Picking a clean red lipstick? What is that? Ask about just red lipsticks you’ll find two opposing camps: you’ll either find some who LOVE flaunting their fiery red lipsticks or those who avoid it like the plague. Period. Full Stop. When pressed about why they avoid it, these are some of the reasons: picking a (clean) red lipstick is challenging, they’re full of “bad stuff”, or they don’t feel comfortable wearing red.
I’ve been there and it’s frustrating. I love a good red—red wine, red nail polish, red bag, red shoes…ahhh! For someone who asked to paint her room fire engine red and had to settle for pink at age 7, the pain of not finding a shade that would work with my skin color grated on me. It wasn’t until I turned forty when I found something I wore more than once: Fenty Stunna Lip Color in Uncensored. However, it was extremely drying and unbreathable for my lips. I stopped using it and stuck with my bare or berry tinted glosses again. To be honest, I don’t mind, but some days I really like to go for red.
Why red?
- It’s the easiest way to look like you made an effort without doing anything else. Try it.
- Given the right red, it can brighten your mood and overall look. This only comes when you finally find your red.
- I mean…it’s fun!
Ever since I’ve started my journey to switching to clean makeup, I had been eyeing Beautycounter Intense Lipstick reds: Girls’ Night, Twilight, and Beautycounter Red. I’ve looked online for months, read reviews, and pored over photos of swatches against different skin tones. I waited because I couldn’t decide.
Finally, I bought all three to be done with it.
Three choices for intense reds:
Girl’s Night is your classic red-red. It’s full-on red-red. Think Cruella de Vil red. I would wear this on…girls’ night. Ha. It kind of reminds me of MAC’s Ruby Woo, although I have to compare them side by side to be sure. [I tossed all my MAC lipsticks so I can’t compare. I’ll have to go to the store at some point.]
Twilight is a “bright berry”; a vampy red. It’s like an intense Red Delicious apple on the lips. This is a date night kind of lipstick, although I have to admit, not many dates would like to kiss this intimidating red. Let’s be real here. I do think this is a sweet red to match with a little black dress.
Beautycounter Red is an orangey red that is unapologetically vibrant. It was created to celebrate Beautycounter’s 6th anniversary and is meant to be a universal red. I could see this as an incredible party-all-summer red. It’s very chic.
None of these looked close to the Fenty Uncensored red when I tested it on my arm, so I was a bit nervous I would like any of them.
They look different on the stick, on my skin, and on my lips. Before trying them on my lips I thought one would be a clear winner. In fact, when I asked over on my Instagram Stories if they can guess my favourite, most of those who thought of the same shade as I did.
I was wrong. My sequence of preference for the lipstick was the opposite of my initial assessment.
There’s also a bit of a snag when choosing a red lip colour for my own use: it needs to look good against my skin AND my teeth. Yes. Teeth. I have naturally yellow-ish teeth and some colours magnify that. Eep.
The winner(s):
So. These are the lipsticks in order of preference:
My own unique challenge for picking a clean red lipstick:
Truly, I did not expect to fall for Beautycounter Red it seems to bright and bold. I never would have thought it would work for me aside from the fact that Beautycounter formulated this to work for all skin tones. But. I LOVE IT. It is bright, fun, and looks like it’s a red made for me. It also makes my teeth whiter without the chemicals. Ha ha. Girls’ Night is very close in colour to Beautycounter Red, but more red. Twilight is a gorgeous deep red for the evening and for fall and winter.
Before I started this experiment I thought it would be great if I can find just one clean red from Beautycounter.
I wanted a red lipstick I can feel less guilty about, not only because it feels good on the lips, but also non-toxic. Instead, I found myself with three reds I can use according to my mood and the occasion. Guess I’m keeping all three!
Buuut…if I had to pick just one:
I’ll go for Beautycounter Red. 🙂
Why do I prefer Beautycounter Intense Lipsticks?
- They have intense, saturated colour in one swipe.
- They are long wearing. Note: they are not-smudge proof. It’s a compromise I’m willing to take for safer cosmetics.
- They’re creamy and moisturizing. I don’t have to keep thinking about my lips going dry and/or flakey.
- They are vegan, nut-free, soy-free and gluten-free. As someone who has a lot of sensitivities, I want anything that stays on my lips and eventually end up in my mouth, to have the least amount of irritants.
What makes them safer?
- Their moisturizing factor comes from plant-based ingredients: jojoba esters moisturize, soothe and soften skin; carnauba was promotes long lasting hydration and shine.
- They have a light minty scent from peppermint oil.
- They have no synthetic flavours or fragrances.
- Each batch of lipsticks is tested for heavy metals to meet Beautycounter’s strict safety standards.
Did you know: Beautycounter now bans more than 1800+ questionable or harmful ingredients from their products?
So, there you have it. What about you? What’s your favourite red lipstick?
Thinking of getting Beautycounter lipsticks? Let me know if you need assistance picking a clean red lipstick color or any other product product for that matter. And remember to sign up for my newsletter for this month’s promo. I’m offering a sweet deal for the month of self and shared love. ❤️❤️❤️
