It’s that time of the year when I start busting out all of my reds and burnt oranges. Fall and winter practically scream red(ish) lips to me, so I thought I’d let you know the ones I’ve been reaching for the most lately.

Some of these are old favourites (look at the nub left on that MAC lipstick!!), whereas some are a bit newer in my collection. New or old though… they’re all amazing lipsticks and I’ve been reaching for them constantly. And I just noticed a theme too (aside from the colour), they’re all pretty much matte finishes!

Bourjois‘ Rouge Buzz is definitely the brightest of the bunch! It’s an interesting orange/red mix. Some days I think it’s red, and some days I think it’s orange. Either way it’s a shade that lights up my face – I feel like my features come alive when I’m wearing this colour! It goes on a bit glossy but dries down over time to more of a matte finish.

Too Faced‘s Chill Pill is newer to me. They just launched it as part of a shade extension to their Peach Kiss range (lip swatch video here) and it’s glorious! It’s a burnt, rusty brick colour and it’s so perfectly seasonally appropriate that I keep grabbing for it over and over again. The Peach Kiss formula is a knock out too – smooth and comfortable to wear, it packs a ton of pigment AND smells like peaches and cream!

Oddly, I didn’t have a standalone photo of me wearing Bite Beauty‘s Crushed Chili, so I had to snag a screenshot from my Spice collection lip swatch video. That entire lipstick range was a solid home run, and I’ve found myself reaching for different shades depending on the season. Now that it’s November, it’s time for Crushed Chili to shine! It’s a deep red with a hint of brown to it and looks absolutely killer with a super simple eye look (think a warm crease, champagne lid and winged liner).

QUO‘s Date Night was just released in their Fall 2018 collection and it really surprised me. In the bullet it looked more like a pink, but on the lips it goes much more burnt red with maybe a hint of pink to it. I feel like it comes across slightly more muted in comparison to Bite‘s Crushed Chili and Too Faced‘s Chill Pill, so this might be for you if you’re looking for something a bit softer in the red family.

And what would a post about red lips be without mentioning MAC‘s Russian Red? This red is an absolute staple in my collection. It’s THE red to end all red.s I’m convinced there isn’t a person out there that can’t wear this shade. You can dress it up with a smokey eye, go vibrant with a bright orange and red eye, or dress it down with a simple eye – either way, Russian Red is foolproof. If I had to recommend one shade to you in this entire post, this would be it – because I feel like everyone needs to experience Russian Red at some point in their life!

Swatched out you can see that they’re all really heckin’ pigmented! The Bourjois and MAC shades are the extremes in this round up, but the three shades in the middle are all somewhat the same with slight tonal changes. If you like a red with a bit more pink – grab the QUO one. Like it with a little more orange? The Too Faced one is for you. And if you really want a burnt brick colour, then Bite‘s Crushed Chili is perfect.

Let me know if you start gravitating towards these kinds of shades in the cooler months! And if you do, let me know what shades you’ve been enjoying lately!

All of the lipsticks were sent to me over the years for consideration except for MAC's Russian Red which I purchased myself. Post contains affiliate links.