No matter how trends in the beauty world come and go, there always seems to be one constant: red. Whether in the form of glossy talons or a bold lip shade, the right shade of red is seen as a staple to any makeup collection. I was personally always a bit timid of red lipstick, it never seemed to look quite right, and just seemed to draw attention to myself perhaps in not the way I wanted it to. I therefore set about to find my perfect shade, all in the name of being a little bit braver.
I opted for a lipstick I already knew and love, I have a few shades of The Body Shop's Colour Crush Lipsticks, which you can read more about here. Knowing all the reds I owned previously were quite pink toned, which didn't work, I went for the opposite, a much darker, ruby toned burgundy red, and the moment I put it on, I knew it was perfect. My teeth looked whiter, and my lips looked bold, but not too bright. The formula is great on these lipsticks too, pigmented but easy to build, so you can start gently and build up the colour. A think layer of this with a lip brush makes a gorgeous everyday shade that is just bold enough to cheer yourself up, but can be layered into a much more vampy night time red. This one by the way is shade 125 - Crazy Sexy Crimson.
My nail polish collection is fairly extensive when it comes to pastel shades, but not as much in the typical classic colours. I do own a few reds and have been wearing them a lot recently in the wintery weather. My skin goes even paler than usual around this time of year with a yellow toned base, so rich reds are particularly flattering and somehow make my nails look a bit longer. I've selected my three favourite shades of red, which of course had to feature my nail obsession, Essie. I just can't beat their polishes, they win for me on shade, longevity, shine and the brush, so thats why two have popped up out of my three. From left to right in the top picture they are Essie's Fishnet Stockings, Essie's Red Label and Barry M's Gelly HiShine in Blood Orange. I love the glossyness of the Barry M, it's a gorgeous bright red that really stands out too. My favourite of all three has to be Fishnet Stockings, my current overall nail favourite, which like the lipstick is a dark red with burgundy tones to it, and has an absolutely gorgeous shine finish to it. My love of red is growing, and I'd love to hear any of your recommendations as to what I should try next!Labels: barry m, beauty, essie, nail polish, nails, red, the body shop