THE RED EYE LINER: Red Valentine

Red Valentine

By Alexandra Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Chanel, Covergirl, Lip Crayon, Lipstick, Revlon, Rimmel, Tony Moly, VDL

Valentine's Day is upon us and while the rest of the world is going to be wined and dined, I am probably going to be binge-watching Jane Austen adaptations or finding my other single friends and making them watch with me. But before I runaway with my feelings, and my Austen men, let's get to the makeup.

Today I wanted to talk about Red Lipstick. While the Matte Red Lip, the likes of MAC's Russian Red or Ruby Woo, is beautiful, there are so many other ways to wear it. I'm personally not a very big fan of a matte lip, mostly because my lips get very dry very quickly. So the formulations I veer towards are much more moisturizing and much more sheen-y. I also unconsciously tend to go for lipsticks that have nice scents. Color wise, I tend to like playing around with the intensity and the undertones.

Tony Moly Color Fix Lip Crayon in #01 Red Corset

This one is very bright. It's an almost neon orange red. Not something I would usually wear, but fun to have all the same. The texture is really creamy for a pencil and it is ultra pigmented. Though to be honest, I've used it more on my sister's halloween costumes than myself.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in #096 Macaroon

Picked this up ages ago after my friend Pau showed me hers. I really like my berry tones and this reminded me of black cherry juice after you accidentally stain your clothes with it. It is probably the most moisturizing of these lipsticks and it has a sweet candy-like scent.

Tony Moly Cats Wink Lipstick in #05 Red Cat

Another one I picked up a while back, this lipstick is more of a moisturizing stain really. It's an orangey red that really warms up my skin tone. It's incredibly sheer and great for everyday And just look at how adorable that cat-shaped cap is.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in #10 and #12

I wrote about these two when I first got them last year. I still really like #12 with its coral orange undertone. It's a great summer color and is a classy, but still casual color. Unlike a bluer red you don't have to be terribly precise when applying it. On the other hand, #10 is a blue toned fire engine red and it quite classic. It's a bold red and definitely something you need to be careful applying. I always have the hardest time getting things symmetrical, but the color payoff is amazing and well worth the effort. They're both very creamy textures and the finish is shiny, but not glossy.

Covergirl Queen Collection in #Q415 Tawny Port

I have spoken about this lipstick so many times now and it is definitely my favorite shade. It's quite a deep burgundy and brown toned red reminiscent of wine. It's more of a fall and winter color, but I love wearing this all year round. It's moisturizing and makes a great stain as well.

Chanel Rouge Hydrabase in #78 Shanghai Red

This gorgeous raspberry red was a small present from my grandmother. It's a very sophisticated looking lipstick with a great formula (though it is a teeny bit sticky). It's quite close to Covergirl Tawny Port, minus the brown tone.

VDL Expert Lip Color Lip Cube Ex in #502 Hello Stranger

This is the newest of all of the items on this list and one of the mot interesting. Some of you might remember it was in the big holiday haul. I've only been using it for a few weeks, but I can tell you that it's amazing. It's a stunning burgundy red very similar to Chanel Hydrabase Shanghai Red, but with a much better formula for a fraction of the cost. It is not as sticky and the color is really buildable.

It has SPF 10 as well and it has really good staying power for such a moisturizing product. I had this on when I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet and it stayed put the whole night. I made it a point to really press it into my lips as I was applying it, which helped as well. The packaging is nice too, but my only gripe is that you cannot twist the product back down into the bullet. Otherwise I think it's a great shape for lipstick especially when you want defined lines, though a bit of practice may be needed.

What ever you have planned for Valentines day, I hope it goes well. If you're like me and don't really have a lot going on, I hope you have some fun and eat lots. Also, if you're like me and like getting dolled up, go do it. Sometimes I put on a red lip even when I'm just sitting at home for the day. Anyway, forgive me for rambling. Advanced happy Valentines day!