"When in doubt, wear red!"

Hello, darlings!

In light of a recent makeup shopping trip, it brought to mind an interesting idea for a post. For all you vintage loving gals and modern pinups, what are your favorite, tried and true red lipsticks? 

Feel free to leave a comment to this post if you wish! 

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I love anything that stands the test of time, and you can't go wrong with shades that have continued to be made for some sixty years!

Revlon has a beautiful array of reds that I adore:

My signature shade is Certainly Red (fourth from top), which debuted in 1951. It is a smooth, richly pigmented creamy formula that requires only minimal touch-up throughout the day. 

The lipstick is best worn with a lip liner underneath (red or flesh colored, whichever you choose!) and set with a dusting of translucent powder.Also, it's best to apply these beauties with a lip brush as opposed to direct from the tube. You'll get more precision and control, plus, more pigment on your lips.

In my travels, the store was out of Certainly Red (!!) so I purchased two others I've been meaning to try: Love That Red, also from 1951, and Fire and Ice from 1952.

I will let you know how they pan out in the next couple of days!

A modern red I also love is Hellbent from Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick line. Say what you will about her as a person, but her array of colors are sassy, bright, and off the beaten path, to be sure!

Hellbent is a very pigmented blood red shade. Definitely use the combination of lip liner, lip brush and translucent powder to set this, because it has a tendency to stain a lot of what it touches, and you don't want that all over your skin!

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Truth be told, I am quite attached to my Revlon red. Additionally, I am new to the vintage scene, and am a stickler for accuracy and authenticity. Those shades are direct from the time period I love most (the 1950s, though I do love the 1940s as well). 

They've been around for nearly six decades for a reason - timelessness and staying power - two things I feel are key for an old soul living in the modern world.

Until next time,