Read our lips
You can't go wrong with a red lip — it's an effortless way to elevate your look, transforming the everyday T-shirt and jeans combo into something a bit more put-together.
Whether slicked on as part of your work-week armour, a beloved date-night ritual or simply because you feel like it, anyone who has worn the bold hue can attest to its confidence-boosting powers.
But it's also a notoriously tricky colour, leaving traces of its presence on everything from cutlery and cups to collars and cheeks.
With undertones ranging from cool blues to warm yellows, an unsuitable shade will have you looking like you've smeared Cheetos on your lips, with teeth to match.
Confronted by the plethora of choices on offer these days — glossy or matte or sheer or opaque or stain or tint or crayon — it's no wonder many of us end up feeling overwhelmed at the makeup counter.
Add to that wide-ranging price points — a Pixi tube will give you change from a $20 bill while a Chanel bullet can come close to $100 — and the decision becomes even tougher.
But don't worry: we've got your back.
In the first instalment of our new series, We Try, You Buy, the Free Press team put five red lipsticks through their paces, testing for everything from coverage and finish to lasting power, hydration and ease of removal, to help you make an informed decision.
After all, nobody wants to spend their hard-earned dough on something destined to languish at the bottom of the makeup bag.
Ilia Lip Sketch
Shade: Blue Note, $36
● They say: A long-lasting lipstick and liner with a soft-matte finish that boosts hydration over time for visibly fuller, more defined lips.
But does it live up to the hype?
● We say: Despite being described as creamy and hydrating, this highly pigmented lip crayon from ILIA sets matte and feels dry-to-positively arid. I also didn't notice any of the purported plumping effects.
A cross between a lip liner and a lipstick, it's easy to nail a crisp line but applying it to the whole lip is a bit fiddly. Smells like a pencil crayon, though not in an off-putting way.
The long-lasting claims definitely stand up. It stays put once it's on with no colour bleeding and minimal transfer while eating or drinking. I only needed to reapply once during my workday.
It was surprisingly easy to remove with just water and a cotton pad.
This particular shade — confusingly called 'Blue Note' — is billed as a cool cherry red but leans pink and landed closer to magenta with my skin tone.
I'm not an everyday lipstick wearer, so I felt a bit conspicuous sporting such a punchy colour while the sun was still up. This would be a great set-it-and-forget-it option for a night out.
★★★½ out of five
— Eva Wasney
Sephora Collection, Cream Lip Stain 10hr Liquid Lipstick
Shade: 01 Always Red, $22
● They say: A bestselling, creamy, weightless, liquid lipstick that coats your lips in flawless colour to become a transfer-proof, full-coverage, last-all-day stain.
But does it live up to the hype?
● We say: This wouldn't be my first choice for an everyday lipstick. I prefer a warmer, more subtle shade.
The last-all-day stain, which Sephora claims will stay put for up to 10 hours, certainly lives up to its name. I feared it wouldn't come off, ever. So I tested its endurance with the back of my hand and ended up wearing red smears for most of the day.
After applying first thing in the morning, the colour withstood dozens of wet kisses from an Australian shepherd puppy named Kevlar, but unfortunately couldn't hang on throughout my eggplant Parmesan lunch.
The stain feels dry and sticky, but I imagine this could have been resolved with a smear or two of lip balm on top.
★★★ out of five
— Leesa Dahl
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Hydrating Lipstick
Shade: Hollywood Vixen, $47.50
● They say: A matte lipstick that features a long-lasting, buildable and hydrating formula.
But does it live up to the hype?
● We say: I'm not usually a fan of matte lipsticks, but my melanin-rich lips soaked up this creamy, hyper-pigmented red. It certainly lived up to its moniker, adding more than a touch of glam to my usual scrunched-up hair, wrinkled T-shirt look of morning school runs.
Applying it first thing, the bullet glides on smooth, although the hydrating effect wore off pretty quickly — less than 90 minutes in and I kept wanting to lick my lips.
The full-on opaque intensity meant it stood up well throughout the day. And although I was ready to take it off my parched lips, it had yet to budge by dinner time.
But it was no match for my Wednesday Wine and Wing night. While my glass remained trace-free, the colour couldn't stand up to the power of a sticky, sweet chili chicken drumette. Maybe I was expecting too much. At least there was no need for remover.
All in all this was a winner. Not necessarily my favourite shade — I'm more of a burgundy and plum fan — but it did make me feel super sophisticated and very grown-up.
★★★★ out of five
— AV Kitching
MAC M·A·CXIMAL Silky Matte Lipstick
Shade: Red Rock, $34
● They say: A silky matte lipstick that delivers up to 12 hours of full-coverage colour and eight hours of moisture.
But does it live up to the hype?
● We say: Calling this lipstick 'red' is a bit of a stretch. Perhaps it's just my pink complexion, but it delivers a shocking neon coral-orange, a colour that made it tough to tell if I was heading to a rave or had escaped from an old folks home.
I honestly can't speak to the length of coverage, as there was no way I could wear this shade for a full day out in public; it's that unflattering. (Note: when I wiped it off on a tan-coloured paper towel, it looked gorgeously red, so maybe it would work for those with more olive skin.)
However, it does indeed feel silky, especially for a matte-style stick, without the tacky, drying effect many of them have, and it has the usual pleasantly mild vanilla scent MAC is known for; I would try this brand in a different hue.
I usually wear the type of all-day-coverage lipstick that requires baby oil (or a Dr. Nick-approved diet of fried chicken) to remove, so anything less will feel feeble, but I was impressed with the lack of transfer to coffee mugs and water glasses.
And it definitely requires more than water to destroy all traces of its fluorescent tint; when I scrubbed it off at work, I was left looking like I'd housed an order of wings slathered in Louisiana hot sauce.
HHH out of five lipsticks
— Jill Wilson
Dior, Rouge Dior Forever Transfer-Proof Lipstick Dior
Shade: 999
$64
They say: A transfer-proof lipstick with up to 16 hours of wear, a bare-lip feel and ultra-pigmented colour with a couture matte finish.
But does it live up to the hype?
We say: Normally, I'd save such an eye-wateringly expensive lipstick for a special occasion, but I happened to be recovering from surgery when we did this test-drive, so I was forced to pair my $64 Dior with a $12 nightgown and hospital-issue underwear. Honestly, though, it was a welcome touch of glam: otherwise, I looked like I should make you solve three riddles before letting you cross a bridge.
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I immediately felt chic when I put on this velvety, can't-go-wrong red; very French, very Emily in Day Surgery. The colour is luscious — not too pink, not too orange. Major points for weightlessness; I often forgot I was wearing it. Though not 'transfer-proof,' it definitely stayed put better than most of the lipsticks in my rotation (I often wear a bold lip).
Unlike a lot of matte shades, this one isn't drying, though I recommend starting out with a moisturized and exfoliated lip — and don't mush your lips together too much before it sets. It doesn't need a lipliner. Wore really well through meals. Removal was easy, just a couple swipes of micellar water and every trace of it was gone.
I'd give it a perfect score, but it's scented, which makes it feel grown-up and vintage, but also gives it a bit of a flavour.
HHHH1/2 out of five lipsticks
— Jen Zoratti
AV KitchingReporter
AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.
Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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