Lipstick Love: Ravishing Red

When you have six red lip colours in your makeup kit and you can justify owning each of them, does that qualify as a lipstick addiction? It depends on who you ask, I guess. According to my manager--who has dozens of berry shades--it does not. Phew. Besides, red in all its incarnations is the colour I wear most, and even within this one colour I like a bit of variety in the shades and finishes I have on hand.

My scarlet addictions starting from the back row, left to right:

• MAC lipstick in 'Lady Danger' ($17.50 at MAC stores). This photo doesn't convey how bright the colour truly is: a highly pigmented matte orange with a touch of red that demands a precise application technique. I use a lip brush (my favourite is the Joe Fresh retractable lip brush) to line my lips and fill them in.
• Chanel Rouge Allure in 'Enthusiast' ($38 at Holt Renfrew or The Bay). Okay, this is where the crazy justifying comes in. If MAC 'Lady Danger' is orange with a bit of red, then Chanel Rouge Allure 'Enthusiast' is red with a touch of orange. Does that make any sense? It's a lovely tomato red with a sheer, creamy texture.
• Sephora Rouge Cream in 'Hot Tango' ($16 at Sephora stores). This was my first red lipstick and the one that unwittingly started this whole obsession. It's a very pigmented bright fuchsia-y red, and like MAC 'Lady Danger', requires a lip brush to apply properly. The colour is beyond flattering on fair skin though, and I always get a ton of compliments when I wear it.
• Boxx Cosmetics Lip Colour in 'Garnet' ($24.50 at BeautyMark). Aw, poor neglected 'Garnet'. Because it's in a compact and I usually reach for a tube or pencil to stash in my purse, I don't use this colour nearly enough. But that doesn't detract from how pretty it is: a true red that can be worn sheer for a stain effect, or layered on for more drama. It also doubles as a cheek colour.
• Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres in 'Rouge' ($28 at Holt Renfrew and The Bay). I bought this colour to layer under Chanel Rouge Allure 'Enthusiast' specifically because I wanted to deepen the tomato red colour of the latter. I think this pencil would look great on its own with a little lip balm on top for shine and moisture.
• NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Cruella' ($30 at Sephora). This true red goes on matte, pigmented and smooth, and is touted by NARS fans and makeup artists alike as one of the most flattering reds out there.

What are your favourite reds?

P.S. In case you missed it, my recommendations for pink lipstick.