One of my all time favorite lipsticks is my Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté lipstick in Red Muse. It's creamy and smooth and the perfect bright true red. However, it is $34. So, I found a couple other things at different price points that might fill the void if you are looking for something like this but don't want that high of a price tag.



First, is Ronnie Red from MAC for a midpoint of $15. I hesitate to include this since it was limited edition, but it can still be found on ebay sometimes and CCOs. Ronnie Red is listed as a matte shade, but it is the least matte shade I've ever had from MAC. It isn't drying and it doesn't dry down matte like, say, Ruby Woo. You can even see the slight sheen in the swatch photo. It is also a touch more pinkish than Red Muse.

Finally, Milani Color Statement lipstick in Red Label is a really, really close dupe. It feels slightly more heavy on the lips and is a touch more drying, but the difference in price is drastic (Red Label is just $5.49 compared to Red Muse at $34). The color is pretty spot on, as is the finish. I really like this lipstick, though I feel like it needs a primer or lipliner to be sure it stays in place.


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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review. 

I went shopping with my sister today and picked up a few things at Sephora and Duane Reade. When I was finished I realized all I got were red lipsticks. Imagine that!

I obviously love red lipstick, so I tend to gravitate toward them when I shop. I guess this explains why I have over 30 red lipsticks right now. I love to try out new brands and formulas and see what works best. Here is my current collection with a mini review of each along with my favorites of the bunch.

• MAC - Marilyn Monroe Collection in Deeply Adored (Matte) - I haven't used this one yet. I'm not 100% sure I'll keep it since it looks darker than my normal reds.
• MAC - Racy (Frost) - Not digging the frost so much on this one.
• MAC - Adore It (Glaze) - LOVE this. It's a bright pinky red. It's not super opaque, which makes it a perfect easy lipstick to take with if you aren't going to be able to apply using a mirror.
• MAC - MAC Red (Satin) - LOVE this too. It's a really perfect true red. It is pretty long lasting and has a nice balance of matte/shine.
• MAC - Lady Bug (Luster) - I was really excited to get this since I had heard it was a great red from MAC, but eh. I think because I already had Adore It to fill my easy red lip look, I didn't need this one. Don't get me wrong though, it's pretty and is a nice medium opacity red lipstick.
• MAC - Ruby Woo (Matte) - I heard so much about this lipstick and when I started getting into reds, I had to pick it up. It is a perfect matte red. I generally only like a super matte lip in the winter, which is odd since that's when I'm most dry, but I actually don't find Ruby Woo to be so drying. But it looks dry, so you sort of have to offset the matte by not having your face makeup be so matte.
• MAC - Marilyn Monroe Collection in Charmed I'm Sure (Matte) - I haven't used this one either. It's too pretty to use or something!

• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Roxane - This leans orange and has a bit of frostiness to it, but it isn't too much and it comes off a little younger than a lot of frosty lips.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #9 - Super beautiful warm red with no shimmer. Plus, I love these glossy stains.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #11 - This is a really pinky red. Looks great layered up to a deep pinky red.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #20 - This was a Sephora exclusive color and I'm glad I picked it up. It's similar to #9, but this has a really nice gold shimmer in it. 
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Volupté in Red Muse - I can't get over how much I love this lipstick. It feels like silk going on and has a great color payoff. 

OPI released a collection in October of 2012 to coincide with the next installment of the James Bond movies, Skyfall. I picked up Bondettes, the four color mini set in December, from amazon.com and I'm SO happy that I did. The set is still available now on amazon for around $12.50 including shipping, if you are interested. The set includes the mini size OPI bottles of the following colors:

• Goldeneye - fine gold glitter, which is AMAZING
• The Spy Who Loved Me - a pretty red with a really nice shimmer
• The World Is Not Enough - a really nice rose gold color
• Live and Let Die - a black base with green and gold shimmer

I was trying to resist the draw of these polishes, but I kept seeing blogs and youtubers talking about Goldeneye, so I decided to check it out on amazon (I am addicted to amazon) where I found this set. Once I saw there was a color called "Live and Let Die" I had to have it (I am a long-time Beatles fan so I know a Paul McCartney song or two as well). 

I was recently asked if I collect anything. Without much thought I responded "Records and red lipstick," thus the blog name was born.

Red lipstick was something I was frightened of for a very long time. Actually I really didn't wear lipstick at all for many years. I had memories of trying to wear moms lipstick to my high school dances in the mid-90s. The colors were never right for me and after applying whatever tips I had read about in Seventeen magazine (like blot, reapply, blot and powder over), lipstick never felt very comfortable on. In the late 2000s I worked for an Estée Lauder brand for over six years and spent most of that time spending my gratis and discounts on eye shadows and gifts instead of lipsticks, but in my last year working for the company, and about two years ago now, I decided to go bold and try a red lipstick. What was funny was that I didn't use gratis to get the lipstick. Instead I ordered it off Sephora.com without even swatching to see the color (I'm a terrible impulse buyer). It is Benefit Full-Finish Lipstick in Flirt Alert and it is still one of my favorite colors and formulas. I don't hear much said about this brand's lipstick, but it's creamy and beautiful!