It seems like more often than not, most women tend to shy away from bold lipsticks and stay in the safe zone with soft pinks and clear gloss. I personally love to try a bright lipstick every now and then and this is especially true during the holiday’s. The ever traditional red, deep plums and shimmery bronzes are some of my favorites to pair with my Christmas attire for a party or photo shoot for our family card.

There are a million shades to choose from out there but I thought I would share a few options that include tried and true favorites as well as a few new to me options.

Reds are my go to shade during this time of year and come in many different varieties: blue-red, orangey-red and red’s with pink undertones. Here are a few I like:

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

I have a few shades of these Nars lip pencil and it is such a great product. I am typically not a matte-finish kind of girl because I hate the feeling of my lips feeling dry, but this is actually a pretty hydrating formula. Its enriched with vitamin E and is very long lasting. I do find if I don’t exfoliate my lips prior to applying it builds up easily and settles into cracks. I love the easy application and because its a pencil, I can use it for more precision like lining my lips. I would give this an 8 out of 10.

MAC Russian Red

This is a recent purchase for me as I have heard so much about this iconic red shade by Mac. It is a true red with blue undertones and is highly pigmented. It too is a matte finish but has a creamy formula. I found this to be more drying than the Nars pencil but it didn’t settle into the lines of my lips as much. The shade is very close to Nars cruella so I would say you could choose one or the other based on your brand preference. I would give this a 7 out of 10.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry

Oh Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments! I truly believe there is no better lip product on the market than their line of lip treatments. I have almost every shade they make and wear them pretty much everyday. The thing I appreciate most about this product is how creamy and hydrating it is. If you are a chapstick girl, this is your avenue into the lipstick world. The formula is sheer so it is not as near as pigmented a a true lipstick and the lasting power is pretty weak. If you don’t mind reapplying throughout the day, I can’t recommend this enough. One trick I like to do is start the day with a true lipstick like the Nars or Mac and then reapply later in the day with this. Sometimes layers and layers of lipstick just gets too thick and this allows for a dose of moisture while bringing the color back to your lips. I give this a 9 out of 10! (I realize this makes me the worst blogger ever but this shade is discontinued! You can find the exact shade on Amazon or try it in Coral or Punch (orangey-reds) or Ruby (pink-red).

My pink picks are coming up in the next blogpost!