a perfect red
Feb. 28th, 2011 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonMy latest aesthetic obsessions include 1940s pantsuits and Moulin Rouge (I may make a saloon girl outfit yet, if only as an excuse to make my first Victorian corset). As such, I've renewed my pursuit of a perfect, plain red lipstick.
As a teenage goth, finding a drugstore red that wouldn't turn pink or orange was well nigh impossible. Twenty years and discovery of high-end cosmetics later, the best I'd been able to do was MAC's Russian Red, which while still a bit too bright for my tastes at least didn't fade with the first cup of coffee.
Nah, what I've been seeking for years is a perfect Rosie the Riveter, pinup-girl, Paloma Picasso, Addicted to Love-style red. A clear, plain red, neither pink nor burgundy, that stays put.
So I went to Sephora.com and ordered several, with the expectation that most would get returned and the hope that at least one would pan out. I got lucky and found two:
DuWop's Private Red didn't pull the advertised "mood lipstick" thing on me, but is a smooth, true red with a tiny bit of shine. It doesn't slip easily and even after I wiped it off it left a reddish (not pink) stain. This might be good for everyday or touchups.
For industrial strength, evening wear ain't-gonna-move red I'm hanging onto Nars Fire Down Below. It is very dense, very dry, and aggressively plain and resolutely immobile - indeed, getting it right the first time is crucial so if/when I wear it I'll have to use a lip pencil or brush to make sure I get it right! Too dry for everyday but if I need something that will stay, this would be it.
For those of you who wear it: what's your favorite red lipstick?
As a teenage goth, finding a drugstore red that wouldn't turn pink or orange was well nigh impossible. Twenty years and discovery of high-end cosmetics later, the best I'd been able to do was MAC's Russian Red, which while still a bit too bright for my tastes at least didn't fade with the first cup of coffee.
Nah, what I've been seeking for years is a perfect Rosie the Riveter, pinup-girl, Paloma Picasso, Addicted to Love-style red. A clear, plain red, neither pink nor burgundy, that stays put.
So I went to Sephora.com and ordered several, with the expectation that most would get returned and the hope that at least one would pan out. I got lucky and found two:
DuWop's Private Red didn't pull the advertised "mood lipstick" thing on me, but is a smooth, true red with a tiny bit of shine. It doesn't slip easily and even after I wiped it off it left a reddish (not pink) stain. This might be good for everyday or touchups.
For industrial strength, evening wear ain't-gonna-move red I'm hanging onto Nars Fire Down Below. It is very dense, very dry, and aggressively plain and resolutely immobile - indeed, getting it right the first time is crucial so if/when I wear it I'll have to use a lip pencil or brush to make sure I get it right! Too dry for everyday but if I need something that will stay, this would be it.
For those of you who wear it: what's your favorite red lipstick?
