Top Red Lipsticks (My Favourites)

                                 

Hey Lovelies,
It's a new month already and I am really excited for September for so many reasons and I hope everyone has a wonderful month ahead. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you'd remember sometime ago I was doing a series on Makeup for Beginners and everyone else and I split the series into Face, Eyes and Lips. I never write a post on Lips because I thought it would be easier to write one on Red Lipsticks which is why this post is up here. If you still want a mini post on BeautyStore Lipsticks, leave me a comment and your wish would be my command. Red Lipstick is one of the trickiest lipsticks to wear for many ladies especially darker skinned ladies because it can look so wrong if you don't choose shades of red that flatter your skin tone. To be honest, I don't have any set tips for finding your right shade; I found mine through trial and error but I would share with you some of the shades that look flattering on me and may be flattering to you as well. Having said that, you may notice that not all of them are bright red in the pictures to follow which is because bright red lipsticks don't really fit me so I tend to go for the darker spectrum of reds and the reds mixed with a tinge of pink...Let's get started. 

Avon Lipstick in Really Rosy

This was my first real dabble at the red lip and I absolutely loved it. It's a light almost not there red lipstick with some gold speckles embedded within it. I think this colour would go well with many skin tones and the formula is just about right although I would not say it is a moisturising formula. I love the sleek packaging and the lipstick is shaped on a slanted shape which makes it easy to apply but I think may be a problem when it is about to finish. But I love this red lipstick a lot.

L'Oreal Cherry Tulle 179

I already wrote a post on this lipstick because it was part of the products I won from a competition sponsored by L'Oreal and W Magazine in their "because you're worth it " Campaign..check out the post here. Cherry Tulle has a sheer formula which is like a cross between a lipstick and lip gloss which is why I love it. It looks quite a dark red but on application it is a light red sheer colour with a slight lustre. It's one of the lipsticks I grab and the packaging is just excellent! It reminds me of YSL lipsticks.

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Again, I have a post on this on my  Favourite Mac Lipstick Post here. Ruby Woo is still one of the most raved red lipstick ever because it is very flattering to many skin tones including darker skin tones. Ruby Woo is a matte bright red lip stick which is also long lasting. I find it a little drying and I know. Lot of people don't use lip gloss with it but I do and it does change its appearance a bit but mehn!!! soft lips come first.

Sally Hansen Lipstick in Soft Red

This is another easy wearing red lipstick which is also very moisturising. It is also a light red lipstick but it does not really last on your lips for long but you can always reapply. I love how soft and moisturised my lips feel with this lipstick and there is absolutely no need for a lip gloss unless you choose to. 

Revlon Lipstick in Wine With Everything
As the name suggests, this is not really a proper red lipstick but I think it is a close colour especially for ladies who want to make the transition to red lipstick. It was part of a set of 12 Revlon Lipsticks in a cube pack which my cousin gave me. I think she bought it on an airline on her way to SA but that's by the way. It is a rich wine lip colour with a slight dip into the pink spectrum. It has a moisturising formula with some lustre to it which means your lips are soft with the right amount of shine.

MUA Lipstick in Shade 9
I totally love MUA lipsticks because they are well pigmented and the MUA Shade 9 is no exception to this. It is a bright red lip colour with a nice lustre to it and it has a creamy finish. I am quite surprised at how long this lipstick lasts on my lips because I know some MUA lipsticks require reapplication despite how pigmented they are when initially used. I really like this colour but I am not sure it is the best to start out with if you want to take the big bold step of wearing the red lip. I am not sure if this shade is also very flattering to many skin colours especially if you are quite dark skinned.

That's it folks. I hope you enjoyed this post and you may try some of these red lipsticks to see which suits you. I hope you are having a fabulous weekend. See you in my next post...toodles...xxxx

L'Oreal Paris and W Magazine Contest Goodies Beauty Bag

Hi Lovelies,

These past days have been pretty hectic because i had this looming deadline to meet but Thank God I made it. Now, I have my life back for a little while and I am so happy I can blog. I have so many drafts and pictures of upcoming posts which will be rolled out each day this week to celebrate my short freedom.

Today, I am having a mini review on some L'Oreal Paris products i received a little while back. I love getting freebies especially beauty products even if it is a tiny sample. It always provides a neat chance to try out products without spending any money so you can decide if it is worth spending money on.

