Fire Engine Red

No matter who you are or your relationship status, there’s no better day to sport a fiery red lipstick than Valentine’s Day. I’m often timid when it comes to sultry red lips, because, let’s be honest, they can be a bit of an attention grabber, and sometimes, they remind me of my childhood dance recital days. But V Day? Totally. Anyone can pull them off! I think I’ll even wear some around the house today, just because. (And as an aside: I also find it fascinating to examine lipstick packaging. Don’t you?)

Do you have a red lipstick shade you swear by?

1. Smashbox Be Legendary, $19 | 2. LORAC Breakthrough Performance, $22 | 3.  Clinique High Impact, $15 | 4.  Maybelline Colorsensational, $9 | 5.  Revlon Ravish Me Red, $7 | 6. Makeup Forever Route Artist Intense, Moulin Rouge, $19 | 7. YSL Rouge Pur Couture, Le Rouge, $30 | 8. NARS Jungle Red, $24 | 9. NYX Matte Lipstick, $6 | 10. Vasanti, $15 | 11. L’Oreal Colour Riche, British Red, $7 | 12. Dior Rouge Lipcolor, $32

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19 Comments

  1. 2.14.12

    I adore Benefit lipstick in Wild Card. It definitely makes a bold statement! I love all your choices. You are right- no day is better than today to sport red lips! :)

  2. 2.14.12
    Jess said:

    At the end of 2011, I decided to buy a red lipstick to try it out. (I chose Sephora’s True Red, found here: http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P249814&categoryId=S10601&shouldPaginate=true) I waited until I was home for Christmas so my mom (who works for Estee Lauder) could give me some guidance on what might look good – and how to use lipliner. Is it just me or do young women just not know how to use lipliner? I’ve always just used Burt’s Bees or lipgloss, so I definitely needed some assistance!

    I think that red lipstick is the perfect way to spruce up a neutral outfit or to just add some pizzazz. I haven’t been daring enough to wear it to work though.

  3. 2.14.12
    Lara Matos said:

    I love red lipstick – unfortunately yt hates it so I prob wont torture him like I normally do and wear it anyway :)

  4. 2.14.12

    I love red lipstick! And pink and orange, but nothing beats a red for a night out on the town.
    It’s definitely not ideal for daytime though, as I work in a conservative office. I tried it once, and wiped it off befor 9am because I felt ridiculous. But hey, that’s what pink is for, right?

    Happy Heart Day!!

  5. 2.14.12
    Becca said:

    Love this! I’m totally with Jess on the lipliner thing- I feel a bit out of my depth with how to apply this look perfectly. I do love how lipstick can instantly make you look more pulled together.

  6. 2.14.12
    Laura said:

    Coming out of the blog closet! :) Love your site, read it all the time. I’m such a huge red-lipstick wimp and now reading your post I’m inspired… would have been a great way to celebrate the day without feeling like a raging dork for wearing a heart sweater or something! (I didn’t do that, but considered it.)

    Thanks for all the great reads!

  7. 2.14.12

    I have that YSL one and swear by it! The only thing is that I need to get a bit more brave to wear it on a daily basis. So far, I’ve only worn it on special occasions.

  8. 2.14.12
    Alexa said:

    Victoria…I am so excited that you posted this today. Because as a Valentine treat to myself I am going to buy red lipstick! I don’t have any…so I figure, why not??? This is a great list to give me some ideas of which shade to buy. xo

  9. 2.14.12

    Thank you so much for posting about this issue! Like most of the ladies here, I had a fear of ‘the red.’ I have pale skin with red undertones, which didn’t really help when it came to finding the right shade. Once though I ran across this site on PeopleStyleWatch. It lets you upload your picture and you then ‘try on’ all the shades of red you can think of. I finally found the one! I know it sounds ridiculous but it seriously helped me. If you’re interested the sit is here: http://www.peoplestylewatch.com/people/stylewatch/makeover/0,,,00.html?action=showMakeover&tab=lipstick&showColorTab=bright

    Hope this is helpful! Happy valentine’s! xo

  10. 2.14.12
    Heather said:

    Red lips are the best! You can dress up anything with a little red lip color. And I adore lipstick packaging. I’m not sure why…it’s just fun I guess.

  11. 2.14.12

    One of my favorite reds is MACs Ruby Woo! It’s matte perfection!

  12. 2.14.12
    alyson said:

    LOVE!! What a fun post. I’m on the hunt for red lipstick (did you see my post a few weeks ago about tips how to wear red lips?)… I haven’t found the perfect one but a few contenders. A little more challenging with red hair, I think, but I’m determined to do it!

  13. 2.14.12

    I wear Laura Mercier … but all of mine are nudes. I need to step it up!

  14. 2.14.12

    I rarely wear red lipstick because I have the type of job where I really shouldn’t be drawing attention to myself, but I do love a color called “Chili” from MAC. Mostly, I think I like it because it’s called chili. Can take the lips outta Texas…

  15. 2.14.12

    I’m the same way, Victoria. I’ve just recently built up the courage to wear bolder colors. I really love all of your choices here. I want to try #8- NARS Jungle Red. It looks like the perfect color for all occasions!

  16. 2.14.12
    Kate said:

    The Poppy King for J.Crew lipstick is the PERFECT every day red. Just sheer enough with a hint of orange. I wear it almost every day!
    <3 Kate
    http://www.theforgetfulwife.com

  17. 2.14.12
    kay* said:

    Such a timely post – I bought my FIRST red lipstick two weeks ago upon arriving home from India after a year. Went with MAC’s Ruby Woo – it’s the perfect blue based red. Have never worn red lipstick before so have been forcing myself to wear it out on days even when I’m just bumming around…LOVE it.

  18. 2.16.12
    Alex said:

    I just bought a fuschia-ish color yesterday and am in love with it! it’s bobbi brown – mod pink – and it’s the first lipstick I feel like I can wear everyday without being self-conscious!

  19. 7.31.12
    Anonymous said:

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