Red (Lip) Christmas #DitsyDecember

Completely this makeup trilogy series for #DitsyDecember this year - we of course have to address Lips. And, with it being Christmas - it has to be all about Red Lips! A festive classic when it comes to makeup and oh boy, do I have a lot of top favourites...

PRIMARK RED LIP LINER - First up - we obviously have to mention some great red lip liners. After all, at least for myself personally, I can't ever do any type of lip look (especially one that's more bright or bold like a red) without the use of a lip liner to define - and usually overline - my lips first. And over the years, I've certainly accumulated a few go-to's in this department - one being this cheap as chips offering from Primark. I love Primark lip liners, they're only about £1 each and yet are of such amazing quality. So  pigmented in just one swipe and so creamy and easy to apply, yet also waxy enough to stay in place all day/night long and allow for a crisp, sharp application. This red shade is the perfect, true festive red and will complement any classic rouge lip of your choice!

NYX SLIM LIP PENCIL IN 'HOT RED' - Another lip liner, this time from NYX! They're another go-to brand of mine when it comes to lip liners - as they're again great quality, yet so affordable - and this red hue is just perfect for this time of year. It's another true red which is very similar to the above offering from Primark and the formula is awesome again too - for pretty much the same reasons. The perfect soft-yet-waxy texture, fully opaque and rich in pigment and great lasting power! And as I've said before, with it being such a true red - it's bound to suit any Christmas red lip in your collection!

MUA INTENSE LIP LINERS IN 'FANCY' AND 'AGENDA' - The final lip liners just have to go to these from MUA. I've spoken alot about this range of lip liners before - ever since MakeMeUpMissa recommended them a few months back, I've since tried them out myself and have become fully converted! These are actually possibly the most bargainous option in this post as they're only £1.50 each and they're so super long too - you get so much product for your money! Plus, if that wasn't enough - the formula is bang-on perfect. Creamy but not too creamy, easy to apply, pigmented, long-lasting - you know the deal by now. 'Fancy' is like your true, classic red'; whilst 'Agenda' is more of your slightly deeper, burgundy-red. Both ideal for this time of year as whilst a true, brighter red is more 'traditionally' festive, having a deeper, richer red in your lip liner arena is always good for if you want to add more depth and definition or perhaps if you just want to go for a darker red in the first place! Personally, I love a slightly darker lip liner for any of my lip colours so a deeper red like 'Agenda' is always going to be a go-to for me...

MAYBELLINE SUPER STAY MATTE INK LIQUID LIPSTICK IN 'DANCER' - Moving onto good ol' Matte Liquid Lipsticks - my personal go-to when it comes to any bright, deep or bold lip colour to be honest! If not, I'll go for a matte bullet lipstick but usually a matte liquid lip is what I'll reach for - whatever way, the main thing is that it has to be matte for me. And in terms of a liquid lip, this red from Maybelline is just gorgeous. I love this formula from them - and it's surprising as typically when it comes to liquid lipsticks, I like them completely matte. However, whilst these Maybelline ones definitely do set down, they still retain a slight patent-like shine to them. But, whilst they're not of that powdery-matte texture, they're possibly some of my longest-lasting and most hard-wearing liquid lipsticks in my stash - they do not smudge or move around all day and hardly require any touch-ups! This shade 'Dancer' is another lovely true red, but with a slightly more bright and vibrant finish - which I love and is not only great for making your teeth look super white, it's of course perfect for the festive season too...

WET 'N' WILD LIQUID CATSUIT LIQUID LIPSTICK IN 'MISSY AND FIERCE' - I couldn't do a post like this without mentioning this gorgeous red liquid lip from Wet 'n' Wild. Since entering my life late last year, it's quickly become one of my go-to red liquid lipsticks - and for good reason too. This one definitely sets down to a more fully matte, powdery finish (my favourite), this time the main difference is that the colour is ever-so-lightly deeper and richer than the Maybelline offering mentioned previously. It's not too deep and still sits very much within the 'true red' family, it's just a little more of your classic, Hollywood red. I love how long-wearing this formula is too - great for this time of year when you're usually always eating or drinking!

