Best of the Make-up Counter: Red Lipstick
By Kimberly Rae Miller
Red lipstick: It's timeless, it's classy and every girl should have one. And well, it's New York, maybe some gents should have one too.
Not all rouges are created equal, if you're looking for some quality color hit up these favorites at your local make-up counter.
Fair Complexion:
MAC Russian Red, bright red with a very slight pinkish hue. Great texture and long wear life, $14.
Available at MAC Cosmetics:
712 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10019-4108
(212) 904-7966
maccosmetics.com
Olive Complextion:
Olive skinned ladies have a notoriously hard time finding a "the right" red lipstick, and it's most likely because "olive skinned" is a pretty loose term that can describe any shade of tanner toned skin. Max Factor makes a great lipstick, "Chianti" that seems to be the right balance of blue and pink that won't make you look garish or too girly. It's not fire engine red, more of a brighter incarnation of wine, but still oh so dramatic.
Available at your local drugstore, approximately $9.
Dark complexion:
Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE VOLUPTÉ in "Red Taboo." This is a great lipstick, in any shade, but the "Red Muse" shade will pop against darker skin tones without looking too orange. It's a true red, that isn't overpowering. This is a long wearing lipstick, with the added bonuses of plumping and SPF. Pricy, at $34 but worth the money, Available at Neimen Marcus.
Gloss:
The Buxom Glosses from Bare Essentuals are must haves in my opinion. Not too thick or sticky, and full of lip plumping goodness. Betty, Cherry, and Charity are all great reds that will get you noticed.
Available at Sephora stores, or Bare Essentuals boutiques:
1585 Broadway
New York, NY 10036-8200
(212) 220-0414
bareescentuals.com
Stains:
If you're looking for all day red-lips that just sort of look like you were born that way, you may want to try a stain. Less lipstick, more shading of your natural lip color, lip stains are great when you don't have time to re-apply, or have a pesky habit of licking your lips. If you're looking to stain your pout red, start with Tarte's Natural Lip Stain in "Lust." The stick format makes it a bit less messy than other stains.
Sephora stores:
130 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 629-9135
sephora.com
