Best Matte Red Lipsticks of 2010

When it comes to wearing matte red lipsticks, just about every woman under the sun can pull it off. Whether very light or very dark, there is often a red lipstick that works well for the right skin tone and with the right matte red lipstick, every woman can not only look sexy and polished, they can feel it too. Although matte red lips dignify an elegance of sophistication, they reflect on a woman's individualism. When a woman wears red lips, she is acknowledged and well often branded as classy and affluent, as a result. I have decided to narrow down the many fabulous matte red lipsticks I have tried this year to only the best of 2010.

Mac Cosmetics is a makeup brand that understands what many women want, especially out of their makeup bag. I first discovered this vastly underestimated brand years ago when shopping at Belk in the Georgia Square Mall and I have been quite an enthusiast ever since. Although Mac Cosmetics is notorious for providing you with some of the best pigmented eye products on the planet, they also have managed to create incredible lip products too, including lipsticks. Matte red lipsticks are very becoming of the everyday woman, as they represent just about every era under the sun. Mac Cosmetics has taken liberty of this concept and developed several matte red lipsticks that work for every skin tone.

If you are looking for an intense cool red, you are destined to love "Russian Red" which is exactly just that. This lipstick shade looks amazing with women who possess a more rosy skin tone versus a woman with a warm skin tone. If you are looking for an intense warm red, you are going to clearly love "Chili" which is a warm matte red. This color is outstanding for those women that have warmer skin tones with more of a yellow undertone versus a pink undertone in their skin. "Ruby Woo" is a very vibrant bluish red shade that looks incredible on ladies that possess a rosy undertone versus a yellow underlying quality.

And I don't mean to continue obsessing over MAC Cosmetics and their matte red lipsticks, but I just cannot get over how much I enjoy them. If you are looking for a neutral red that goes well with both skin tones, I truly recommend "Lady Danger" which is a very bright, yet colorful coral red. All of these lipsticks look great when wearing your makeup dramatically, however; if you want just a little something extra and want attention to your lips without overdoing your makeup, matte red lipsticks are the way to go. For only $14.50, you can purchase these lipsticks at your nearest Mac counter or Mac's official website and wear them proudly.
 
Another NARS lipstick matte red color that is really popular is definitely "Scarlett Express" which is a semi matte cool red. This matte red shade has a very visible blue undertone, so this color looks the best on women with rosy undertones. Matte red lipsticks are a normality in the beauty industry, but finding a good one is a rarity. I don't know about you, but when I look for a lipstick of the sort, I am quite selective. NARS continues to prove why they are one of the best makeup brands on the planet. Separating fact from fiction, this highly growing internationally known beauty entity demonstrates why they are at the top of their game. They are reasonably acknowledged for their high quality blushes and lip glosses, but what you don't know is they provide you with some of the best lipsticks in the world today, including matte red lip color.

One of ultimate favorite matte red lipsticks of 2010 is clearly Dior Rouge Lipstick in "526 Action Red" which is a vibrant warm red. Although I am tanned and possess a cool undertone, this lipstick shade looks absolutely amazing on me. I like to wear this when I want to draw attention to my lips, however; when I want to extend and expand my current dramatic makeup look, I like to wear this shade. Another great Dior favorite within the Rouge line is definitely "999 Celebrity Red" which is Dior's most popular matte red lipstick. It is a very deep, yet very bright red. It's more on a cool undertone wavelength, so it looks amazing on women with cool undertones. Whether you are enormously fair or enormously dark, if you have a cool tinge to your skin tone, it will look astonishing on you. These lipsticks are available at Sephora, but you can also purchase them at your nearest Dior counter or from the official website. For $29, I can tell you, the reader, that you get what you pay for. Let's face it, Dior has always been an upmarket, yet prosperous, high end, globally known brand.

Even though Dior is fairly acknowledged for their place in fashion, their beauty products are truly making many ways. I first discovered this brand when I read Allure magazine and saw that their mascara won numerous awards. Instantaneously, I fell in love with the product, as I purchased it at Sephora and have been a Dior addict since. After trying an array of beauty products by this very genteel beauty brand, I discovered they had a lot of great lip products, including lipsticks.

Some other shades include "Jungle Red" which is a very dramatic red that goes great with just about every skin tone, but looks relatively immaculate on women of color, "Shanghai Express" which is a semi matte warm brick red, which looks amazing on women with warmer complexions, and "Heat Wave" which is a semi matte orange red that looks wonderful on women who have a yellow undertone to their skin, rather than a rosy one. For as great as these lip colors are, you can purchase one at your nearest NARS counter or at Sephora for just $24.

Illamasqua is a beauty brand that is inspired by color and formula, so when it comes to red lipsticks, they know how to create the perfect one. It is a brand that mixes business with pleasure and as a result, makes women worldwide, sublimely happy. I can actually admit, after trying their products that I am a fan. Whether you are looking for the ultimate skin product, eye product, or lip product, Illamasqua has it. They also have some of the best lipsticks, plus an array of matte red lip shades and for only $22, you can purchase an Illamasqua lipstick from Sephora or the Illamasqua website.

One of my ultimate favorite matte red lipstick shades of 2010 is without a doubt "Tramp". Tramp is a very true, yet bright red matte shade. I am an NC42 in Mac cosmetics (and if you know anything about Mac, you would know that I am fairly tan, but possess a cool undertone to my skin rather than a warm) and this lipstick shade looks wonderful on me. Another favorite is definitely "Maneater" which is a classic red. I find that this lipstick looks amazing on everyone.

