Whilst many people no longer feel the constraint to wear red lipstick on Valentines Day I love the idea behind it, red not only being the colour of love but also the colour of seduction (wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)
I wanted to bring you guys my top recommendations for long lasting red lipsticks for Valentines Day.
Now, why liquid instead of the good ol' fashion lipsticks we know a love?
Well, because I find liquid lipstick last a hell of a lot longer, they also have great pigmentation and most of them are transfer/kiss proof meaning you can wear these beauties to your dinner date without numerous retouches throughout the night.
Here are a selection of my favourite recommended reds:
Sleek's Matte Me in Rioja Red:
A slightly orange based red, this gorgeous and affordable lip cream applies as a liquid and dries to a soft matte texture.
This stuff is gold as it really DOES NOT BUDGE!
I wore this whilst chomping down on some good ol' Ghanaian rice and stew, afterwards I looked in the mirror to find Rioja Red still in full force on my lips, this was the true test of a winner and it passed!
Rioja Red is perfect for you beauties who love your true reds, this is slightly a bit too light for my liking (I like blue toned reds) but that is neither here nor there, for the £4.99 you can't really go wrong!
Ellis Faas Milky Lips in Dark Blood L202:
Not the most settling of names but damn, is this a nice product.
If you're a regular to the blog you already know how much I love Ellis Faas lip products, if you are not, feel free to read about it HERE
Not only do these products look amazing they feel so lightweight and comfortable on the lips.
Dark Blood is fantastic for those of you who love a vampy red lip but do not like the heaviness of lipstick. You can even layer this on top of other lipstick you have but to be honest the pigmentation is superb so layering on top of another product is not really needed.
This product does not dry to a matte finish so some transfer is expected but that's something I can live with, besides you'll look super stylish pulling out the lipstick bullet from your clutch!
You can see me wearing Dark Blood HERE.
MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless:
What can I say about Reckless? Firstly it's the perfect red for me!
The colour is spot on, a dark blue toned red, this works ever so well with my skin tone.
When I first picked this up I had so many problems with it's texture, it was sticky and gloopy, it was only until I received some advice from a YouTuber detailing how to use it that I realised I was applying this wrong.
The key to Reckless's staying power is letting it dry, I expected this to dry fast but it took around 3/4 mins for it to dry to a completely matte finish.
Once it dries, it aint budging!
Reckless is comfortable to wear and very lightweight and for £3.00 it's an absolute bargain!
Sleek Pout Paint in Pin Up:
Another affordable and great product from Sleek that is overlooked!
Pout paints are liquid lip stains that can be mixed with other Pout Paints to create a new colour or used on their own.
I tend to use Pin Up on it's own as it is a gorgeous colour.
Super pigmented, all you need a small pin head amount to apply to your lips, yeah you need a lip brush to apply but doesn't everyone nowadays, Pin Up applies every so easily without any streaks which is what makes it winner for me!
Pin Up is another blue toned red, meaning it is slightly deeper in colour compared to true red.
Pin Up does not have a matte finish but is very long lasting meaning that it may not survive a meal but a few kisses here and there, sure!
You can see me wearing Pin Up HERE.
Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet:
My FAVOURITE of the bunch, I've been in love with Red Velvet ever since I got it into my stumpy lil hands.
The most vivid blue toned red, Red Velvet is a dream!
If you love Ruby Woo, you'll love Red Velvet.
Another liquid lipstick that dries to a soft matte texture, what made it a winner over the above is it's drying time, Red Velvet practically takes a minute or two to dry. You are then left with the most vivid of reds with a soft comfortable texture on the lips.
Totally kiss proof (tried and tested, big obvious wink) this is the perfect lip product for a romantic dinner date.
You can see my review of Red Velvet HERE.
Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in Deep Plum Wine in L102
Last but not least, another Ellis Faas product.
Deep Plum Wine is great for those of you who love an alternative red lip. Deep Plum Wine is a deep burgundy red with a slightly purple undertone giving off a deliciously seductive vampy lip!
Creamy Lips is just as described with a thicker texture in comparison to Milky Lips but this does not affect comfortability. Deep Plum Wine feels ever so light weight on the lips, you'll forget you're wearing it!
Packing a punch with pigmentation this is n amazing product where a little really does go a long way.
DPW does not dry matte however it does make your lips look gorgeous, therefore we'll let it off! ;)
You can see me wearing DPW HERE.
Now that we've found our shortlist for Valentine's Day, let's work on maximising the impact of our red lip, the following points are what I use to ensure that my red lip really catches the right attention!
Tips to wearing a red lip
They always say it but preparation is KEY!
Make sure your lips are smooth and exfoliated to ensure no dead skin gets in the way of your application.
I normally do this by taking a new toothbrush, wetting my lips, wetting the brush and running this across my lips, gently, until I am satisfied. This really helps to remove any dead skin and is pretty inexpensive.
Next - moisturise.
You want to use your favourite moisturising lip balm here, my current go to is Lanolips 101 Ointment as it really does moisturise my lips, I tend to find a lot of other products only moisturise for a few minutes by Lanolips lasts!
Most times I go overboard allow the product to sit on the lips to allow maximum moisturisation, then when I'm ready to apply my lipstick I wipe the excess off.
Now let me just say, a lot of people like to go in with a lip liner before hand but I'm not too fussed about lip liners when it comes to liquid lipsticks. If this is something you are prone to doing, feel free to apply that pencil gurl!
Applying the lipstick of choice - now for the fun part!
I find pulling off a red lip has a lot to do with how it is applied - in this case, neatly.
A lip brush is your best friend when it comes to liquid lipsticks, it allows for precision around tricky areas such as the cupids bow as well the corner of the mouth.
As I have quite full lips I like to use a lip brush for the edges and to fill I simply use my finger as it covers a larger surface area.
Finishing touches - concealer
Lastly, a neat red lip is a winning red lip.
Clean up any misplaced lipstick with a concealer of your choice, this really allows for a neat and attractive red lip! All you need for this is your go to concealer and a small make up brush that you can use to run along the outline of your lips.
Once done...viola!
The perfect red lip to knock your dates socks off!!
Are you going to be wearing a red lip this Valentines Day?
What's your favourite red lipstick?
