Style - Ask Hope Robertson

Hope: I noticed on your site you say Chanel Rouge Allure Passion is your favourite lipstick. I want to try a red lip colour, but what can you recommend that will look great for less than 10 dollars?

Can we just talk about Chanel Rouge Allure for a minute? I'd like to get something off my chest. I mean, sure I love said lipstick - 14, Passion, that's my colour!! - but the reality is that at 40 dollars a pop, Chanel lipstick does NOT do anything more spectacular than your standard OTC lipstick. Honestly.

Just sayin'.

Without knowing your hair/eye colour or any details about your complexion, I can't suggest a specific shade to you, other than to say that if you have blonde hair/blue eyes, red hair/green eyes, and fair skin, you should stick with a blue-based red. If you've got brown hair/brown eyes, brown hair/green eyes, and more of an olive-y complexion, you should stick with a brown-based red.

That said, my recommendation to you (yes, I personally use it), available for 10 dollars, is CoverGirl's Outlast All-Day lip colour. Part lipstick, part lipgloss, CG's Outlast All-Day is a lip stain that really does last. Up to 16 hours. The closest you'll come to bright red is the shade Ever Red-dy (shown above), and if you're looking for a deeper shade from the burgundy/wine family, I'd try the shade called Sangria (also shown above, right).

Hope this helps!

_{CoverGirl Outlast All-Day Lip Colour, available at your local drugstore}