Red Alert! New Alluring Reds Collection from Catrice

Burgundy, pillarbox, crimson, poppy - the colour red is omnipresent in many forms on the runways this year and a red lip is always a popular addition to Christmas and New Year make-up looks, whether it's in a satin finish, gloss or matte colour.

Of course it's impossible to mention red without giving a nod to cult classics such as Ruby Woo and Lady Danger from MAC, which are both firm favourites of mine, but today I'm looking at some new shades that have hit the market, in the form of the limited edition "Alluring Reds" from Catrice.

The Alluring Reds collection launched recently and features:

Three matte lipsticks (€5.49)

Smooth Operator lip conditioner (€4.49)

Three duo nail glazes (€5.49)

Three liquid lipsticks (€5.49)

So what's the collection like? I'll start off with the lip conditioner, which has a slight colour to it and is ideal for prepping lips ahead of wearing a matte shade. Alternatively, it would work well for just popping into your handbag for a little moisture hit now and then during the day.

The liquid lipsticks are slightly more pinky/red than you'd expect, so if red frightens you, or you find that pink if usually more your thing, then they make for a good bridging point. The nail duos are quite unusual as the base coat is actually a silver / pearl shade with the second red being more of a wash off colour that you can create an ombre effect with if you're feeling creative.

For me, it's the matte lipsticks which really stand out in the Alluring Reds collection. As you can see from the swatch above, these are highly pigmented, bold, "look at me" shades. From a texture point of view, these are lovely to work with whether applied from the bullet or with a lip brush and they aren't dry like a lot of matte lipsticks can be.

I layered up the three here on Audrey (below) to create extra dimension on camera for a recent photo shoot but as the swatches prove, there's more than enough pigment in one to go around.

Are you feeling the Allure of these reds? Or would you stick to the classics?