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| From left to right: Red Apple Lipstick samples Hibiscus, Drama, Back to the Fuchsia, Barcelona |
One company has been on my mind lately:
Red Apple Lipstick - henceforth RAL. Out of more than 40 amazing shades, I own a few samples and later ordered some tubes, all which I've been impressed with. I have the following samples for review here (they're $3.50 each):
Hibiscus
Drama
Barcelona
Back To The Fuchsia
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| Hibiscus, Drama, Back to the Fuchsia, Barcelona |
From the samples, which are generous, these are luxurious, well-pigmented, quality lipsticks. They come with a little black RAL lip brush, which I found to be a nice touch. I don't have any known or obvious allergens, but these lipstick formulas great for allergy sufferers and people sensitive to gluten. Even celiacs can use this product, which is marvelous. They feel so good on your lips, almost like you're wearing nothing, but better. The formulas are just right in the moisturizing department it feels like whenever you put on these lipsticks on, your lips are getting a hug.
Before applying each lipstick shade, I used Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter. Also, each shade was applied using my own Ecotools lip brush from the Lovely Looks collection.
For reference, I'm posting pictures of my natural lip color, which is a pinkish brown:
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| no lipstick; natural lip color is pinky brown (pink with brown liner), inside |
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| natural lip color, outdoors |
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Hibiscus only - in natural light
Hibiscus is a pinkish red which a healthy dose of raspberry. Such a cute name too! At first, I thought this would be a bright fuchsia pink. I was still intrigued, so I bit the bullet (ahem) and bought the sample. This color is beautiful and doesn't look like anything I've ever owned before. It's an alternative to red - with my medium/deep tan complexion it looks great, enlivening it. The formula is smooth and lasts long. I really enjoyed wearing this lipstick shade, and it helped make me feel pretty and confident - must be the reddish undertones. Hibiscus is in the Instant Color (nut-free) formula.
At $23.50 a tube of lipstick the price may seem a bit steep, but the quality and customer service are top-notch. I feel many people pay much for an inferior product with toxic chemicals at department stores. There are many cosmetic companies which charge more than $23 for sub-par ingredients. The longevity of these shades straight of the tube is good (4 hours or so), but can be enhanced by proper technique, which RAL owner Jay Harper talks about when you sign up to become a RAL VIP. When you do, you get plenty of discounts as well.
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| Hibiscus inside with artificial light |
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| Here I'm combining two Red Apple Lipstick (RAL) shades: Hibiscus & Coral Crush |
As for Drama, I wasn't too crazy about it at first. As a college student in the late nineties, I feel I wore too much brown for too long. Drama has brown undertones but it has something else, something alluring - a soft (is it plum?) sheen which I really like. The formula is long-lasting but also doesn't feel dry. This can work as a more sophisticated boardroom shade - I can imagine wearing a suit and delivering a neat presentation with Drama. For fairer skin, it may be more of an evening shade. As much as I like this shade, I think I'm going to hold off buying a tube until fall as I have built up a decent collection and want to use up all my samples before I do. Drama is in the X-series (nut-free) formula. I've read on other sites some people think the X-series is a bit drying, but I haven't noticed this as my lips are generally not super dry and I used a lip balm before each application. I believe it's good to moisturize your lips before applying any lipstick.
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| Drama indoors |
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| Drama outdoors |
Barcelona is a medium brownish red which is the least pigmented of the bunch. It's soft enough to wear for every day for my complexion, but for someone with lighter skin tones it may be better for going out. I feel like it's soft enough to wear for a work, and assertive enough for a night on the town. I do think the name is exciting and adds to the lipstick. Barcelona is in the RAL Instant Color (nut-free) formula.
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| Barcelona indoors |
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| Barcelona outdoors |
My favorite of the bunch has to be Back to The Fuchsia: a rich, pigmented, fun fuchsia color with the coolest name! It's a long-lasting, smooth and moisturizing shade which instantly brightens both my complexion - and mood! Since I'm in my purplish tone period, I'm definitely going to have to get a whole bullet! It's lighter than RAL's After Hours, which I prefer to wear at nighttime. Back to the Fuchsia is a RAL Satin (nut-free) formula.
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| Back to The Fuchsia indoors |
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| Back to The Fuchsia outdoors |