BARRY M MATTE ME UP LIQUID LIP PAINT IN 'PAPARAZZI' - This one from Barry M has been a go-to in my collection in terms of red lips for quite a while now and still to this day, it remains a favourite of mine. Another slightly richer true red that matches up pretty well to the likes of the Wet 'n' Wild mentioned above and with such an awesome formula again too. Goes on glossy, soon dries down to a super-matte finish and doesn't move around at all - only needing a few touch-ups at the very centre of the lips throughout the day/night!

SLEEK MATTE ME LIQUID LIP CREAM IN 'RIOJA RED' - The final matte liquid lip I had to give a shout-out to in this post has to be this Sleek one. Their range is another favourite of mine (for basically all of the same reasons as I've mentioned previously when it comes to what I like in a good matte liquid lipstick) and this gorgeous red is one of my favourite shades of them all. Going back to brighter, more vivid reds - this one is possibly the most 'bright' and 'hot' of them all. It's not too intense and neon though, so still would make for a great Christmassey red lip, it just all depends on the undertone you're looking for! Hence why I love making a post like this detailing a few varying favourites...

MAC RETRO MATTE LIPSTICK IN 'RUBY WOO' - Now, we're only good of fashioned, 'traditional' bullet lipsticks. As I said, I do typically go for a matte liquid lip nowadays, but I still definitely appreciate the power of a good bullet lipstick and if I'm ever gonna go for one - and it be a bright or bold colour like a red - it's gotta be a matte lipstick. Over the years, I've especially come to love the 'powder matte' finish, which I feel all came from this offering from MAC. I remember years ago everyone raving about 'Ruby Woo', which is one of their 'Retro Mattes' and nowadays, it seems you can get a finish like it at other (more affordable) brands too! However, I will always have a soft spot for the original and classic 'Ruby Woo' - a gorgeous, classic, blue-based red. It's so matte that you feel like you've applied a liquid lip, yet feels so lightweight and comfortable and makes your lips look so soft and 'pillowy' too. Because it is so matte, it's completely transfer-proof once applied and only requires a few touch-ups at the very centre of the lips - it's like all the benefits of a matte liquid lip, but in a bullet lipstick!

REVOLUTION POWDER MATTE LIPSTICKS IN 'FASCINATION' AND 'CAPTIVATE' - Naturally, when I saw recently Revolution were releasing what seemed like their drugstore answer to MAC's Retro Matte Lipsticks, I had to try a couple of shades. With a special occasion where I was thinking of wearing a red lip to, I instantly thought of MAC Ruby Woo, but then I thought - what if one of these could be another great option? Well, I was right to give them a go as in the end I actually plumped for one of these over my faithful 'Ruby Woo'! FYI - it was 'Fascination', the true red which is most similar to 'Ruby Woo' that I chose! Honestly, these are pretty damn close in formula, finish and wear-time to the MAC. Fully opaque in one swipe, completely matte on the lips, transfer-proof, doesn't move or smudge and requires minimal reapplications. 'Fascination' is like your classic, slightly deeper red; whilst 'Captivate' is a gorgeous brighter, almost orange-toned red. Both stunning red shades which would be perfect alone this time of year or possibly even used together to create an ombre lip (with 'Fascination' on the outsides of the lips and 'Captivate' on the very centre)!

REVOLUTION ICONIC MATTE REVOLUTION LIPSTICK IN 'RED CARPET' - Last, but certainly not least - I had to give this other awesome matte red lip from Revolution a mention. I've had this one in my collection for a while now and whilst the formula is not as super-matte as the Powder Mattes, it's still pretty good. The colour is another true, classic red tone that just screams 'Christmas' and the formula is rather nice too. Like I said, it's got more of a 'traditional' matte finish that's shine-free, but with a little more slick to it. So, it needs a few more touch-ups as it's not as hard-wearing as the Powder Mattes but honestly, it still stays in place and doesn't move around so I can't really complain! Gorgeous colour, great formula...