Let's start with ELF! ELF's Matte lip color in Rich Red offers the very best of a red color for the lips. It's bright, it's rich in red color and it lasts on the lips. I just love the formula as well as the color payoff. The ELF Matte lip color collection is just a mere $3 (US) and is affordable for anyone looking for a perfect matte red. I came across the ELF line while shopping at my local grocery store and thought I'd give it a try. The lip color comes in a matte black retractable pen, you twist the holder near the product and it slides up. A coordinating color is also found on the bottom of the pen as well as the sticker with the color name.
I'm not fond of the taste of this lipstick, although the color is very pretty I don't really like the taste of saccharin which is what I'm tasting here. BUT, I love the way I can throw this lipstick in my purse and the ease of applying is phenomenal... A lipstick pen, c'mon it's perfect...my picture above looks like I've applied lip liner too.
I give this lipstick 4 stars out of 5... And I just hope ELF can make more colors just to see them hold up as well as this one.
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Another affordable lip color I've been wanting to try were the Wet N Wild Silk Finish lipsticks. These are the ones that cost under a dollar, so yes the packaging is lacking but is not important as far as quality is concerned. I've owned one of the original Silk Finish lipsticks ages ago but have since forgotten what the quality was like back then. These two colors caught my eye the most, #514A Cherry Frost and #509A Cinnamon. Cherry Frost is a true blood red with shimmer with a frost that is not that noticeable but is pretty. Cinnamon I would describe as a deep true blood red with no frost or shimmer and is moisturizing/shiny. My favorite of the two has to be Cinnamon...which does not give any hint of cinnamon-brownish undertone or anything close to it, I'm glad!
Lip Swatch of Cinnamon (no lip liner, no top gloss)
Lip Swatch of Cherry Frost (no lip liner, no top gloss)
While Wet n Wild makes nice MegaLast lipsticks in pretty colors, with the Silk Finish, not so much. Don't get me wrong there are some pretty colors in the Silk Finish though most of them are frosty or hideous...But rest assured I can choose about a handful of those colors that are worth trying out...like for example Nouveau Pink or Taj Mauve Hal, pretty!!
These little gems get 4 out of 5 stars as well.
Just a little pic of all my favorite reds :)