With autumn outside our windows (and in our hearts), the season to pull out your darkest eyeshadows and lipsticks is truly here. Berry shades may come and go, but a good red lipstick should be a staple item in every woman’s handbag and makeup collection. I love a good red lippy and feel I’m drawn to it a lot more in the colder seasons. I’ve gone through my fair share of products to find the ones I will repurchase forever and the ones that are looking at me from the back of my makeup drawer hoping to get a second chance one day. But how do you find a good red lipstick that won’t smudge or make your lips want to fall off? I’ve rounded up my small but mighty collection and decided to play a very popular game. Here’s my marry, kiss, avoid – red lipstick edition.

Marry

There is my one true love when it comes to lipsticks and it’s the one and only Charlotte Tilbury. I don’t think I can fault her lip products (or any products really). Normally, matte lipsticks dry out my lips completely and for a few days after wearing them I need to use every sort of oil I have in my house to get the moisture back. Not with CT lipsticks. I ordered my first CT lipstick a few months back and got Red Carpet Red as a little sample. As soon as I put it on, I felt really glam even though my makeup wasn’t all that and all I was wearing was shorts and a T-shirt. It also felt as though I didn’t have anything on my lips. Because of Lipstick Tree and Orchid extracts and oils in the product itself, it does not dry the very sensitive skin on your lips. In fact, it does the complete opposite – it looks after your skin to make sure even after you take the makeup off, you can still feel like you’re ready for the red carpet. Naturally, I ordered a full-size version of the lipstick straight after trying it out.

If I had to find something negative to say about it, it would be the fact that you have to reapply after drinking and eating. But it definitely is my go-to red lipstick – easy to apply, it’s got the beautiful red shade and it looks after my lips. Can I marry it already?

Kiss

Why did the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick not land itself in the KISS category? Simply because when you kiss someone when you’re wearing a red lipstick it tends to end up all over your mouth and then you have to go through the whole process of wiping it off with half of your makeup. So long. If I am about to go out with my friends for a meal or party, I need a lipstick that won’t disappoint me by suddenly appearing on my teeth as I dig into a bowl of snacks. Rimmel Stay Matte liquid lip colour (does it count as a lipstick if it’s liquid?) in Fire Starter has the best durability out of every single lip product I’ve tried so far. I can literally rub it with my finger and it’ll still be on my lips. Whenever I wear it out, people can’t believe that I can eat a three-course meal and still have intact red lips. It’s also ridiculously affordable as it retails at £5.99!

As good as it is when it comes to durability, it’s not the most comfortable lip products to wear. First of all, I find it pretty tricky to apply with the wand you get and it very often ends up being applied out of place making my lips look uneven. Secondly, I think it makes my lips feel a bit… plasticky. It’s like I know they’re there, but it kinda feels like I can’t really be 100% sure they’re there. And it does tend to dry my skin out a little bit. Hence why it lands itself in this category – it’s a great lipstick for when you just can’t be asked to reapply it every time you eat or drink, but it’s not the one to wear every day.

Avoid

I might have been too harsh with this one, but as I’m speaking from my experience, MAC lipstick lands itself in the AVOID category. Ruby Woo seemed like a gorgeous shade and good quality lipstick. I very quickly regretted my decision about buying it for myself. What looked great as a swatch didn’t really suit my lips. I find it leaves lots of bits after applying and rubs off in really weird patches. It also leaves my skin as dry as a Sahara desert. So not only do I have to deal with bits from the lipstick, but pieces of dry skin saying Arrivederci to my lips. Generally, the final look is messy and needs constant reapplying which only makes things worse as more bits and patches appear. The lipstick feels very dry in itself as well – it lacks the smooth glide when applying and feels more like I’m dragging chalk along my lip line. It definitely looks like it could do with some extra oils added to the ingredients list.

Sorry, MAC, it just wasn’t your day. Charlotte Tilbury has won my heart this year and I’m very excited to grab more of her products as they seem to work wonders for me and my skin. However, I’m always keen on finding new makeup products so if you’ve got your own red lipstick recommendations, let me know in the comments!

Until next time xx

Read more: Pucker up! The only guide to soft lips you’ll need this Autumn or Mouldy makeup – why you should pay attention to all expiry dates 

Tags : Charlotte Tilbury, Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, MAC, MAC lipstick, red lipstick, red lipstick review, Rimmel, Rimmel Stay Matte liquid lip colour