Guide to Red Lips

Red lips are something that will never go out of fashion. It's a colour that is so classic, either for a night out or for a pop of colour in your everyday wardrobe. I think a red lip is like an accessory, something that can change your outfit from casual to formal instantly. There are two tones of red lip colours, orange-red and blue-red. Orange reds are warmer and generally brighter. Blue reds and deeper and tend to make your teeth look really white. Here are some of my favourite red lips!

 Firstly we have Maybelline's Colour Sensation lipstick in the shade 645 Red Revival. It's a deeper more crimson red, with blue undertones. It's a creamy lipstick which can smudge, so make sure to blot your lips or add a translucent powder over top to increase longevity.

 Maybelline's Colour Sensation Vivids lipstick in the shade 895 On Fire Red is a more bright red, with some orange tones. It is very bright, more of a tomato shade and looks great in the summer months. I think this shade looks especially nice on darker skintones.

 MAC's Russian Red is a deep, blue toned red with a matte finish. It is a very classic lipstick, the sort of lipstick you imagine lots of old movie stars to wear. Because of its matte finish it lasts longer, although it can dry your lips out a bit.

 Smashbox's Starlit lipgloss is a bright red with some gold sparkle throughout. It's a very festive lipgloss, perfect for the holiday season. I think this shade is nice because it's buildable, but can also be subtle and sparkly if you put a little concealer on your lips before the gloss.

 Rimmel London's Apocalips Lip Laquer in the shade Big Bang is a lipstain that lasts forever. It's a more modern red, quite bright and orange toned which I think looks best with a more casual monotone makeup. Because it's glossy it looks really put-together, but when the gloss wears off it still stains your lips, meaning touch ups don't have to happen every 5 minutes.

Swatches from left to right: Maybellines Red Revival, Maybellines On Fire Red, MAC's Russian Red,Smashbox's Starlit and Rimmels Big Bang.

What do you guys think of red lips? Do you think it's strictly for formal wear or can be casual as well?