of in love with your blog. Thanks so much for stopping by mine! I just feel like it's so empowering to stop being ashamed of your body and to embrace words like "fat" not as negative, but as simply descriptive--or political. I think of my body as a political statement that says "fuck conventional beauty standards, sexy is all shapes and sizes." I'm proud to be political, and proud to be F-A-T!

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  9. I love this post!! Great for future red lipstick shopping! I recently found the perfect shade of red for me! MAC Russian Red lipglass :D

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  10. This post is certainly helpful! I'm too wimpy to go to the stores to try on lipstick so i've been reading and reading reviews + recommendations online.

    I jotted down these two colours in my moleskine as well, maybe you could explore them.

    • MAC's Lady Danger
    • Sephora's Lip Attitude - Chic lipstick in Chic Ruby

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  11. Oooh I love it, a comprehensive list of all the bright red lips I wanna have! I think my favorite is that super intense red Johanna's wearing. I don't have the right lips for bold lipstick, but sometimes I can't resist wearing them anyway!

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  12. What a lovely post!

    Quite apart from enjoying nosing at some of the shades bloggers on my reading list use I am pleased you pointed out the obvious mentioning the "wear it round the house" idea.

    I think I am going to dig out my red lipstick from the bottom of my cosmetics bag and give it another shot.

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  13. Great post! My fave reds are Avon's Poppy and MAC Red.

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