MAC Port Red Lipstick

The Scarlet Season: MAC Port Red Lipstick

MAC Port Red Lipstick ($14.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a gorgeous ruby red with gold sheen. I really love this shade, and it’s neck-and-neck with Queen’s Sin as one of MAC’s better red lipsticks. They aren’t identical, as Queen’s Sin is a little deeper, with more berry as an undertone and doesn’t have the same gold shimmer. I love the gold flecks that you see in this lipstick. Port Red isn’t too orange or too blue, it’s just that right shade of true red. Surprisingly, it was launched in May of 2008 (so you may have to do some hunting to find it, e.g. on eBay), but it’s an amazing shade of red for the holiday season as well.

What about you? Would you wear this red?

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

Illamasqua Encounter Lipstick

The Scarlet Season: Illamasqua Encounter Lipstick

Illamasqua Encounter Lipstick ($20.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a matte, bright true-red with a slight touch of orange in its base. While some of Illamasqua’s lipsticks can be drying, Encounter is about as dry as I’d expect for something this matte–but I noticed it didn’t really dry my lips out after wearing it, which is something I do find can happen with some of the drier mattes I’ve tried (e.g. MAC’s Ruby Woo). It also applies very evenly, despite being a matte texture, and it goes opaque in just one layer. I’m personally not a big fan of matte lips, so I tend to gloss things up. This works really well with Illamasqua’s Lily Rose Sheer Lipgloss, as seen here.

What about you? Would you wear this red?

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

Clinique Parisian Red Lipstick

The Scarlet Season: Clinique Parisian Red Lipstick

Clinique Parisian Red Lipstick ($14.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a glossy, just-bitten red with pinky tones. Parisian Red is part of Clinique’s Butter Shine Lipstick line-up, which is described as “wearable color” with sheer to moderate coverage. Parisian Red was a limited edition shade from Clinique’s holiday collection last year, but you can still find Parisian Red at Nordstrom! :) The formula itself is creamy, smooth, and incredibly moisturizing. It does feel like a very glossy lipstick, actually. The color itself is opaque enough to give lips plenty of pop, but they’re not completely opaque. I really love this particular shade of red for the formula itself, because it’s so easy and comfortable to wear.

What about you? Would you wear this red?

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

The Scarlet Season: Guerlain Rouge Sultan Cashmere Lip Gloss

Guerlain Rouge Sultan Cashmere Lip Gloss ($28.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a liquid lipstick in the shade of vibrant, orange-based red. It’s a fiery red that’s definitely a showstopping shade of scarlet. It has a semi-matte finish (even though it’s described as matte), because it still has a slight sheen to it. I would describe Guerlain’s Cashmere Lip Glosses to having a similar feel as Chanel’s Rouge Allure Laques, but they’re thinner and a little more drying on the lips (though I wouldn’t say that they are drying!). Rouge Sultan wears incredibly well, because it really hugs lips and lasts me hours and gets through a cup of coffee. Although Rouge Sultan is a limited edition shade from Guerlain’s Terracotta collection, it is still available for purchase through both Nordstrom and Sephora.

What about you? Would you wear this red?

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

The Scarlet Season: Urban Decay Gravity Lipstick

Urban Decay Gravity Lipstick ($22.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a rich, ruby-esque shade of red with maybe a little tinge of raspberry in it. It has a very soft microsparkle of red, but overall, it has a creamy, glossy finish. All of Urban Decay’s lipsticks have a faint sweetened caramel brulee kind of scent, though I don’t find much taste in the lipsticks from my experience. Gravity applies easily and leaves lips hydrated, with the color wearing four to six hours easy. I’d say this is definitely one of my favorite shades I’ve discovered so far during the series.

What about you? Would you wear this red?

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

The Scarlet Season: Lancome Red and Sensual Java Lipstick

Lancome Red and Sensual Java Lipstick ($25.00 for 0.14 oz.) is an orange-based opaque red in Lancome’s Color Fever formula. The Color Fever formula makes it a more opaque, hydrating lip color that feels lightweight with a glossy sheen. I really like the richness in pigmentation in this shade, and it glides onto lips so easily. It’s definitely a bolder, brighter shade of red that will get your lips noticed when you wear it!

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

The Scarlet Season: Cargo Cherry Bliss Lipstick

CARGO PlantLove Cherry Bliss Lipstick ($20.00 for 0.14 oz.) is an earth-friendly lipstick (tube is made out of corn) that also does good, too.  For their celeb-designed lipsticks, $2 from the purchase price goes to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research.   Even the box it comes with can be planted and you’ll see some nice flowers grow.  Cherry Bliss was designed by celebrity Kim Raver, and it is a glossy, opaque cherry red. It’s a bright pop of red with a really glossy finish (but no real shimmer). The formula itself is creamy and moisturizing while it wears really well (about five to six hours).

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »

Guerlain Holiday: Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick

Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick ($45.00 for 0.12 oz.) is the second new, limited edition shade of Rouge G from Guerlain’s Holiday Collection. (The other new, limited edition shade is Grace, which I reviewed last week.)

Gems is a beautiful shade of slight subdued pink-coral with a fiery gold shimmer laced throughout. It’s hard for me to call it a coral, because there is a very pink color base to it, yet the brightness of the rising sun shimmer makes it pop. For me, this was love at first swatch — this is a shade I could see myself wearing all the time, no matter the occasion.

It’s just one of those shades that suits me well and makes me feel great wearing it. I’ve always considered makeup more than just utility — it’s about the feeling and experience and joy I get from using it. This just makes me happy!  Even outside of my makeup haze, I really do think this is a very flattering shade that a lot of people could wear and find work well for them.

The Rouge G formula is fantastic — smooth, silky, wears and fades well, and goes on opaque overall.  The only real detractor is the wowza price tag.  When it comes to Rouge G, I really do believe you’re paying mostly for the packaging.  I just can’t deny the formula rocks — I just wish they’d make the formula available with some cheaper packaging!

By the way, Gems looks amazing with Guerlain’s Perle de Lune KissKiss Gloss (also from this collection) layered on top.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! :)

• Product: 30/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: If you love slightly coral-pinks or shimmery shades, you may want to check out this limited edition holiday shade if you can take the splurge!

Availability: Nordstrom

See more photos and swatches… Continue reading »

Trish McEvoy Gorgeous Red Gorgeous Lip Color ($25.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a blue-based fuchsia-red. It applies semi-opaquely and definitely has a distinctive pinkness to it, so it’s not really a true red. However, the pink makes it less intense and thereby makes it more wearable for some who are a little shy of truer reds. I found the formula to be hydrating, and it felt more like a lip stain than a lipstick. I wouldn’t describe it as a creamy red, but more of a sheer red with a higher color threshold than expected out of a sheerer shade. It’s also a buildable shade, which means that it took a few layers to get a mostly solid look, but on the same token, you can go sheerer if you like (or the occasion calls for it) with the same shade.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! :)

• Product: 25/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation:  For fans of sheerer, softer reds, Gorgeous Red gives you sheer-to-buildable pinky red.

Availability: BlueMercury.com

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more photos and swatches… Continue reading »

The Scarlet Season: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick ($22.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a vibrant, true red with a creamy texture, glossy finish, and goes on opaque with little fuss. It applies surprisingly smooth and easily, without any feathering or bleeding from the get-go (but as with any red lipstick or gloss, I always recommend a lip liner for secure color). This is a shade that doesn’t run too blue or too orange, though if pressed, I’d consider it a blue-red. I love the glossiness of the finish, because it almost looks like you’ve already topped it with clear gloss.

The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!

See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading »