Scarlet; The Scarlet Kiss

Personally I own quite a few red lipsticks, to be honest, it’s much much more than ‘quite’ a few…I’ve counted seventeen! Add to that the pink, orange and nude lippys in my personal stash and I have to question whether I have an Imelda Marcos kind of issue?

I love red lipstick! I loved the 80s/90s Paloma Picasso make-up visual of groomed brows and mascara with a strong red lip. The first ever cosmetic I bought was a red lipstick but it was not until many years later that I realised there are many different undertones from cool to warm. I now choose my red lipstick depending on my mood or how I want to portray myself i.e. I feel more serious when I wear a deep blue/red. And for all of the reasons above I think anyone can wear a red lipstick; it simply depends upon the tone, texture and coverage, so if fear is holding you back but you really want to have a go; the Christmas season is always a good time to try.

**Day or night I always add a highlighter to my cupids bow – it’s a throw back from the 80s I’ve not managed to let go of! – it defines my lip shape. Here are some of my personal favourites reds and many suggestions:

1. Glitter Lips Ruby Slippers & Guilty Rose & Purple Rain Glitter brings out the child in me — mind you I don’t have to dig too deep for that — so I was very excited when I was first introduced to Glitter Lips for the consumer. I have tested its durability on numerous occasions and I can report back that it does stay all day without crumbling off (the very inner centre wore away after eating).

2. MAC Retro Matte Dance with Me & MAC Amplified Lipstick Neon Orange & Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter Bronze When a red is too dark in tone for me but I really want to wear it I add a strong orange to the centre of my lips (apparently the yout’ dem call this ‘Ombré’ ), it brightens and warms up my whole look. MAC Retro Matte liquids as a base with a conventional bullet lipstick on top adds staying power. **If over applied matte liquids tend crumble.

3. Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Tijuana & Benefit Girl meets Pearl I’m new (or slow) to the revolution that is Kat Von D. She truly knows what a woman wants from a red lipstick. I’ve found KVD do not bleed, they’re opaque and true to colour.

4. Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipstick – Wonderland & UD 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil & Benefit Girl meets Pearl On its own Wonderland looks like a pink-red but when placed next to a true red it does actually look pink…it lives in my red lipstick bag non the less! I add the perfect UD darker lip pencil to create dimension. Urban Decay have fifty-one shades of lip pencils, nearly one to match every lipstick.

5. Chanel LE ROUGE CRAYON DE COULEUR – N°4 – ROUGE CORAIL & Benefit Girl meets Pearl My new favourite! I think it’s because this is a coral red which lifts my sallow complexion especially during the winter months.

6. Sisley Phyto Lip Twist – no.13 Poppy & Benefit Girl meets Pearl I don’t know why but I smile every time I see these Sisley Phyto Twists. They are my go to when I want a nourishment plus pigment. They do not dry out like a few other lip treatments tend to. This is a loverly warming red and perfect when I want a little more than a sheer.