As much as it annoys me *quite* how influenceable I am, I’m actually pretty pleased to be bringing you a beauty post about a few of my recent purchases – three new red lipsticks. I’m a red lip girl through and through and I love finding new red lipsticks that could potentially make it to my top 5 list of best reds. And yes, I was ‘under the influence’ when getting them – 90% of my beauty stash is due to those millions of dangerous (for my wallet) beauty tutorials and stylish ladies on the powerhouse that is YouTube. So, did I need three new red lipsticks? No, I just love discovering new formulas that could potentially gain a spot in my everyday stash. I have to say though, that top 5 list is pretty much established and finalised – read on to find out if these lipsticks made it to the cut.
1. Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Lipstick in ‘Pioneer’ (£9.99)
Who ‘influenced’ me: Vlogger extraordinaire Helen Anderson. I can’t pinpoint the exact video that made me get it, as it was probably a ton of her videos throughout 2018 – I think she’s been wearing it on a super regular basis. It looks amazing on her – and even though she is very fair in comparison to me, I thought I’d give it a go.
A good or bad influence? So let me start by saying that I’m not a fan of the brand Maybelline, and literally never buy into it ever since I bought their iconic, bestselling mascara – it was terrible for me. But I’m always open to second chances when it comes to lipstick products, and trying this was… interesting. First up, the colour is absolutely beautiful – it’s a beautifully rich shade of blue red that I love, and it’s super pigmented. Unfortunately, I found the formula a little too dry for my sensitive lips that dry easily, and in terms of durability it wasn’t great. I know you can’t expect lipstick to look great after food, but I do have lipsticks that actually look fine after a meal. Also, if I remember correctly this lipstick did have a bit of a ‘peel’ effect – I know that’s probably a ridiculous term to use but that is in fact an effect I’ve noticed on liquid lipsticks. To summarise, it’s not great, but the colour sort of makes up for it. Available here.
2. L’Oreal Paris Les Chocolats Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Truffa Mania (£8.99)
Who ‘influenced’ me? Aw man, the sad thing is it wasn’t even a blogger or tutorial that made me want to try this lipstick – it was a freakin’ ad! A happy-go-lucky L’oreal ad that kept appearing before the YouTube videos I was watching during my Christmas holiday in Spain (which is to say that I don’t even know if this ad was shown in the UK). Yep, an ad of singer Camila Cabello dancing to Queen and eating chocolate made me want to try one of these lipsticks. I’m actually mortified at how susceptible I am to marketing.
A good or bad influence? I’m so sorry to have to report that this is the least favourite out of the three, as I had high hopes for this one. First up it’s insane how it actually smells of chocolate – it’s a very addictive scent that I feel like I could smell all day, I can literally imagine myself carrying it in my bag and stoping just to take a sniff of it. And the colour is a beautiful shade of red, very similar to the Maybelline one as you can see in the photograph but potentially more ‘red’ and a little deeper even. The pigmentation is also great – but that’s where the good stuff end. It has a terrible ‘peel’ effect – or is the correct term ‘flaky’? Whatever it’s called, it’s just a shame to see bits of one’s lipstick start forming into little rolls on the lips – not a good look at all. So yes, it’s a big disappointment. I will try to use it a few more times and see if the lip balm I’m using makes any difference – but sadly I don’t think it’ll make a difference. And skipping lip balm is a no no for me as I am prone to getting chapped lips. At your own risk, available here.
3. Max Factor Lipfinity in So Glamorous (£10.99)
Who ‘influenced’ me? The Pixiwoo makeup maestros, who I don’t normally watch but really should because they’re so talented. Although funnily enough I didn’t even have to watch the actual video to be convinced – the thumbnail was more than enough for me to tell myself that I needed that shade of red in my life.
A good or bad influence? Well, technically this isn’t really a lipstick, but a lip gloss. I associate lip gloss with 1999 and my then lack of knowledge in both makeup and beauty, so that’s not great (not that my knowledge is that great now, but I’d like to think that there have been a few slight improvements). But it looked absolutely fantastic on Sam Chapman and I thought I’d try going back into the gloss, as thankfully lip gloss has come a long way since 1999 (or should I be saying 2001?). The texture of it is a bit strange, and I’m no longer used to pigmentation that isn’t strong. The main issue for me is the colour – as you can probably tell from the ‘heart’ photograph it’s just a bit too orangey red for me, I really thought it had more of a blue tint before purchasing (my fault for not testing it out properly beforehand). But, despite the fact that it’s a lip gloss in a hue that I don’t always feel comfortable in (although I think it’s fine on my skin tone), I’d say quality wise it’s the best out these three lip products. I quite like putting that top coat on, it does seem to help and just make it better. The pigmentation is not the same as what you would get in a matte liquid lipstick, but it’s very good considering that it’s a lip gloss. Also, I don’t know why but I have so much respect for Max Factor as a brand – I like its history and it’s a name that I have associated with glamour from a very young age. Available here.
So there you have it, three red lip products that have not made it to my go to list of red lipsticks. I’m a bit disappointed because I really do want to incorporate more drugstore into my makeup collection, or at least know that there are good drugstore options when it comes to lipstick. And, whilst I do have a very affordable red lip in my top 5 list, I have to stay that for now the pricier lipsticks are winning. On another note, I don’t necessarily mind being ‘influenced’ (apart from oh-so-cute ads having such a blatant effect on me – that has to stop), but I do have to be more careful about my purchases and streamline my lipstick collection. I’ve also discovered, thanks to this post, that I really like painting hearts on my arm, even if they look a bit sh*t (soz).
That’s it for now, although I do have another red drugstore lipstick on my radar, meaning this post might get a mini sequel!
Pictures taken on March 5th (in my home sweet home).
xxx