Lipstick Forever #1: MAC Russian Red (Matte)

So a new series (yes I have a lot of them. I like doing posts in series ok?!). This is Lipstick Forever- a celebration and voyage through lipstick in various colours and brands (essentially a lipstick review series). We start with a classic- MAC's Russian Red with a matte finish.

 

Packaging: Yeah it's MAC. It's pretty gorgeous. Grown up but with a slight edge, this is classic lipstick styling. 

Colour: This is lauded as a good 'blue red'. In real life on me there is a slight orangeness on me (I'm so pale I find it difficult to find a red that doesn't pull orange on me), but it's not really too noticeable. 

Application: For a matte lipstick, this doesn't feel very matte! It applies very smoothly and doesn't drag. It also doesn't make my lips look dry or highlight any flaws, although I don't suffer too much with that in general. On the lips, as with most pigmented reds, you will need to use a lipbrush and apply with care to get the best out of it (I put it on straight from the bullet and you can see it looks a bit uneven). If you need to tidy it up though it isn't ridiculously hard to get off. 

Kiss Test: After 2 coats and blotting, does it come off? A little bit. For a red, it isn't too bad.

Lasting Power: After 6 hours, including a meal and multiple drinks, it's still on and looking pretty good! This does come off on things like cup rims, but stays pretty even (the red ring of death hasn't appeared). It has smudged a little at the sides of my mouth, but it's pretty decent overall.

It's not my perfect red if I'm honest- it's not quite blue enough for me and the smudging annoys me. But I'm being very picky. If you want to get into red lipstick, this is a great place to start!

8/10

Love B xxx