Whether you have a cool or warm undertone to your skin or whether you are black or white, this lipstick shade was created for every woman. Other favorites include: "Box" which is a stunning deep scarlet red that looks amazing on women with fair skin colors with a cool undertone and women of color with a warm undertone, "Drench" which is a matte berry red that looks phenomenal on women with cool skin tones preferably more so than warm, and "Encounter" which is a matte brick red that looks incredible on women with warm skin tones precisely more so than cool.

Did you ever discover a beauty brand that doesn't think in or outside of the box? I don't know about you, but I love beauty brands that actually include everything, rather than just stuff I personally want. Everyone is different and not everyone is going to think alike nor will they think on the same level. One of the best qualities about Make Up For Ever is that they are all about that. Make Up For Ever is one of those beauty brands that just has everything you are looking for. The created managed to innovate these products based on concepts by the people, rather based on implication and implied opinions. One of the best kept secrets is clearly their matte lipstick shades. My favorite is definitely from the Rouge Artist Intense line and it is called "8". 8 is just a nice matte dazzling red. I love to wear this when I wear red in my wardrobe.

Another favorite is a Make Up For Ever lipstick and it is called "Intense Red 506" which is clearly a classic red. This color looks amazing on women who wear light or dark colors, but want to play up their features. This color also looks great on those that are inspired by the 20s, 30s, and 40s era. For just $19, you can have Make Up For Ever's matte red lipsticks in your beauty bag right now.

The best beauty essentials always come in threes and are related to the face, the eyes, and the lips. Kind of like a skincare regime of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. The essence of color also applies to the three by three rule. That is one reason to love Shu Uemura. They make great products for the face, for the eyes, and now for the lips. Their lipsticks are something to value, as they deliver prestige. One of the best matte red lipsticks of 2010 is clearly Shu Uemura's Crème Matte Lipstick in "True Red 165 M" which is very bright, yet vibrant cool red. This lipstick shade looks extraordinary on women that have a cool undertone. Whether you are fair, light, beige, medium, tan, dark, or deep and you possess a cool undertone, you will look amazing wearing this shade.

Another shade to appreciate within this line is definitely "Brick Red 738 M" which is a very vibrant warm red. This looks outstanding on women with warm undertones. So if you are fair or light or beige or medium or tan or dark or deep, you can rock this shade if have a warm undertone. If you look at your skin and your veins look green, more than likely, your skin undertone is more warm and if your veins look more blue, well your skin is more cool. Shu Uemura Crème Matte Lipstick is only $23 and you can find it at Sephora. Whether you are looking for a gift to your mother, your wife, your sister, or your daughter, I can guarantee that she would appreciate a matte red lipstick by Shu Uemura.In fact, one of my favorite matte lipsticks is a NARS lipstick and it is called "Fire Down Below" which is a rich semi matte real blood red. This lipstick shade goes great with just about every skin tone and skin color and looks best with striking makeup, but also looks terrific when you want to garner attention to your lips rather than any other feature.
 
Cle de Peau Beaute is beauty brand that is well known in high end department stores. Like most high end brands, some of them go unrecognized by the vast majority of status quo society who purchase the average, everyday beauty product. In this case, Cle de Peau Beaute is one of those brands. I discovered this brand when shopping at Sak's 5th Avenue and have recently come to appreciate the brand for it's wonderfully formulated products. Most of Cle de Pea Beaute's products are more expensive and are not really purchased by everyone, however; if you are looking for the best, you have to pay for it and in theory, which is reality most of the time, you always get what you pay for. One of the best matte red lipsticks is undeniably "R2" which is a very bright neutral red. This matte red lipstick shade was clearly formulated for every skin tone and skin color under the sun. Whether you are a woman of color with a cool undertone or a very light woman with a warm undertone, this lipstick shade will look absolutely amazing on you.


Recently, I am really loving the Lancôme L'absolu Rouge in Absolute Rouge which is a very gorgeous and vibrant warm red. This lipstick produces one of the finest color payoffs I have discovered yet. I really love the shade because it is the only warm red that looks good on me. And this is coming from a woman who doesn't really wear a lot of warm reds at all, as I tend to lean toward neutrals more so. I like the look of this one because it is very classic and is pigmented to the extreme. It is very balanced and works great for every skin tone there is.

Kat Von D is a work of art and when she created her own makeup line trademarked under her name, she knew how to represent herself and the average woman that wants to enjoy makeup. When she created her eye products, she knew what she was doing, as when she created her lip products, she also had a goal in mind. One of her best products is definitely the Painted Love Lipstick. It comes in an array of colors that truly compliment every woman. One of favorites is definitely "Hellbent" which is an extreme blood red. This lipstick shade was designed for every skin tone. I have seen this shade on a woman that was African American who was dark skinned with a cool skin tone, as I saw this on a very fair Caucasian woman with a warm skin tone. It looks great on everyone! Kat Von D's Painted Love Lipstick is only $18 and can be purchased at Sephora.

When one thinks of experimentalism, any beauty enthusiast knows you can never single out Urban Decay. I remember walking into Sephora in Denver, CO and thinking to myself "Wow, this brand is so daring." Proving to be one of the best matte red lipstick shades in the world today, "Revolution" defines a true matte red and it's only $22. Available at Sephora, if you have a cool undertone and you are fair, light, beige, medium, tan, dark, or deep or you have a warm undertone and you are fair, light, beige, medium, tan, dark, or deep, Revolution will look amazing on you. I like to wear this lipstick shade if I want to create a 1940s inspired makeup look, if I am wearing a dramatic makeup look and need something else to compliment it, or I want to draw more attention to my lips.


These are the best matte red lipsticks I discovered in 2010. Perhaps I will have a new list to share in the many years to come. What do you think are the best matte lipsticks of the year?

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