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How hard was it for you to find your holy grail red lipstick? Or are you still looking?
I always felt like there were a lot of nice reds–maybe not holy grail status but not so far off that I felt compelled to keep hunting. When I did find my holy grail red (Chanel Dragon), it was a surprise.
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I got my holy grail (Mac Ruby Woo) when I stared lipstick counter at Mac.
I found it harder to fin my perfect nude lipstick, though.
Know what you mean about finding the perfect nude. I’ve tried and bought hundreds but none suit me 🙁
My absolute fave red lipstick in Dior Addict in New Look. I have a handful of other reds but I dont like them nearly as much. It took me awhile to seeing myself in red colors because I’ve always worn pale pinks/bubbly pinks but when I tried on the Dior I felt so glamorous. I’m on my second tube 😀
It took a little while, but I think I’ve found mine. (Illamasqua Sangers, which I think has just been discontinued?)
Not very….I went straight to the Nars counter and tried most of their reds and found….The Fire Down Below…..it’s perfect for my skin tone and hair color!
I am still looking. I wondered if MAC Ronnie Red might be it based on your review, but I think it sold out before I had a chance to grab it. I also thought OCC NSFW might be it, but I don’t get the same kind of wear that a lot of people do out of lip tars.
I have found my holy grail MLLB (my lips but better) lip product though! The search for a holy grail red continues…
Ronnie Red is a beautiful red. They should made that shade permanent!
I wasn’t looking for one, I was only into any red lipsticks, I was grabbing any red lipstick I could get, including dragon, until I got shiseido laquer rouge in rd607 nocturne. I realised how stunning it looked on me, my husband isn’t very expressive but I can tell he can’t stop staring at me when I wear that:)
I’ll let you know when I find it! LOL
I dont think i have found my HG red lippie I have
VG 1
Ruby Woo
Scarlet Ibis
VG cyni red kinda dont know if it counts
but i loooove how Ronnie Red applies and looks been debating whether to back it up and I never back up lipsticks!
I’m still not sure I’ve found mine 🙂 I love Guerlain Garconne, and Shiseido Nocturne, but I don’t know if either of them are HG worthy. I’m not a big red lipstick wearer so maybe that’s part of it. I really do love MUFE Rouge Artist Natural in N45, though…that one I can wear every day without a problem.
My HG was a Revlon color, sort of an almost brick red, which I think was discontinued some years ago (I recall a square dark plumish metallic tube?). It was like a richer more neutral Kiss Me Coral. Might have been my skin tone at the time, but I haven’t found anything quite like it since.
Not too hard at all, but I have more than one based on finish, tones and texture. Lime Crime is my fav but Ronnie Red may replace it!
I don’t think I found my HG red but I found one I can wear last year! Not sure if it is my complexion or my hair but red does not look good on me the way it does on other people. So I never bought one. Then I saw a review on Temptalia for a red lipstick from Dior and I thought it was gorgeous and it was called Marilyn and I figured “well she was blond so lets try it” and it works. I even get compliments wearing it and my skin does not look extra pink while wearing it so I am happy with that.
I don’t know if I ever will, actually! I love red lipstick too much to ever really pick a favorite, and I love trying new things. I have some that I wear more consistently than others (Smashbox Grenadine gets a lot of road wear), but it really depends on my mood. There’s always a red shade in my purse or at work, though, so it’s the second most common color I wear after my MLBB shades. 🙂
Interestingly enough, one of the first few red lipsticks I tried (Revlon Moon Drops Hot Coral) is pretty close to my holy grail red, it’s a super-flattering color and it has a great formula. The bad part is that it has a strong chemical smell and and taste, and it keeps me from wearing it as often as I would like.
After that, I wanted to find a dupe for it without the taste/smell, so I bought pretty much every drugstore coral-red I could find, but the color was always just a bit off. I have a lot of nice reds, but they were never as flattering as Hot Coral.
15+ red lipsticks later, I think I might have found an actual HG red lipstick though (for day at least…though I never go out at night anyway), in Maybelline Vibrant Mandarin, which released with the new Vivids line. It’s an amazing light, bright coral red color that doesn’t age me, and it has a great formula that’s comfortable, long-lasting, isn’t messy or fades in an unflattering way. It’s a bit more coral than red, but that suits my skintone better anyway. The funny thing is, I almost didn’t buy it because I didn’t think I needed /yet another/ red.
I don’t know if you have recently tried the same shade in Moondrops? Revlon has removed the icky perfumey scent they used to be known for many years ago!
Completely? I bought mine less than a year and a half ago.
Most definitely haven’t found it! I like MAC Lady Bug paired with opaque lipliner – that’s my current red – but it’s not my holy grail. The warm red looks nice with my colouring but I want to try out a blue-based red. How I WISH Dragon were still available… it looks so, SO amazing.
If you like mac ladybug you should give guerlain genna a try
Not sure if I’d want something so similar (warm toned/orangey) to Ladybug, to be honest!
I am still looking for mine. Like you I have found a lot of nice reds but I am still looking for the one!
For a while I thought that Lancome’s 170N Sequence of Love was my holy grail red, but lately I’ve been getting sick of it. So I need to find more ideas. I look forward to reading everyone’s comments!
My current favorite is Revlon’s Really Red matte. It’s the first red that I think looks good on me. But I’m becoming more daring and looking for more!
Still haven’t found. I’m so pale that I find all reds to be so harsh on me.. 🙁
Yes me too! And I feel like my blue eyes throws if all off.
Try red gloss. It’s softer but still punchy. And texture is as important as color. I have a two buck Sinful Colors gloss in bright red my cool pale self can wear with no make up like chap stick! I also like the cheap 99 can’t Wet n Wild reds for a softer effect. They’re transparent and very modern lip color.
It may not be your time for Red too. It’s a powerful thing, red lipstick, and sometimes ones head- or heart- isn’t there.
I think reds look fantastic on your kind of complexion. I have NC/NW 5 skin (though I have dark brown eyes) and that does not prevent me from wearing a neon red or a vampy red.
Have you ever tried something like MAC’s Russian Red? Or even something darker? I find that it looks amazing against fair skin with blue eyes (or any eyes in general, I don’t believe eye color changes one’s look much, it’s more of the skin tone that does). You can make it sexy or even ethereal paired with the right kind of makeup. Same with a neon red, can be extremely playful and cute or sassy and confident.
You can always work your way up with tints and glosses too though! 🙂 Just proceed in a way that’s comfortable for you. Good luck!
Oh no such thing! I am around NC/NW 5 and looooove my reds! My favorite is even a neon neutral red (Lime Crime’s Retrofuturist) 😉 Maybe try dabbing it on first? Or maybe a nice truly rosy blush to help “unify” the entire look? I find that a blush like Tarina Tarantino’s Carved Rose is beautiful when used with a red lipstick to help somehow…soften and “smooth” over the look with a bright red lip.
Try light/bright reds, or colors that aren’t true reds. I’m pale with a young-looking face, and standard medium-bright, blue-based reds look awful on me. Red lipsticks that are mostly orange or mostly coral, and are very bright, look much, much better, because they’re more modern and less aging. My favorite right now is Maybelline Vibrant Mandarin, which some people might say is straight-coral, though it reads red on my coloring.
However, red lipstick is something you need to get used to. I think that all red lipsticks are to some degree harsh–they’re bold and not easy to wear. You have to have the right makeup and the right clothes to pull everything into balance. Sheer reds are great though–much easier to wear, and great for transitioning into full red. My favorite is actually a Nivea Strawberry lip balm.
Not too hard because I look best in reds. In fact, there is rarely a red that I can’t pull off. (I know, I know.)
I know I’ve posted this here before, but Revlon’s Really Red Matte lipstick is probably my ultimate favourite out of all the reds I have. Second place goes to Dior Extreme Addict in Fireworks because its so easy to wear and looks great both day and night.
I finally found mine in the drugstore after buying at least 20 different red lipsticks. And it is an inexpensive brand to boot. Wet n wild Saraghina. It is the perfect red for me. On the flipside I also found the perfect pink in Fuschianista.
Christine
Its a beautiful red. Has that shade been discontinued? Cannot find it at all.
Unfortunately, it has been!
I have one spare sitting in my vanity, you can ask Christine for my email address to contact me if you want it. It’s a brand new tester I bought from a chanel person a month or two ago.
I still think that I haven’t found mine but I do have Revlon Certainly Red and Crimson. I think Certainly Red looks good on me more. I wanna check MAC red lippies though.
Guerlain Genna for me. Warm reds seem to look better with my skin tone, true and blue reds (like everyone’s favorite guerlain garconne) make me look about 10 years older.
Very hard. Every lipstick/stain has oxidized to an awful orange on my lips 🙁 But I found one a couple years ago! It’s a red that I can’t wear with everything, but it maintains its hue! 🙂
Goodness, I love red lipstick–it makes me feel my most confident and sexiest! My favorite redacted
Of the past year or so have been Chanel dragon and NYX liquid lipstick in absolute red. Absolutely gorgeous for night time. For the more of a brightening look, I apply Mac scarlet ibis sheerly with my finger. Not sure any of them are my HG but I am loving the process of discovering it!
Not too hard. Companies with a large selection and good descriptions of shades such as MAC make it easier.
Chanel’s Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Color in Pirate is me holy grail red. It’s perfect for my cool toned, pale skin.
