Like many others, I’m a sucker for red lips and can find an excuse to wear red lipstick for nearly any occasion. Shades of red can vary greatly though so I decided to swatch my whole collection of reds and compile them into this post for easy comparison.
NYX Butter Lipstick in Mary Janes
Mary Janes reads as a very true red to me. It glides on smoothly, is creamy & comfortable to wear and has some pretty good staying power. It also leaves behind a serious stain. I have a more in depth review of Mary Janes here.
NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick
Indie Flick is probably the most orange shade in the bunch. I feel like it looks very orange by comparison to many of the other shades in this post but I also think it reads clearly as a red in real life. Comfortable to wear and has good staying power. To hear more about the formula, check out this review!
MAC Lady Danger
Lady Danger was my first red lipstick and I still love it just as much today! Like Indie Flick, it is on the oranger side but still clearly a red. Lady Danger is slightly deeper than Indie Flick. Like Ruby Woo, it is a matte finish but is noticeably creamier while Ruby Woo is more dry.
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is a very blue based red. The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream formula feels very light and comfortable on my lips, almost as if you aren’t wearing lipstick. While the staying power in general is pretty good, I find that it tends to fade more quickly in the corners of my lips. Go easy with the amount of product you apply because too much can cause it to cake up in the corners of your mouth.
MAC Ruby Woo
Ruby Woo is a beautiful shade of red. Very classic, very matte. This color is on the drier side & often skips on my lips while applying it but once it’s on, it’s staying. Because of the dry formula, it doesn’t transfer as much as some other lipsticks.
NYX Matte Lipstick in Alabama
Alabama is a beautiful brick red color. I feel like this is a flattering shade on a large variety of skin tones. Comfortable and with good staying power.
MAC Diva
I love this perfect shade of cranberry lipstick! Diva tends to stain my lips a little which I consider a plus.
Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Ruby
Melted Ruby is a strong blue based red. The applicator makes it super easy to apply, it dries somewhere between a satin & matte finish and it quite long lasting. To see a more in depth review, click here.
Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw
I believe this is the longest lasting lipstick formula I own. I wore it on my wedding day, if that says anything. Outlaw makes it through eating, drinking and whatever else you throw its way with no problem. It dries to a very matte finish pretty quickly. It can be kind of drying but as long as you put on a little lip balm prior to this lipstick, it’s perfectly comfortable. Click here to see an in depth review of this formula!
Red lipstick swatches left to right: 1. NYX Butter Lipstick in Mary Janes, 2. NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick, 3. MAC Lady Danger, 4. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo, 5. MAC Ruby Woo, 6. NYX Matte Lipstick in Alabama, 7. MAC Diva, 8. Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Ruby, 9. Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw
Red lipsticks are clearly my weakness! What are your favorite reds?
Wow! They all look stunning on you, and you’ve made it very apparent that I need Divain my life.
I LOVE Diva! It’s my go-to fall color.
I really like Diva and Lady Danger. Ruby woo is such a nice shade as well but the formula is so dry, sadly. Still, such a gorgeous red xxx
Ruby Woo is pretty dry but I like it sometimes because the formula lasts so well!
They are all really gorgeous on you! I can’t pick a favorite. I’ve added Monte Carlo and Alabama to my wishlist though 🙂
Thank you! I just got Alabama recently but I’m already so much in love with it.
I need Alabama in my collection now!
NYX soft matte in Amsterdam is a really lovely, brighter red as well. Fantastic swatches – red is definitely your color!
I never noticed how deep and gorgeous Alabama is until now! I really, really need to get it.
Red is a lovely color on you! And I think I’ve fallen in love with Diva, that looks like a great color for fall. The first red I truly fell in love with is Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. It is a great true red, and those liquid lipsticks remind me a lot of how you described the Kat Von D liquid lipstick. I also have the colors Fiery, a deeper red, and Fiore, a fun bold pink.
I’ve had my eye on Beso for a while! It’s a beautiful color and I keep hearing great things about it’s staying power. I need to get my hands on it! =D
Lady Danger looks so pretty on you, i was searching reviews on NYX matte lipsticks on google when i found your blog its very good and helpful.. keep writing…:)
Thank you! Lady Danger will always be one of my faves. So glad you enjoy the blog! =)