You can never have enough red lipstick, that's one of life's basic rules. Like a surfer pursuing the perfect wave, you must keep scouting the cosmetic aisles for new red lipsticks. Don't bother with Estee Lauder, you will never find fulfillment there. Even Liz Hurley looks bad in that shit.
I used to think that only matte would do, but why limit my options, I said one day. Not out loud, like when my sister said in a crowded mall : Enough with the Asians, already!"
Now I buy regular cream formula reds too, but I try to avoid the really greasy ones. Once, years ago, I did find the perfect red. The hue, pigment, even the slim gold case was absolutely perfect. It was by Chanel and called "No. 22", after the perfume. OF COURSE it was discontinued! This is life, isn't it?? It's a given that if you really love something, it will be discontinued. So, in fact, you don't need to Set it Free after all; it'll be discontinued before you get the chance.
Now it's time to discuss my newest addition to the Nigress Immaculata Museum of Red Lipstick: "Heart Throb" by Black Opal. It is a deep blue red, matte but not drying, in an unusually cheesy case that features a plastic opal on the top. All this for only $5.99, at Nordstrom Rack.