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5 Bright Red Lipsticks to Try This Summer

The brightest reds in town: your cherry reds, your fire engine reds. Take your pick! 🙂 Check out swatches of these shades here in the Swatch Gallery.

  1. Estee Lauder Vengeful Red –a potent, cool-toned red
  2. Urban Decay 69 — a rich, satin red
  3. Maybelline On Fire Red — a bold, bluish red
  4. Giorgio Armani #402 — a brightened, warm-toned red
  5. Buxom Scoundrel — a bright, cherry red

What are your favorite bright red lipsticks?

75 Comments

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Mariella Avatar

It was a freebie but I plan on getting the full size but I am really LOVING BITE Beauty’s VIB Rouge lipstick. It’s a red that I find quite wearable. I also like OCC’s Super NSFW Lip Tar. I only have a sample of it but that sample has lasted for months. The glitter in it keeps the red from looking too insanely bright, screaming red. And I have to give an honourable mention to MAC’s New York Apple, which is a great red for me all year ’round. When everyone else was wearing coral for Spring-time, I was happily sporting New York Apple.

Sunny Avatar

A new one that I think is great for summer is Dior Mayday Addict Lipstick! It’s very pigmented for an Addict, but still with the same glossy finish that looks less “heavy.”

grlnxdor Avatar

My favorite red is Revlon’s Candy Apple Lip Butter. I had always been trying blue-based reds and couldn’t figure out why they just looked ok on me-nothing spectacular. Then I tried Candy Apple. I know, there are no “dupes” because of the balm-like texture, but Christine, can you think of any lipsticks or glosses that are similar in color?

Rashmi Avatar

love five ways and REDDDSSSSSS 🙂
trust me i was dying to come here and tell you that you looked deadly in Guerlain new lip colors 🙂 and you know am gonna pick them up blindlyyyy XOXO 🙂

for me bright red would be –
NARS DRAGON GIRL ,
Giorgio Armani lip maestro no 402 chines lacquer without a doubt
MAC Cherry lip pencil
YSL glossy stain no 9
MAC Lipmix Red

i badly want to try new Estee lauder lipsticks …. not sure which shade to pick 🙁

Sylirael Avatar

Nnngh! Want all of these!! 😛 I’m going to try and go swatch all of those new EL lipsticks as soon as I can! I really wish buxom were a thing here! too. Giorgio Armani is one of the brands I’m most looking forward to experimenting with when I go to Dubai in June! I don’t even know what I should get first from that line! 😛

More OT: EL Rich Red when I want glossy, deep red, and Revlon fire and Ice when I want punchy red!

Christine Avatar

I also love Maybelline’s On Fire Red and Buxom’s Scoundrel. Great picks!
I’ve been loving OCC lately so from them: Stalker, NSFW(and the electric one), and Radiate(like a bright cherry popsicle color).
I would normally add Kat Von D’s Outlaw and Underage Red but it’s warming up and the matte’s are going away for the season!

Erica Avatar

I love wearing Scoundrel. My reds of choice are dark and/or blue-red. Thanks to Christine’s review, I bought it. This bright red was a departure for me and I’ve loved wearing it the past year. Thanks Christine!

Lauren Avatar

Great choices but I believe you have the images for #3 and #4 mixed up. When you click on them, they go to the links listed but they are the wrong image on this page.

Ria Avatar

My favorite red lipstick is the Fashion Fair Specialty Lipstick in Dynasty Red. It’s amazing, somewhere in between a true blue red and warm tomato, depending on what light I’m in and the skin of the wearer. Don’t ask me how that’s possible, all I know is it goes with everything!

Aquie Avatar

Even though they have been slacking lately my ultimate red is MAC’s Ruby Woo! Two close seconds are Urban Decay F-Bomb and Revlon’s True Red. I love those!

Plurabelle Avatar

My favourite reds are Catrice’s My Red Card, Essence’s Stay Matt lip cream in Silky Red (both sadly discontinued, but I got lots of backups when they were on sale) and Rimmel’s No. 10. The Essence lip cream is incredibly bright and beautiful. I tend to think it has an orangy undertone, but it could be neutral – most reds look warm on me.

AbigailOD Avatar

All beautiful reds! Which reminds me that I’ve always wondered (this may or may not sound off-beat): is it not “proper/typical” to wear matte lipsticks during spring/summer? Is there a general rule of thumb which formula is best when (considering your lips can take any formula)?

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