Red lipstick is a must have that every beauty lover should have in their arsenal, no matter the time of year. I myself wear it at least once a week, but the holidays are really a time where it gets its full shine!
Sidenote, OH MY GAHHH how is it the holiday season already? I feel like I was just talking about how my summer went and fall transitional clothes, and BOOM somehow now we’re on our first post of December?! I know we say this all the time, but DAMN TIME FLIES BY SO FREAKING FAST.
Anyway, back to the task at hand! I’ve rounded up my three favorite red lipsticks that I LIVE in during this season. These are sure to get you in a festive mood and ready to take on all the exciting holiday events you have planned!
1. Classic Blue-based Red
My absolute #1 favorite red to wear, in ANY season is the Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in “Lady Balls.” It never fails, every single time I wear this, people ask me what it is. (FYI, I always state what lip product I’m wearing on my Instagram photos, be sure to keep up there as well!) I wore this to a company holiday party a few years ago, and I kid you not, I ended up in the bathroom putting it on three other girls at the party. Every year they say, “Tania! don’t forget to bring that Too Faced lip!” They’re all fans of it, and it looks good on so many skin tones!
I don’t blame them, it’s a classic old hollywood style blue-undertone red that makes you feel like Marilyn Monroe when you have it on. It’s matte and is the most long lasting of the ones I mention today so you don’t have to worry about it getting anywhere while you’re having a good time. It’s food AND kiss proof!
2. Matte Metallic Red
Now is the time to add a little shimmer to your look, and I love doing this with metallic lips. Here I’m wearing Milani Amore Matte Metallic Lip Creme in the shade “Mattely in Love.” I’m especially drawn to matte metallic lips because…they’re still matte. If you haven’t noticed, I pretty much only stick to matte finishes when it comes to lipstick. I don’t like glosses – they feel sticky, they get everywhere, my hair clings to them, and you’re a slave to reapplying them all day. I like to apply once and be done with it.
When Miliani came out with these, they sounded like a contradiction, but it works so WELL. What you get is basically a liquid lip, that LOOKS metallic but is still matte and long lasting. The finish is stunning, giving it a little something extra that just pops on your lips. These come in so many other colors as well! This lip is very inexpensive, (under $5 in my link above!) but if you were interested in testing out this look without having to buy this, you can achieve this with any lipstick you already own! Just dab some highlighter in the center of your lips and voila! It’s metallic!
3. Sultry Deep Red
Of course I wasn’t gonna leave ya without a vampy red suggestion! You know I love dark lips, and I don’t just reserve them for October! This shade (“Havana Nights” by Ofra Cosmetics X Kathleen Lights) is the perfect glam lip to give you that 1920s flapper girl effect. It’s a blood red that’s a little bit deeper than your typical red – perfect for the holidays! I’ve spoken about Ofra’s formula before: they’re a mousse-like texture that’s a bit more comfortable to wear than your standard liquid lip. Because it’s not a super dry finish, it will transfer a little after eating, but stays put for a decently long time otherwise!
Extra Tips
Keep it simple
Red makes a statement all on it’s own, so I like to keep the rest of my makeup simple. It still looks beautiful if you prefer to go all out, but I typically go for a matte light brown smokey eye, or no eyeshadow at all! I let the eyeliner and lips do the talkin’. As for clothes, think solid neutral colors like black, white, and grays. I also happen to think red looks super stunning with an all red outfit as well. I LOVE a monochromatic moment!
Consider a matte finish
For my gloss lovers, I encourage you to try a matte finish when it comes to reds. It looks more wintry and velvety for this time of year, and is less messy and more long lasting than a gloss. Also, it’s a good general rule of thumb to reserve the glosses for nude or clear colors. Honestly, it just doesn’t look as classy or neat otherwise. You don’t want to be that girl at the party with the smeared red lipstick on her chin, do you?
Wear glasses? Don’t ditch them!
Red lips (or any bold color for that matter) look gorgeous (and by that I mean HOT) with glasses! Sporting your specs allows you to skimp or hide imperfect eye makeup and it really makes a fun statement. Don’t listen to the people that say you shouldn’t wear them for nights out. They actually make you stand out from the crowd. (In a good way!)
WHICH RED WAS YOUR FAVE? GOT ANY FUN EVENTS PLANNED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?
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Wonderful post! Your recommendations are so affordable and accessible. I, myself, have always been a huge fan of blue-based reds. They look amazing with any outfit, any time of year. Your content is also very readable and well organized. Keep it up! 🙂
Author
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! Yes, blue-based reds are so flattering on so many people – it’s a classic!