Cult Red

In my last MAC lipstick post, Cherie came close to guessing which lipstick I picked alongside Peach Blossom. The only clue I left was that it was a classic. She mentioned Russian Red, Ruby Woo and Morange fit that bill, but that I don't usually go for post box reds. Well, it came as a surprise even to me that I chose something other than pink, but I felt Ruby Woo was the one MAC lipstick no lipstick lover could do without. Cult products are cult products for a reason, right?

MAC Ruby Woo

MAC Ruby Woo is certainly striking, but I have serious doubts when I'd ever wear it. It photographs more orange-toned/warm than how it looks in real life. It's definitely blue-based, but not too cherry red. It's darker than anticipated, bordering on vampy. It reminds me of the Memoirs of a Geisha book cover (the tie-in with the movie adaptation) more than anything. This might be an odd thing to say, but I find it's more flattering on someone in photos than in person.

What makes Ruby Woo remarkable is the intense pigmentation and ultra matteness of it. It's unlike anything I've experienced in a lipstick. It's completely devoid of any shine and is the kind of drying that makes it a minor struggle to apply straight from the bullet. There's quite a bit of resistance and tugging when you're dragging it across the surface of the lips. I had to utilise all my years of lipstick application to get it on without looking a total mess. This one would probably look far more polished with a lip liner, but I neither have a matching lip liner nor the will to take that extra step.

I don't think I could ever love Ruby Woo because frankly, it looks strange on me. It's so bold and dramatic that it can look flat and stark. Though I have fairly full lips, the width of my mouth is not that much longer than the width of my nose when I'm not smiling. Dark colours tend to emphasise this and make my face look oddly proportioned (and my nose/visible nostrils more prominent, which is never a good thing). You can always make thin lips plumper with lip liner, but you can't really elongate a mouth.

l-r: MAC Ruby Woo, Revlon Cherry Tart, Revlon Cherries in the Snow, Revlon Strawberry Suede, Rimmel 11, Revlon True Red

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart is similar in colour to Ruby Woo, but pinker and of course, sheerer and glossier. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow is more cool-toned and pinker, almost fuchsia in comparison. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Strawberry Suede (my favourite red lipstick of all-time) is more orangey and retro-looking. Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 11 is darker, vampier. I've never managed to get along with this lipstick and have basically never worn it, so after digging it out for this post, I promptly gave it away to a friend. Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in True Red is brighter, with a glossier finish.

Though I may never wear it in public, Ruby Woo still feels like one of those truly classic makeup (not just lipstick) products that every cosmetics enthusiast should have. In terms of opacity of colour, lasting power and an undeniably matte, transfer-proof finish, I can't imagine any lipstick beating it.

Stars on Show

When I saw the Essie Winter 2012 collection last year, the one polish that caught my eye was Leading Lady. I was keen to get my hands on it, but never found it in the shops here and didn't want to resort to buying it online, where the price of shipping wouldn't make it worthwhile. The brand released a very similar polish this year called Toggle to the Top which rekindled my interest in Leading Lady. Essie recently launched in Priceline pharmacies, which unfortunately triggered in me a major Essie phase. Not only did I buy 4 polishes from Priceline, I also decided to place an online order for more Essie polishes with a friend. One of the polishes I bought in my haul was, of course, Leading Lady.

Leading Lady is a deep ruby red flecked with dense red glitter. It's completely opaque in two coats and imparts a shiny, jelly-like finish which adds dimension to the polish. The composition reminds me of what I imagine a colour like Ulta3 Brandy Wine or OPI The One That Got Away would look like with an ordinary red glitter painted over it. The tone of red is dark and full-bodied enough that it almost borders on vampy. This is by no means a subtle or quiet polish. It's loud, a little dramatic and appropriately festive for the upcoming holiday season. What I like most about it is how the glitter looks suspended in the polish, as if sandwiched between semi-translucent layers, rather than merely sitting on top. It gives the polish much more complexity and depth, and leads to a shimmering, starry effect that's positively dazzling in direct sunlight.

Seeing Red

Lying in bed on Sunday morning, contemplating whether I need MAC Russian Red, prompted me to make a post about my existing red lipsticks. Because seeing in front of my eyes 6 red lipsticks that I already own and barely use theoretically should discourage me from buying another red lipstick that no doubt, once purchased, I will hardly wear. The funny thing about having too many cosmetics is that you tend to forget the specific products you have, as everything falls under the vague notion there's a lot sitting in your storage at home.

I don't really wear red lipsticks because they're not really my thing. For better or worse (but often worse), I tend to favour pink lipstick, followed by peachy or coral colours. Red always seems to be a little too loud, serious, grown up, in-your-face. I'm just not bold or adventurous enough to wear it in the daytime. Red can make the definitive statement lip, but I don't have that many occasions in my social calendar worthy of glamorous makeup with a red lip as the centrepiece (and by "that many", I mean none).

Nevertheless, I seem to have collected no less than six red lipsticks. (There's actually more in the form of lip gloss, lip stains and products in palettes, for example the vibrant cherry red in Revlon's Multi-Use Palette, but we'll stick with lipsticks for now.)

• Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Candy Apple
• Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart
• Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Red Velvet
• Revlon Matte in Strawberry Suede
• Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in True Red 
• Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Lipstick in 11 

Yeah ... I really like Revlon.

l-r: Candy Apple, Cherry Tart, Red Velvet, Strawberry Suede, True Red, 11

Of these, my favourite is Cherry Tart (lip swatch here), as I find it's the most wearable in terms of sheerness and the colour itself. Candy Apple is basically the warmer and more orange version of Cherry Tart. Red Velvet is absolutely luscious texture-wise (truly buttery, glossy and moisturising on the lips), but too dark and bordering on vampy for everyday wear. On my lips, it's more of a dark, brownish brick red with a bit of burgundy. Sheered out, it makes a typically autumnal shade, a less intimidating reddish wine colour. Strawberry Suede is sadly discontinued (much to the dismay of Lisa Eldridge), but I'm sure it's relatively easy to track down on Ebay or chemists and the like. It's an incredibly vibrant, orange-based, retro red. The ideal bright summer lipstick that instantly lifts the complexion. True Red and Rimmel Lasting Finish in 11 are fairly similar on my lips, the only difference being 11 is darker and more blue-based. True Red is brighter, a touch more orange in tone and slightly sheerer, but only because 11 is so densely pigmented. I was spurred to buy 11 after reading Paula Joye rave about it, and while it's an excellent quality lipstick, it's way too intense for me if applied straight from the tube. But a small amount mixed with lip balm could make a universally flattering red lip. Maybe I don't need Russian Red after all.