Hi everybody, I’m Retro Dee and Welcome to Doing Your Makeup Vintage!
Last November, I showcased a third group of 9 lipsticks being offered on the current market which replicate the bold, red-colored lips that were so popular in the 1950’s. In this post, I will review The Final Nine lipsticks in my collection.
Why are they the “Final Nine”? Well, think of it like this. I already did three reviews, with 9 red lipsticks in each review. That’s 27 red lipsticks. In this review there are 9 more, which equals a total of 36 red lipsticks. Now I love makeup just as much as the next beauty nerd, but who the hell needs more than 36 red lipsticks when they rarely even go anywhere anyway? I ask you!
Okay, so this is more than likely going to be my last (red) lipstick review. 🙂 And boy, I got some nice ones for you. And some not-so-nice ones. So let’s have a look…
1 . MAC: Lipstick Matte in “Red Rock”
I know what you’re thinking: Another MAC red? And the answer is YES! This is one of their newer shades which is billed as a classic, clean red. It’s definitely a bright red and possibly my favorite of all my MAC reds.
Price Point: Medium $19
Overall Rating: 9
2 . H&M: Matte Lipsticks in “Reddy When You Are” and “Classic Red”
H&M’s blush is one of my favorites, so I decided to try their lipstick. I purchased two shades. “Reddy When You Are” is a blue-toned red with a velvet-like finish. “Classic Red” is a yellow-toned red with the same velvet-like finish. Like most mattes, they don’t go on smooth, but these are highly pigmented and have some great color payoff, if you take your time to apply them. I’m pleased to say that like their blush, H&M’s lipstick is top quality at a great price!
Price Point: Low $9.99 each.
Overall Rating: 8
3 . Juvia’s Place: Velvety Matte Lipstick in “So Red”
Juvia’s Place launched these last fall and being a fan of their eye shadow palettes, I had to try their new lipstick. I chose the shade “So Red” which is billed as “a rich cherry red”. It has noticeable yellow undertones so I wouldn’t personally describe it as “cherry red”. Quality wise, it’s nothing special. I think the shape of the bullet is nice, though. And the tube, while large, is very light weight. The art on the box is really pretty too. I think this lipstick is worth getting if it’s on sale (and JP often has good sales). At half price it’s a great deal. At full price, it’s just another red.
Price Point: Low-Medium $14
Overall Rating: 6
4 . Smashbox: Be Legendary Matte in “Bing”
This is the first Smashbox lipstick I’ve tried. I am not impressed. The color is a lovely true red, but it tugs like hell going on. I can’t even spread it around on my lips. I put a layer of Winky Lux’s Cross My Heart Lip Oil over it and that made me able to actually apply it. Of course, it’s no longer matte with the oil over it, but the good news is, it gave it a really pretty sheen. As a stand-alone product, it’s a lousy matte formula. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for it.
Price Point: Medium $21, but got on sale for $14
Overall Rating: 3
5 . Marc Jacobs: Le Marc Lip Crème Lipstick in “Amazing”
I was able to snag this one on SALE at Sephora. So does “Amazing” live up to its name? I’d say so! It’s a beautiful, rich, true red that applies easily and looks great. Of course, we have to consider that this is NOT a matte, and the cream formula is what makes it apply so nicely. This is probably going to be my lipstick Buy Of The Year. I think the sale price and lack of color choices indicate that this product is being discontinued, which is a shame… maybe it’s just being revamped. This was the first time I’ve tried Marc Jacobs makeup and I’m happy with it. Another plus is that it doesn’t have that awful, plastic, cosmetic smell that Dior and Givenchy lipsticks have.
Price Point: High $30, but got on sale for $16
Overall Rating: 9
6. NARS: Audacious Lipstick Claudette Collection in “Claudette”
Confession time: I bought this lipstick for the NAME – “Claudette”. Yes, I know that’s probably the dumbest reason ever to buy makeup, yet, here we are. Of course, the name of this lipstick has nothing to do with the song, but that’s what it reminds me of, so that’s why I bought it. Unfortunately, this is not a red at all, but an ORANGE. It’s a rust-colored orange, but an orange none-the-less. Does it work with my complexion? Yes it does, since I have yellow undertones. However, I’m still not nuts about the color and the fact that it makes my teeth look a bit less white. The quality is nice, as it should be for the price tag. The tube is a really heavy square shape with a magnet closure and lots of hearts on it, if you like that sort of thing. But honestly, there’s no freaken way I’d have bought this if I knew it was an orange. I think NARS needs to reassess the descriptions of their shades. I’m also doubting their blush is worthy of its name as well…ahem… Anyhow, this is the last time I buy a lipstick because it has the same name as an Everly Brothers song… Probably.
Price Point: High $34
Overall Rating: 5
7 . NYX Shout Loud Satin Lipstick in “Red Haute”
I’m not sure why this formula is $9.49 while some of their other lipsticks are $4.99. I’d hate to think the $4.99 lipstick is worse than this though. This might have a cute tube with hearts on it and a sweet little heart carved on the lipstick itself, but it’s really not a good product. I purposely got the satin instead of matte since I have so many mattes and this formula looked like it might be good for the price. However, I don’t like the finish, it looks cheap, there’s not a lot of color pay off and it tugs when going on (and again, this is not a matte) The lipstick itself is not worth $9.49, it’s not even worth the $7 I paid for it on sale. Maybe we’re paying for the design. At any rate, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Price Point: Low $9.49, but got for $7 with q-pon
Overall Rating: 3
8 . L’Oreal: Colour Riche Creamy Matte in “Matte-Rful Red”
This is a nice blue-toned red that goes on fairly smoothly. L’Oreal is known for being a good drugstore brand and the cheaper sister to its department store equivalent, Lancome. But Beware: it has the same awful plastic-cosmetic smell as Lancome lipsticks. I’m normally not picky about cosmetic-type smells, but this one really gets to me. However, if you don’t mind the smell and you like Lancome (and you want to spend far less) L’Oreal is always a good alternative.
Price Point: Low $9.99, but got for $7 with q-pon
Overall Rating: 7
9 . Colourpop: Lippie Stix in “Trust Me” and “Jam Sesh”
Do Lippie Stix count as a tube of lipstick? Sure, why not? They are actually amazing for the price and the slender, light-weight tubes make them good to take on the go. Two of their reds are called “Trust Me” and “Jam Sesh”, so that’s what I got. They go on smooth, have good pigment and a great finish. So if you like reds, like I like reds, I say give Lippie Stix’s reds a try.
Price Point: Low $7
Overall Rating: 8
There you have it, the FINAL 9 red lipsticks I’ve reviewed.
Please check out my 3 previous lipstick reviews: Doing Your Makeup Vintage: 9 Great Retro Reds and… 9 MORE Retro Inspired Red Lipsticks and also Doing Your Makeup Vintage: Lipstick Review – The Next Nine .
If you enjoyed this review, you can follow me here on WordPress and on Twitter @RealRetroDee and on Instagram @mariepascal82
– Retro Dee
Disclaimer: I DO NOT get paid or compensated in any way for endorsing any companies or products, nor am I affiliated with any companies or products. All opinions are my own.
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