I Finally Found My Perfect Red Lipstick

A while back I blogged about my quest for the perfect red lipstick.  Nothing says glamour quite like a full on, vivid red lip.  I had convinced myself that I just couldn't get away with bright lipsticks.  BUT after my bold lip epiphany, I realised that it's all about finding the right shade for your individual skin tone.  There are so many shades to choose from and I quickly realised that there's a perfect shade for each and every one of us.  I felt a bit conspicuous wearing bright lipsticks at first but the more you wear them, the more you get used to it.  Believe me, I thought I would be a strictly nude, pink and peach lipstick girl forever but I am so glad I took the plunge to try something different.  Don't get me wrong, I will always reach for my nudes during the day but there's something about smoothing on a vivid shade that completely transforms your look for night time glamour.  I am very much in the school of thought whereby I only like to accentuate one feature at a time.  Heavier eye makeup? Keep the lips natural/light...Bright Lip? Keep the eye makeup simple. 

After swatching furiously at every makeup counter I could think of, I finally found my perfect match in the form of the infamous Revlon Cherries In The Snow Lipstick.  It's a gorgeous cool toned red.  The original shade was launched in 1953 with the iconic ad featuring one of the world’s first supermodels, Dorian Leigh. Revlon wanted to introduce the 1950’s housewife to the fantasy of opulence and escapism from everyday domesticity.  It became a cult classic in the 1950's and I can see why!

First off, I lined my lips with Prestige Lipliner in Tomango.  I love these affordable lip liners and also have it in a really natural shade, Silk and a bright pink, Baby.  They go on really smoothly, without dragging on your lips and they last for ages which is really important when you are wearing a bright lip colour over the top.

I then applied the lovely Revlon Cherries In The Snow...just look at the beautiful raspberry/cherry red colour...

I love the consistency of this lipstick, it's so comfortable to wear and doesn't dry out my lips.  It's ever so slightly shiny on the lips, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's a glossy lipstick.  It has a super smooth consistency with really great staying power.  This will definitely be my red lipstick of choice from now on because although it's a cool toned red, it doesn't drain my face of colour like some others do.  It's the perfect tone for my colouring and it really brings out my blue eyes.  I love how cool toned reds make your teeth look whiter too.  FINALLY I can do a red lip! Hurrah!

In case you guys are interested, I will list which products I used for this look.

Face:  Jemma Kidd Skin Rescue Bio Complex Veil (as a base)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (Fresco)

Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light to Medium Bisque)

Estee Lauder Maximum Cover Foundation in Light/Medium (as a concealer)

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder (shell)

Dior Matte Sunshine Bronzing Powder (Honey Matte)

Sleek Contour Kit (Light)

Blusher in New CID Cosmetics Eyes Lips Face Palette

Estee Lauder 5-Tone Shimmer Powder (Pink Shimmer)

Eyes: Benefit Brows a go-go Palette (blonde brow powder)

Estee Lauder Brow Setting Gel

Mac Paint Pot (Soft Ocre)

New CID Cosmetics Eyes Lips Face Palette (ivory shade all over lid/inner corner and lightest brown to contour)

Mac Vanilla e/s on browbone

Benefit Powderflage

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Liquid Liner (Black 

Benefit Eye Bright (on waterline)

 Ardell Fashion Lashes Natural (110 Black)

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara (Black)

Lips: Prestige Lip Liner (Tomango)

Revlon Cherries In The Snow Lipstick

I decided to challenge my crappy false lash applying skills and try once and for all to master my technique.  I have tried many times before and failed spectacularly.  BUT this time I did it differently to see if that's where I was going wrong.  I applied the lashes after foundation and powder but BEFORE any eyeshadow was applied.  I figured I had failed in the past because the lash glue wouldn't adhere to my lids when I was wearing eyeshadow.  Whaddaya know, it worked!

Yes people, I actually managed to apply the lashes and I reckon they look pretty darn good for my first successful attempt! I think it's a case of practice makes perfect when it comes to false lashes.  Also, I am definitely more of a fan of the natural look lashes.  They feel lighter when on and I think they look alot more flattering.  Heavier, more dramatic lashes can make eyes look heavy and tired.  I already have dark circles so I don't want to make myself look even more tired!  I really rate these Ardell ones because they are the perfect length and volume if you just want a subtle change.  This was my first time trying Ardell lashes and I am really impressed at how easy it was to apply them.  They stayed put which is more than can be said for the Eyelure Girls Aloud lashes I tried in the past!

So I managed to tick off two items off my beauty wishlist for this year...finding the perfect glam red lipstick AND mastering the art of applying false lashes.  Go me!

Since I love the Revlon lipstick, it's only natural that I would love the matching Cherries In The Snow nail polish!  I only had to apply one coat to get the colour in the pic below.

This shade looks gorgeous on fingernails as well as toe nails.  It dried really quickly which is a must for me because I'm awful at smudging my nails.

Some people think it's a beauty no-no to match your nails with your lip colour but I love this shade so much, I don't care!