MAC’s Ruby woo vs Russian red

Hello, my dear readers!!!!

Most of you, may already know what I intend to discuss, given the title of this post. But, for those who may be wondering, this is just a comparison between two red shades of the MAC make-up brand lipsticks. So,  I’ll just begin by talking about why I decided to make this comparison in the first place. 

I picked these two, because they are quite popular, most especially ruby woo. At a basic glance, they look pretty much alike; one might not really find a difference and may decide to purchase one instead of the other. (I am not suggesting the purchase of both).  I purchased the Russian red a year ago, when I was looking for a high-end brand red lipstick for the red lip statement look. I was looking for something really matte, pigmented and durable, and I considered it a cheaper alternative to higher-end brands like Chanel, Lancôme, Dior, Estee Lauder, and Yves Saint Laurent e.tc. So far so good, I am quite satisfied with the product; it’s quite amazing and gives that diva and chic look. 

But, throughout this year, I have never heard the last of MAC’s ruby woo; it’s just all over the place, (you tube and blogs.......) everyone is using it for their statement red lip, everyone is talking about it and even in the MAC stores, it is the first recommendation, if you are looking for the classic statement red lip. I had no initial intention of purchasing it, but I eventually did, a month ago. Yeah Diva’s....... I know......but a lady can never get enough..........can she? I went into my local MAC store to get some make-up bits, which I was running out of, and......once again....just like every other time, the product was dangled in my face.......and I thought.......”okay I’ll just get it”......... If I did not, I probably would have used the money on something pretty silly.....lol. The good news is that.......it was worth it. Yay!!!!!

So Divas, I have deliberately been ensuring that I have some red in my outfit every day just to rock this lipstick. I have also been going for monochrome outfits in black, white and nude, creating that touch of red...... and just like Russian red, I have also been loving Ruby woo.

I was searching through my make-up bits and pieces some days ago, I picked out both lipsticks and the idea of comparing them caught me, I resolved that it would be great because, although they can pass for each other, they still have some differences. 

Ruby Woo

Russian Red

As you can see Divas, they look pretty much alike, (even when swatched on my skin). But the differences come in terms of the feel and texture.

MAC, makes us understand that they are both matte, but I feel that, Russian red has more of a lustre/glossy finish,while Ruby woo gives more of a mattified finish, and that makes it dry out faster. So whenever I wear it, I always apply a tiny little bit of clear lip-gloss, not for the purpose of creating a shiny red lip, but just to keep my lips moisturised and prevent it from getting too dry (......you divas, can understand how awkward one can feel with very dry lips). I also found that, I have to top up on ruby woo from time to time throughout the day. I don’t have to do any of these when wearing Russian red.

In that light, I would add that, Russian red is more pigmented compared to Ruby woo, and I feel comfortable pulling off Ruby woo in the daytime and Russian red in the night time. Another reason following this, is that, I have found that Ruby woo has a slight purple undertone, which makes it a bit darker and tones down that bright bold red, that’s why I feel it’s more suitable for the day. On the contrary, Russian red is quite dramatic; it’s BOLD, BRIGHT and RED and has a slight gold undertone which makes it more illuminated. I feel it draws more attention to the lips than ruby woo does, and therefore is more suitable for a night time look.

In terms of durability on the lips, I feel Russian red lasts longer because its more pigmented. But then, this feeling is mixed and I feel I may be wrong, because I wear ruby woo during the day which is a longer period than the night when, I wear Russian red, which I keep on for just a couple of hours, before I wipe off. So because the length of time is not equal, I feel I might not be making a fair judgement.

So Divas, that’s pretty much it.

These are my experiences with these lipsticks. If you have experienced any of the characteristics, I mentioned or anything different, I am more than happy to read about them. If you haven’t tried it out, I really hope you do. They are both worth it. I would love to read about your experiences when you do. 

Finally..........

Most of you dolls, should be aware of the fact that, when wearing a lipstick, a clear cut look of what, I would refer to as the outline or rim of the lips, most especially, the Cupid’s bow on the upper lip is often desired. In order to achieve this, a lip pencil is usually used,to line the rim of the lips before applying the lipstick, which is quite amazing. But the big question is that: for the non-professionals who only apply make-up on themselves alone, should a matching lip liner be purchased for every lipstick?

Well, it doesn’t always have to be that way.

What about taking a little of the desired lipstick with a pencil/eyeliner brush or an angled eye-liner brush (I prefer using a pencil/eyeliner brush) and drawing on the outline/rim of the lips, just as it is done with a regular lip liner?

Many thanks for stopping by

I hope you gained a thing or two

Stay Cool