Do You Have a Favorite Natural Red Lipstick?
After all that lead talk, it’s no wonder that our friends at Well+Good went on a natural lipstick hunt. We’ve had lipstick on the brain too. Below is their post “7 natural red lipsticks that perform”—got any to add to the list? (Note: Not all of these are truly clean—we’re looking at you Korres—but the author says as much.)
There’s nothing more classic than a strong, crimson pout. (At least in my beauty world.) But many vibrant-hued lipsticks are packed with lip-drying chemicals, “accidental ingredients” like lead, and mineral-oil bases meant to lubricate bike chains not your lips. I get that pigments are still primarily chemical- and insect-derived, but what about the other 98 percent of my lipstick?
Is it possible to find a red lipstick that’s both highly natural and high-performance? We put seven reds to the test:
Vapour Organic Beauty Lipstick, $22, www.vapourbeauty.com
Shade we tried: Siren Tryst 412
Best for: Creating a matte, bee-stung look.
This red weighs in somewhere between a lip balm and a stain, but the color lasts for hours and fades naturally and evenly. Even better, it comes in sixteen shades.
What’s in it: 70 percent certified organic ingredients, wildcrafted botanicals, no chemicals, and beeswax and jojoba for base ingredients. Made with wind power, and sold in sleek yet biodegradable packaging.
Christopher Drummond Beauty Creamy Lip Stain, $22.50, www.christopherdrummond.com
Shade we tried: Arouse
Best for: Those who want a true, bold red with wet-look color. The first application goes on sheer, but it layers to desired (smoking hot) intensity, and is surprisingly long wearing. It comes in a small compact with mirror and mini brush.
What’s in it: For a killer color, it’s a pretty simple ingredient list of mostly organic jojoba seed oil, aloe leaf gel, beeswax, pomegranate, and grape seed extracts, and vitamin E.
Korres Raspberry Liquid Lipstick, $22, www.korresusa.com
Shade we tried: 56 Red
Best for: Liquid-gloss lovers.
It slicks on like a liquid gloss with a wand and quickly dries to a lush lipstick finish, making it a good day or night lip product. Though its prone to feathering at the lip line, it keeps lips soft for hours.
What’s in it: Korres’ marquee ingredients are antioxidant raspberry and pomegranate extracts and certified organic acai oil. The product is also free of parabens, mineral oil, and propylene glycol. But if you consult the list of ingredients, you’ll see it’s not a chemical-free or a truly all-natural choice.
I really like Josie Maran’s Magic Marker lip and cheek stains, especially the Flamenco color. Not quite the same as real lipstick, but there is no potential for lipstick to get stuck on your teeth, and it gives me that really deep red color that I want without constant reapplication. I can just ‘paint’ it on my lips, then carry chapstick with me for that extra bit of shine!
I love my Ecco Bella lip crayon in Cranberry. It’s a very bright red and I love how easy it is to apply on my lips :)
W3ll People makes the best red lipstick!
My favorite is Julie Hewett Coco Noir. It’s a beautiful color and lasts quite a long time. It feels terrific on the lips. As far as I can tell, there is only one ingredient, toward the end of ingredient list so presumably a small quantity, that isn’t so great. Otherwise, it’s full of good stuff.
I like urban decay lipsticks, they’re vegan and I checked the ingredients and couldn’t find any paraben or mineral oil
So, I’m a little late to the party on this one but I just bought a tube of Vapour’s Siren lipstick in “Tryst” and i LOOOOOVVVEE it.
I’ve been using W3LL’s glossy red lipstick for about a year and I’ve always had great results with that, but I wanted to find something matte/longer wearing for a change (W3LL people’s is VERY glossy).
Vapour’s lipstick goes on matte/dewey instead of glossy, and looks SO natural! I’m a bare-faced except for my red-lipstick-every-day kind of girl, and this is such a great every day lipstick. Very red, but delivers a “just-bit-my lips” / “I’ve-been-making-out-for-a-few-hours” look without looking product-y.
Did I say I am in love?
My boyfriend actually said to me “wow your lips look great” this morning after I put it on. He’s NOT the type to notice stuff like that, either, and he couldn’t tell I had any lipstick on (I asked), just thought my pout looked especially pretty…
go on GET it! It is the best i’ve tried, dirty or clean!
(and, fyi, I have never before been moved to rhapsodize about a product in this manner before!)
I really love W3ll People # 3 or Ilia Beautys Bang Bang Red. Couleur Caramels No 117107 and Zuuis Classic Red are also very nice. Now I’d like to try a Vapours Siren-Lipstcik :)
Agreed on the thumbs up for Vapour!
I have to add, though, that far and away the best rich red lipstick and gloss, in my experience, is from Couleur Caramel (I refer to the line as “Eco Mac.” The lip gloss in Raspberry Red is super intense (and bright, so don’t get it if you don’t want super red, shiny lips), and they have several matte red lipsticks, all gorgeous, all intense, and all stain the lips, so the color will last a long time. Longer than Vapour – again, in my own opinion and experience.
Oh, and Zuzu Luxe makes two lovely reds as well. The Starlet is a “blue red,” very bright. And Vino de Amor is a deeper red. They don’t wear as long as Couleur’s, but they are also easier to apply, as they don’t stain (so if you color outside the lines, you can easily start over).