Heads turn so fast when MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14.50) enters a room that some of them get whiplash.
The blue-based red, long a favorite of MAC fans (like moi!), lives in the permanent line, but she also guest stars from time to time in limited edition releases like the MAC Wonder Woman Collection as a repromote shade.
I’ve loved the color for years, but I didn’t always know she had a sister, super shiny, highly pigmented MAC Russian Red Lipglass ($14.50).
If any product deserves a share of the MAC Unsung Heroes spotlight, it’s Russian Red Lipglass — one of my go-to colors to pair with cat eyes.
Just how red is it? Well, do you remember how red your cheeks got that time in gym class with the sit-ups (PROOOT!)? Yup, it’s even redder than that. 🙂
Being so pigmented and movable, she can be a little high maintenance, though, like many gorgeous girls, but that’s what patience is for. To keep it from migrating outside of my natural lip line, I always line my lips first with something like MAC Red Enriched ($14.50), nude MAC Subculture ($13) or a clear lip liner like L’Oreal Automatic Liner in Clear ($6).
When I’m out and about with Russian Red Lipglass, I bring my compact with me and check it often to make sure the product hasn’t danced onto my cheeks or chin, a lesson I learned the hard way…
Once, walking to the bus stop on a windy day, some of my hair got stuck in my gloss, so I pulled the strands away and tucked them haphazardly behind my ear. A little later on the bus, I could’ve sworn a cute guy across from me was giving me “the eye” (this was pre-El Hub), but, being a totally shy freakazoid when it comes to hotties, I buried my nose in the book I was reading and avoided eye contact for the rest of the 45-minute ride.
It wasn’t until I got to work that I realized why homeboy was checking me out… I had red streaks of gloss on my cheek. 🙂
Random but semi-related story
One day a few years ago, El Hub and I were visiting our family in Hawaii when we decided to go to the beach. Since I didn’t feel like wearing my contacts that afternoon, I left my glasses at home and figured I’d just accept being semi-blind.
We were sitting on the beach when El Hub turned to me and said, “Do you want to go for a swim?”
“No,” I said, “not yet. But you go. I’ll be right here.” So off he went into the water.
After a few minutes sitting there in the sun, I also felt like cooling off, so down to the beach I went. As I was playing in the shallows, a boy swam up to me. I didn’t have my contacts on, but I could tell he was cute. “Hi,” he said, to which I replied by immediately diving into the water and swimming in the opposite direction.
When I got of the water and made my way back to our spot on the beach, El Hub was there waiting for me on our towel. “How was your swim?” he asked.
“Great,” I answered. “The water’s warm.”
He nodded, paused, and then almost sadly asked, “Why did you swim away from me so fast when I said hi?”
LOL! Yeah, I’m a dork… 🙂
Even though Russian Red takes some tender loving care, I love her to pieces. I’ve seen the color on a range of skin tones, and I think she always looks great. She’s the reddest, shiniest, most heart-stopping gloss I know.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Syrup Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Blushbaby Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Vex Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Strobe Cream
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Blot Powder/Pressed
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Subculture Lip Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Soft Brown Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Hero: Woodwinked Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Hero: Powersurge Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: All That Glitters Eyeshadow Is Not Just Another Gold
- MAC Unsung Heroes: The Technakohl Liners
- MAC Unsung Hero: Groundwork Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Hero: Nymphette Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam V
- MAC Unsung Hero: Blacktrack Fluidline
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Lychee Luxe Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Hero: Gorgeous Gold Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Hero: Patina Eyeshadow
P.S. Remember the MAC Packed to Go Travel Exclusives from a while back? Well, they’re finally available on the MAC website. If you need a quick refresher on the release, check out the following posts for reviews and swatches. 🙂
- Ready, Set, Jet! The MAC Packed To Go Travel Exclusives for Spring 2011
- According to the Girl Next Door, MAC Put This Look in a Box
- MAC Packed to Go 6 Cool Smoky Eye Shadows and My Mid-Day Wednesday Toast
- The 3 Assorted Black Eye Liners Boxed Set from MAC Packed to Go
- MAC Room for the Cute Bag That Comes with the MAC Shape & Perfect Brushes
- A Travel Exclusive: MAC Packed These 3 Cremesheens To Go
Vijaya says
April 20th, 2011 at 3:14 pmYikes to that story about the guy on the bus! xP
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Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:56 pmYeah… I had no game back in the day, LOL!
Ambrrr says
April 20th, 2011 at 3:18 pmHahaha, these are amazing and hilarious stories. I’m completely the same way when it comes to fellas.
Russian Red Lipglass looks outstanding! I’ve been looking for something to go with my pin-up girl cat eye; this seems like an excellent choice.
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:55 pmHey Ambrrr,
This would pair perfectly with your cat eye. Do you ever wear false eyelashes? You could cut a pair into thirds and pop them on your outer corners… HOTNESS!
larie says
April 20th, 2011 at 3:23 pmLol, I’m practically blind without glasses or contacts in, so I totally know how you feel! That beach story sounds like it could be me, for sure. Love the color on the lipglass! It’s so intense.
larie recently posted … I Finally Bought a Lipstick- and its MAC
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:54 pmYou’ve gotta try it someday! It’s va-va-voom kinda red.