I actually won these lovely L'Oreal goodies. I have never ever won any thing in beauty competitions and to be honest, I don't even bother entering any competition. Anyways, this contest was sponsored by L'Oreal Paris and W Magazine and was tagged "Because you are worth it". Basically, you just needed to leave a comment voting for your favorite beauty Vlogger on Youtube which featured "ItsJudyTime" and "Kandee Johnson". Long story cut short, I voted for ItsJudyTime because I think she is amazing and I forgot it was a contest where 150 winners would be chosen to win a L'Oreal and W magazine cosmetic bag with some beauty products courtesy L'Oreal.

You can imagine my shock and suspicion when I got an email saying I had won a prize and I needed to send my address and contact details. 

I was like :

   

I thought I was being scammed because I couldn't remember entering any contest so I checked the email and the company website and Bam! I remembered. So, I emailed the lady(Bless her!!) asking for proof that it was not a scam(silly me) and she was so kind and patient with me(excellent customer service) and answered all my annoying questions.  After which,  I sent my contact details. I was very delighted to get new full size beauty products especially from L'Oreal.

I received a really durable classy cosmetic/make up bag containing The Power Volume Collagen Mascara, Miniature Elnett Hair spray and Cherry Tulle Lipstick. 




                           
                                            L'Oreal Color Riche "Cherry Tulle" Lipstick

                                                                       

 This lipstick is amazing! I am not a big fan of the red lip because it is a bit tricky to pull off and i don't think I have mastered that art. With this lipstick, you have nothing to worry about. It is a sheer moisurising light red lip stick; I think it is a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick.




It has the sheerness of a lip gloss but the perfect pigmentation of a light lipstick. I think that's its winning formula. This combination makes it safe for everyone to wear without looking like you are trying too hard. I love the fact that it is moisturising on the lips with a smooth application. The packaging is excellent and the combination of gold and red makes it look more expensive than it really is. I have been rocking this lippie for a while now. The only down side is it does not last very long because it is quite sheer which is not too bad.



                                   L'Oreal Power Volume Collagen Mascara

Since I ditched my glasses and started with contact lenses, I have been a bit reserved when it comes to mascara. Some days,it's fine other days, it's quite problematic which is why I prefer lengthening mascaras as opposed to volumising mascaras. This L'Oreal mascara is a volumising mascara which is a no-no for me. I have tried it out on a few ocassions and it definitely adds a lot of volume to my lashes which bother my contacts. It has minimal clumping which is common with volumising mascaras so I guess that's a plus for it. 

However, I like the wand because i feel it distributes the product evenly which may be the reason why it has minimal clumping. The packaging is also beautiful; it's actually on trend with the monochrome theme(lol).  It is a lovely mascara if you love volume but it's not the mascara for me.

                                                           L'Oreal Elnett  Satin Hair Spray





Again, I have not used this product as much as the others. The main reason for this is I don't like using hair sprays directly on my own hair because it is natural plus I have had my hair in braids for a long long time especially in the past year.  I used it mainly when I had a weave earlier this year. It is really good and does what it says which is giving your hair that extra hold. Although, it gives the hair extra hold, it is actually a light formula which disappears when you spray which is what it says on the packaging. I think the size is very handy for slipping into your handbag because this is a mini version which is excellent for me (Who wants to be lugging around a large hair spray in their bags?). I would not mind buying this hair spray if it actually came in this same mini size.

                              The L'Oreal and W Makeup/Cosmetic Bag

                        

I was really impressed by the quality of this bag and its component parts. It is a rich black colour with W and L'Oreal signature embossed on both sides with very sturdy zips. It has quite a number of compartments which are really secure. It even has a secret zip underneath where you can store your make up brushes and there is a tiny mirror attached. 

This is the perfect make up/cosmetic pouch for travelling because you can be rest assured none of your make up will get damaged. I have travelled with this pouch on so many occasions.
 I feel it is slightly too big to fit into a normal handbag because i prefer smaller make up bags for my handbag but I know some ladies who have larger bags will not mind this for their handbags.

In order of preference for the goodies i received, I think the Cherry Tulle and the cosmetic/makeup bag were my favourite items. I am really grateful to L'Oreal and W for this amazing goodie bag.  I hope you enjoyed this post and stay tuned for more exciting blog posts this week..xxx

Have you ever won any prizes in any contests? Let me know in the comments below..x