Red lips make for brighter holidays

Champagne and red lipstick have two things in common. First, I love them both. Second, while I will indulge in both year-round, to many, these are treats reserved for the holiday season. Indeed, nothing says end of year cheer like a glass of bubbly with a bright red lip stain.

I have written about champagne in the past, so in the spirit of Christmas week, I wanted to share my, my team’s, and my sister’s favorite reds. May you find your perfect shade!

My current favorites are NARS pencils in Cruella and Dragon Girl, sometimes one layered on top of the other. Pencils are easy and these reds complement my complexion. My go-to for a glossier look is the Chanel Gloss Ultra Wear Lip Color.

Alchimie’s PR and Marketing director, Catherine, who is fair-skinned, blue-eyed, with platinum blonde hair loves Kevyn Aucoin’s Carliana and Lancôme’s Caprice.

Alchimie’s Logistics director, Anne, who has a warmer skin tone and darker blonde hair, loves Rouge Volupté Shine by Yves Saint Laurent. She applies it first in middle of her lips then finishes the shape, before adding more in the middle to have a plumping effect.

And my three sisters say the following:

Roxane is also a Nars lover. Her shade is Hot Wired. She likes to apply it with her fingers and always kisses a tissue after application to remove any excess.

Rachel loves Yves saint Laurent Rouge Vernis à Lèvres Number 9. A classic.

And finally Cyrille, who loves to be a contrarian, doesn’t do reds. Her go-to shades no matter the holidays are Bobbi Brown Bare Pink (rich lip), and Latte (creamy matte).

I could not end this without sharing the latest red gloss I came across – I have yet to use it, but love the concept. It was named after one of my favorite Alchimie partners, Jamie, owner of BrightWater, the Spa at Skin Care Institute, and created by local makeup artist Ariel Lewis. Having a red lipstick named after me might be the newest item on my bucket list!

Happy holidays to you!