Kajal Couture says
April 20th, 2011 at 3:49 pmCute story about El Hub!!! I am such a plain gloss girl…I tend to use colored lipsticks and clear gloss on top. But this does look hot!
Kajal Couture recently posted … Urban Decay Naked Palette – Natural Eye Looks
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:54 pmI hear ya. Sometimes I go through color lipstick/clear gloss phases too. One lasted for like three years!
Chris25 says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:07 pmI think I want to try Russian Red lipstick. I have had my fair share of makeup mishap stories. I should really post some on my blog. 😛
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:53 pmYou should! It’s a cult classic color.
Trisha says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:11 pmOh man, that story is hilarious. He must have been so confused.
Also, Russian Red looks awesome on you.
Trisha recently posted … Giveaway- Lumixyl Topical Brightening System
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:53 pmHe was, LOL! He’s a really bad swimmer, so there was no way in hell he could’ve caught up to me, which is why he let me go, haha!
Jessi says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:13 pmOh Karen, you are just too adorable! Your stories always make me smile. i probably look silly sitting at my desk by myself with a big, stupid smile on. I have terrible eye sight also so I have a few similar contact- and glasses-less stories.
Jessi recently posted … MAC Cremesheen Glass in Double Dare Is Better Than Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:52 pmLOL, stories involving cute boys and bad eyesight are THE BEST. 😉
Nina says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:20 pmlove! the only liplass that covers my pigmented lips!
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:52 pmYES!! Russian Red Lipglass <3!
Nina says
April 21st, 2011 at 5:58 amyes!
that story is cute btw — El Hubs looking hurt – adorable, yes? 🙂
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:24 amIt was very cute. I’m so lame… I swam away really far, really fast, LOL!
Nina says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:41 amno youre not! youre loyal and faithful! <3
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:51 amOr just a DORK! 🙂 LOL!
So, when you do Russian Red Lipglass, do you wear it alone, or do you use a lip liner?
Lauren says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:33 pmI love the story about you and your husband, and how sad it made him that you swam away from him. (-:
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:52 pmWhat’s funny was that I swam away REALLY fast. Like, I totally took off like a bolt of lightening, haha!
Rae says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:34 pmAww, Karen!! You and El Hubs sound so adorable ^^ I can’t even *imagine* you being super-shy around cute guys on busses – I’ve always seen you as the approachable, confident, and definitely hot blogger on the block 😛
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Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:51 pmI’m no Rico Suave when it comes to the dudes, LOL! Back in the day my friends used to tease me about having absolutely NO GAME.
Sarah says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:38 pmThat color looks great on you.
I had to give up contacts years ago do to allergies. I got LASIK in January. Not sure why I waited so long. I wear sunglasses more and you can actually see my eye makeup. Well worth it.
Karen says
April 20th, 2011 at 4:50 pmAhh, lucky! I asked my optometrist if I could do LASIK and she said I wasn’t a good candidate. Oh well… I actually don’t mind wearing glasses, usually. I feel like they suit my personality.
Vonvon says
April 20th, 2011 at 5:51 pmI think I should take a look at this and the lipstick version the next time I go to a MAC store/counter. Have been wearing quite a lot of bold lips lately. 😉
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Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:23 amGo for it, Vonvon!
Melissa says
April 20th, 2011 at 5:55 pmOh my god.. that is so bold! I’m a lipstick girl, I don’t even own one gloss! I’m amazed at the opacity of that lipglass.
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:23 amMaybe this will be your first one? 🙂
Gina says
April 20th, 2011 at 6:06 pmLOL I have a similar story, Karen, except that my boyfriend did the mix up! We went on a trip with his family, and went down to the lobby of our hotel one morning for breakfast with his mom. I went to go get some food. When I came back, he was all red and his mom was hysterical. She explained that he saw a cute girl walking around, and was checking her out. When she turned around… it was me! HAH! We never let him live it down.
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:22 amThat’s hilarious! 😀
KSlone says
April 20th, 2011 at 6:29 pmWell spank my bum and call me Shirley! I didn’t know Russian Red was a gloss! How on EARTH have I missed it? Must have!
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:20 amI think this one flies under the radar… it’s SUCH great gloss, though, and deserves more love!
Instant Karma (formerly L) says
April 20th, 2011 at 6:41 pmAh, I love Russian Red! It looks great on you 🙂
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:19 amThanks! 🙂
Stella says
April 20th, 2011 at 7:01 pmHello! I love that color! It is simply Gorgeous! And it looks just amazing on! Fabulous! Simply, fabulous! Thank you for everything and keep doing what you’re doing! :D:D
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:19 amGlad you like it, Stella!
Lucia says
April 20th, 2011 at 7:06 pmhaha I love your stories. I’ve been thinking about getting Russian Red lipstick/gloss, but do you think it’ll be too much if I wore it to a conservative event like a banquet for my college organization with neutral eyes? I’m wearing this white strapless satin dress with gray and black florals, so given my limited lipstick knowledge, I don’t even know if it’ll go with that kind of dress.
