Maybelline ColorSensational Vivid Lipstick in On Fire Red

Okay, so this review has been a very long time in the making.  I picked up the Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in On Fire Red last winter and am just now getting around to reviewing.  Oops!  But it all works out because now I can review it just in time for holiday party season.

I have several lipsticks from the Maybelline Vivid line and overall, they are just fantastic quality.  On Fire Red is a classic primary red, slightly blue based.  It applied really well, very even.  I did need a couple of swiped for total opacity, but overall it was great.

The formula is very smooth and moisturizing and it wore really well.  I didn't have a problem with it settling into lip lines or clinging to texture, even when worn without a lip primer.  It also didn't feather on me, which is something of a miracle for a lipstick this creamy and pigmented.

The formula did stain my lips a bit (but show me a red that doesn't, ha!).  It's not a super long wearing formula, but I did get a good 6 hours of wear out of it before I really needed to touch up.  Obviously, if you're doing a lot of eating and/or drinking, that wear time will be diminished.

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivid Lipsticks contain .15oz of product and are available wherever Maybelline is sold.  I picked mine up at Target for under $6.

Overall:  10/10

Rouge Bunny Rouge Colour Burst Lipstick in Word of Mouth

While some of my recent Rouge Bunny Rouge haul was disappointing, the lipsticks certainly were not.  I am in love with these things!  First off, the packaging is to die for.  They are packaged in metal.  They feel very substantial, they close very securely and they have a high gloss black finish.  They are beautiful!

I picked up several shades, but the first I'm going to review is the Rouge Bunny Rouge Colour Burst Lipstick in Word of Mouth.  

(indirect natural light)

Rouge Bunny Rouge describes Word of Mouth as "Creamy, shiny finish cool cherry syrup - The little black dress of lipsticks, very pretty and feminine".  While I would describe the color as a medium browny red, I agree with just about everything else they said.  This color is incredibly versatile and flattering.

(daybulb)

You need a couple of swipes to get full opacity, but it wears well and is very comfortable on the lips.  I adore this color.  If you are someone who is drawn to red lipstick, but isn't ready to commit to fire engine red lips, this is a great introductory color.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Colour Burst Lipstick in Word of Mouth contains 3.8 grams of product and is available for $24 from BeautyHabit (or 24 Euros plus shipping direct from the RBR website).  I got mine from BeautyHabit.

Overall:  10/10

Maybelline Super Stay 14hr Lipstick #65 Ravishing Rouge

I've seen a lot of beauty bloggers and YouTube gurus from the UK talking about the Maybelline SuperStay 14hr Lipsticks laterly, specifically several of the reds.  Now, I'm sure there are great reasons for this, but I have no idea why the colors, names and numbering for products differ between the US and Europe.  A lot of times, the products look identical, but they're labeled completely differently.

Anyway, the specific colors of red lipsticks in this range that were touted by the UK bloggers and gurus aren't available in the US.  And I'm not sure how swatches between the UK name/number might line up with the US name/number.

So ... I just picked out what I thought was the prettiest red in the range, #65 Ravishing Rouge, and bought it.

Given the 14 hour claim, I was really expecting a different texture.  This lipstick goes on surprisingly sheer and glossy.  I needed a couple of passes to get complete opacity.  I expected it to be a thick or even latex-y feeling formula, but it was very light and thin.

(sunlight)

(flash)

(daybulb)

The color is a bright, true red.  The flash picture looks rather orangey, but I don't think it looks that way in real life.  It is just a very bright red.

Application was very smooth, given the lightweight formula, though as I said before, I did need a couple of passes.  It wore really well and also stained the lips.  I'm not sure I'd say it was a 14 hour wear time.  While my lips were still red after 14 hours, they were looking rather worse for the wear.

Maybelline SuperStay 14hr Lipsticks contain .12oz of product and retail for between $6 - $10 depending on where you buy them.

Overall: 8/10

Makeup Geek Lipstick in Elegant

I mentioned a while ago that I picked up a couple of the new Makeup Geek lipsticks and eyeshadows.  One of the lipsticks I picked up was this beautiful vampy matte red called Elegant.  The color is described by Makeup Geek as "Deep Red".  It is listed as a dupe for MAC Ruby Woo and it has a matte finish.

The color is definitely a deep, vampy red.  It doesn't read particularly blue or orange to me, but maybe slightly brown (without being orange).

The Makeup Geek matte formula seems to be very dry.  Even using Ruby Woo as a comparison, it's dry.  As you can tell from the swatch, it applies somewhat unevenly and there is a good bit of feathering.  Of course, the upside to a formula this dry is that it definitely has a good wear time - enhanced (if you want to look at it that way) by the fact that it stains your lips.

Makeup Geek lipsticks contain 1.8 grams of product  and retail for $7.99.  Makeup Geek lipsticks are currently available in 16 shades with a variety of finishes.

Personally, I like this lipstick.  It's not the most comfortable to wear, but at this price point I am willing to deal with it.  I absolutely love the color and I don't mind that it stains.

Overall: 8/10

Makeup Geek Lipstick in Ravishing

I picked up the Makeup Geek lipstick in Ravishing in my Makeup Geek haul.  Ravishing is described by Makeup Geek as "Deep Red (Ruby)".  It has a matte finish and is definitely on the dry side (though not as dry as Elegant).  The color isn't near as vampy on the lips as it looks in the tube.

It is a bright red with a slight blue/berry undertone.  Makeup Geek says it is a dupe for MAC Red.  I don't have MAC Red, so I can't swatch them side by side.  

The formula is dry.  It skips a bit during application which can make it a challenge to get a smooth finish.  However, once do you do get it applied, it stays put.  This shade wore for a solid 6 hours before I had any problem with fading or feathering.  And it did stain my lips.

I wore Ravishing over a lip primer, so if you don't use one, your mileage may vary.  Also because it is such a dry matte, it will definitely highlight any less than ideal lip conditions so be sure to exfoliate and moisturize well before use.

I do have to say that because this formula is so dry, it really isn't my favorite.  I love the color and I love the wear time, but it is just so darn dry.

Makeup Geek lipsticks contain 1.8 grams of product and retail for $7.99.  Makeup Geek lipsticks are currently available in 16 shades with a variety of finishes.

Overall: 7/10

NYX Round Lipstick in Eros

This lipstick is one that I picked up in Portland a few weeks ago (the other being NYX Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink).  At the time I had been fixated on MAC's Ruffian Red and at first glance I thought this color looked similar (after swatching, I was right).

NYX doesn't provide official color descriptions (as far as I can tell), but to me this looks like a bright tomato red.  It's mostly neutral, but it may lean a bit orange.  The finish is slightly sheer.  It's very moisturizing and it applies smoothly.  

The formula wore for about 3 hours on me before I needed to reapply.  It did settle into liplines after a while, so regular reapplication is necessary to keep it looking great.

I like the packaging on the NYX round lipsticks, they feel substantial (especially at this price point).  NYX Round lipsticks contain .14oz of product and retail for $4.

Overall: 9/10