All About Reds

If you spend some time in the cosmetics community, you will hear this drumbeat of "Everyone has a red."

It's true. Everyone does have a red!

But for lipstick fanatics, we don't have just one red. We have several. I went through my collection and compiled my favorite reds of all time.

10 Minute Essentials: Drug Store vs. Mid-End Products

I am about as much of a fan of drug store products as I am of catching extra sleep in the morning--and wow that is saying a heck of a lot. My typical 10 minute essentials are a combination--nay, a fusion--of drug store and mid-end products that I just can't live without. I tried today, however, to see if I could stick to just drug store products for one 10 minute look and do the same for mid-end products. The result surprised me, which I'm a bit excited to share with you lovely folks.

Dupes: MAC's Dangerous & Maybelline's Vibrant Mandarin

On the left side of my lips (top and bottom): Maybelline's Vibrant Mandarin
On the right side of my lips (top and bottom): MAC's Dangerous

Here we have the ultimate smackdown of summertime lip products: MAC's Dangerous ($16) and Maybelline's Vibrant Mandarin ($7.50). Orange and orange-y reds are beautiful for summer and fall and one of my go-to lipstick colors that work for many outfits and occasions. Bright orange is, obviously, on the bolder side but if you're used to nudes and neutrals, orange is one of the easiest ways to transition to bold lipsticks because it compliments so many skin tones. MAC's Dangerous was the first MAC lipsticks I ever purchased and it has been a solid favorite for months--but the formula can be difficult to work with if your lips aren't prepped properly. And, let's be honest, who is going to sit there and exfoliate their lips at 6:30am instead of hitting the snooze button a few more times. (Spoiler alert: Not this girl.)

So, enter Maybelline's Vibrant Mandarin. The color, as you can see in the picture, is almost identical to Dangerous. The finish, however, is the major kicker here. Dangerous is matte which makes it long wearing and transfer resistant. Vibrant Mandarin, on the other hand, is a bit glossier but without the shimmery sparkle frost that some drugstore lipsticks tend to have.

Creamier, glossier lipsticks tend to transfer a bit more, so Vibrant Mandarin won't be the best choice if you're looking for something that you don't have to touch up every 3-4 hours. But if you're after a lipstick with a soft texture that isn't drying (or moisturizing either), then this is a good option at a fraction of the cost of Dangerous.