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:19 amHi Lucia,
I think the red coupled with the shine might be a little too va-va-voom for a conservative event. Plus, you may not want to be fussing and worrying about your lips for the entire evening (pigmented red gloss is VERY high maintenance). How about a straight up Russian Red Lipstick? You’ll still have to be careful, but it’s much easier to wear in comparison to the gloss.
Lucia says
April 21st, 2011 at 12:00 pmThanks so much for the info, Karen! It was very helpful =)
Siena says
April 20th, 2011 at 10:26 pmI love this post!! I love the lipglass, i love the stories, I love the travel exclusives!!
Well I’m getting all of these that I can (except for the gloss on my face, hopefully). 😀
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:16 amHi Siena,
Yay! Do you think you might pick up any of the travel exclusives?
Rosie says
April 21st, 2011 at 12:23 amWhat a beautiful color! I was wondering, would you recommend a red gloss that’s less high maintenance? I’m something of a lazy gal.
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:15 amHi Rosie,
The easiest red I know to wear is Neutrogena’s MoistureShine Lip Soother. If your lips are less pigmented than mine, it should show up more as a red (on me it’s like a pink):
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/neutrogena-moistureshine-lip-soother-spf-20-lipgloss-a-budget-forget-me-not/
Rosie says
April 21st, 2011 at 5:53 pmThanks so much!
Camila says
April 21st, 2011 at 5:21 amHey Karen, have to say that red lips look gorgeous on you! X
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 8:12 amThanks, Camila. Are you a red lip girl, too?
Grace says
April 21st, 2011 at 9:17 amI LOVE this gloss! I orginally bought Russian Red lipstick, but it turns orange on my lips, so it was suggested I try the gloss and VOILA….beautiful red glossy lips!!
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 10:31 amYay, another Russian Red Lipglass lover! It’s so fantastic, isn’t it? Do you wear yours with a liner or on its own?
Kim says
April 21st, 2011 at 9:49 amI was just thinking of Russian Red this AM! OMG, I laughed at both the sit-ups in gym and the El Hub story. Before I got laser eye surgery, I was in the same boat. One night, the Hubs had the TV on in our bedroom and it was about 10 ft away (and small). I didn’t have my contacts in and I was like “hey, is that David Duchovny?” (shows how long ago this happened). He was like “um, nooooo, it’s a werewolf….”. I highly recommend the eye surgery! HAHA!
Karen says
April 21st, 2011 at 10:07 amHAHAHAHA! Okay, this totally made me CRACK UP! My eyes are tearing…
Rhapsode says
April 21st, 2011 at 11:12 am“He nodded, paused, and then almost sadly asked, “Why did you swim away from me so fast when I said hi?—
Hahaha. This is why I check your blog obsessively every day (or every few hours, sometimes, when I’m at work–shhh.) More stories to come, yes? 😀
As for lip gloss on cheeks; I’ve done much worse. It’s usually at dark parties, though, so it’s only once the boy comes outside with me that they realize. Love the look of horror that they get on their faces upon seeing red lipstick smeared like I just caught a mouse and ate it. Love it.
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Rhapsode says
April 21st, 2011 at 11:21 amAlso, regarding whiplash; when my brother did an internship near Hollywood, he said there were so many gorgeous women he got a case of semi-permanent whiplash injury.
As for me, I got whiplash while practicing for my college’s pole dancing club (yes, a college pole dancing club–we were written up in the news.) I’d just gotten back from winter vacation and hadn’t exercised a bit. Got up there to practice, took a spin, then had to be walked over to the infirmary, where I was given muscle relaxants. Never did go back to club again.
Rhapsode recently posted … Help Mother Earth Live Long And Prosper- Zoyas Earth Day Promo!
Geri says
April 21st, 2011 at 12:08 pmNYX’s plush red is an awesome shiny red gloss too! It’s super pigmented and it’s cheap as heck. The only downside is that it kinda smells like cherry cough medicine. I think I will be picking up a tube of Russian Red eventually though, I’m such a sucker for MAC.
DarkDesire says
April 21st, 2011 at 12:14 pmlmao what a great story about yyou and El hub, I really had to laugh out loud reading it^^
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Lena says
April 21st, 2011 at 12:17 pmtis why i love your blog karen. that you’re a dork. like me. 😀
Phyrra says
April 21st, 2011 at 7:34 pmRussian Red was one of my first bright reds! Love it!
Phyrra recently posted … Rose Gold
Valbona Prokshi says
April 21st, 2011 at 7:55 pmThe story you shared was cute, funny, and innocent. Hahaha!
Zin says
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:35 pmKaren, I must know where you got that necklace! It’s gorgeous!
Mona says
November 28th, 2011 at 6:05 amI found your fabulous blog after googling MAC Russian Red. RR was my first true red lipstick. It was also my second and my third (of which I still have half a tube left). My fourth red is L’Oreal’s Penelope Cruz Red #320, which I’m sad to learn has been discontinued in favor of the Evangeline Lilly one (although I might give that a try one day soon). Red lipsticks make my day!