I am sucker for REDssss … i dont know why , but I find them easy to wear kinds rather a nude lip 🙂 and it is true too 😀 D:
have tried almosttttttt every RED shade I can get easily 😀
my ultimate fav is –
MAC RUSSIAN RED till date and as it is my hubby’s fav too i will re-purchase it again and again and I think it is the only RED I would ever finish :d
another fav is
DRAGON by CHANEL and the only reason is my mentor , she lovesssssss it and I love her …soooooo 😀 simple reason to own CHANEL DRAGON 🙂
Another RED that caught attention of my busy hubby is :
NARS MASCATE … when I wore it he actually looked at me closely and asked .. is it new RED ?
so MASCATE is again a winner in my books and all thanks to my mentor 😀
nowwwww I want GARCONNE badly badly badly
I was obsessed with finding a perfect red for me over the Fall and tried a million different reds. The girl at the Mac counter gave me Russian Red and I liked it well enough but I didn’t find myself reaching for it everyday. I feel like I finally found the perfect red for me a few weeks ago and its not even a lipstick!
It’s Kandee Johnson’s Red Velvet Lips from a tutorial video that she posted on YouTube. She lines and fills her lips in with Mac’s Cherry lipliner, lines it with Mac Chestnut, blends Cherry over it, and then sets it all with MakeUp Forever’s powder blush in 99. The color is a perfect dark/bright red that has some depth to it, makes your teeth look white, and wears for a really long time. I like that it doesn’t have a sticky lipstick feel to it too.The only downside for me about it is that it is a lot of work as you’re doing 4 steps and of course, you always want to make sure your application is just right. So it’s not really an everyday, I’m rushing to work or class and need to put on something quick thing. But it is perfect for a night out.
Not hard at all! Mine is ysl glossy stain in number 9 I like a lot of reds and pink reds though. 🙂
Russain Red is the answer to my prayers <3 Best red colour and formula
I don’t think I can pick one HG red to be honest. MAC Rocker probably wins for a vampy night out lipstick, Ruby Woo for a classic pin-up look, Chanel Dragon for a sexy evening look…and still there are several others I like to wear too.
What I REALLY want is a matte, dark red – like a cross between MAC Deeply Adored and Rocker, with no glitter. Any suggestions?
Sounds pretty close to MAC Diva (my all time favorite deep red). Also might want to check out NARS Fire Down Below.
(or viva glam i!)
I love MAC Viva Glam I for day and Russian Red for night.
My favourite red color is nars shangai express. Nars has nice red lipsticks for all skin tones. Texture is superrrrrrr.
I don’t have a HG red, but I would like a nice dark red.
In the summer when I’m tanned, NARS Heatwave…I get compliments every time I wear it! I haven’t found an HG red for winter yet though.
Hah! So many great reds, only one mouth. I have about a dozen red lipsticks and glosses I love; Two 99 cent Wet n Wild lipsticks may be the best.
I look good in reds, it was easy finding great ones the last couple of years.
I just found my HG red! Mac’s Dubonnet is perfect for me. For a long time I kept buying shades that were either a tad too bright or too blue-toned. And I have light skin with warm undertones so nothing was looking quite right to me. But I read a lot of reviews saying Dubonnet was great for warm skin tones, and it definitely is! So glad I got this colors, I’m in love 🙂
Hi, I have been wearing red lipstick for 30 years. I probably own about 100 red lipsticks. My holy grail red lipstick is Twenty Nine Cosmetics, Call me a Cab. It’s a sleeper big time.
not sure if I’ve found my ‘holy grail’ red because i just love reds so much (i think i will always be buying more reds)… but my all time favorites are:
(bright-medium)
mac lady danger
ysl rv 17 red muse
mac russian red
(dark)
mac diva
nars fire down below
mac viva glam i
My first ever red lipstick is still my HG so far! It is Lime Crime’s Retrofuturist (neon true red) gifted to me by the lovely Anna of Fenua Beaute. I didn’t expect to fall head over heels for a red lipstick so much and continue to adore it for so long! It is just a gorgeous red, rather dabbed on or opaquely applied onto my lips. So amazing against my naturally fair (NC/NW 5) skin tone and black hair and brown eyes.
Revlon’s Fire and Ice is very similar, but it just doesn’t have that extra oomph that Retrofuturist has.
Dolce and Gabanna has a bunch of reds. It’s now also sold on Sephora but Saks has a larger variety.
I had found my HG lipstick. Sadly from a Mac LE! The perfect nude in a satin formula, my favee the name “masque” .
Mariam, do you still have your spare?
Mine wasn’t that hard. I didn’t wear much red lipstick until I bought MAC’S Russian Red and now I am in ACTUAL LOVE! It wears fantastically well and suits my skintone. I must admit that Christine’s review of the lipglass convinced me to buy that too and I am so glad I did 🙂
Still looking, but I still need to try some of my recently purchased MAC ones.
Still looking, I do love my NARS Dragon Girl, and a MAC I got during the Hey Sailor! edition but neither are “it” I’m looking for something a little less blue based.
I spent the past two years collecting reds. I even have a separate tin for my red lip products. But hands down, my perfect red lip combo would be Nars Vesuvio over Nars Jungle Red lip liner. All day/night wear and isn’t too cool toned.
I /still/ haven’t found my favorite red lipstick. My NYX Matte Lipstick in Perfect Red is pretty good, but it’s kind of drying.