October 27, 2009

DuWop Private Red Lipstick Review and Swatches

DuWop Private Red Lipstick had my attention at first glance as it quite reminded me of Lipstick Queen Medieval with it’s promise of creating a unique personal shade of red for my lips.

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 1

Jump ahead to hear the review.

For some odd reason I was under the impression this would be sheer and subtle a la Medieval but actually it’s quite richly pigmented. The idea of the lipstick is it has a formula that is supposed to adapt to an individual’s body chemistry and create a perfect shade of red.

Few things I love about DuWop Private Red Lipstick….

Moisturizing formula, incredible popping red pigment, applies smoothly and flawlessly. This is an all around great lipstick in both formula and color payoff.

Few things that didn’t impress me about DuWop Private Red Lipstick….

Scary garish shade of red on my lips, does not change to the “perfect” shade of red, stains lips crazily.

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 2

The color is really clown-like on me and not suitable at all for my skin tone. The shade is warmer and almost brick red which would on all accounts be a perfect shade of red for me however no go. I applied it on my arm and waited a while to see if it would deepen or change shades but it didn’t. So away I went and applied on my lips but it pretty much stays the same shade as the product itself. Not to be swayed I started getting swatch happy and applied to my sister and my friends arms to see if it would change. Umm nope no go. It pretty much stays the same shade as you see in the tube. The color itself in the tube is actually quite beautiful but the finish on my lips was way too bright and as I said a bit clown-like.

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 3

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 4

Overall, a few warmer brown notes might have made me deem this the near perfect shade of red but sadly it was a no go for me. Formula wise it’s golden and gets a huge rave from this Muse but color wise it’s a miss, no likey.

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 112

DuWop Private Red Lipstick 111

Anyone pick this up?

Successful choice of red for you?

Share it!

Disclosure: The following item was purchased by me for review purposes (and because I like flinging my money at makeup products of any kind) on Musings of a Muse. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • cherrysoftness

    Hi 🙂

    I’m also shopping for a nice red for the holidays 🙂 Are you sure you don’t like this shade on you? It seems pretty nice, maybe with much lighter eye and some brown gel eyeliner? I like it!

    • the Muse

      thanks cherry! 😀 Appreciate the lovely feedback. Nope, def not for me sadly. It’s such a pretty brick red but I thought it was a bit too clowny for me 😛 Def head in and swatch it a bit Cherry you might love it 😀 My fav is Queen’s Sin from MAC wish it was still around 🙂

  • Marley

    Aww…I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. I have more of a yellow undertone to my skin, which is probably why I love it so much. It’s perfect for me! (MAC NC15-20)

    • the Muse

      Marley glad it worked for you hun. Dunno seemed weird on me, clownish. It looks GORGEOUS in the packaging but on my lips it’s a fail 😛

    • the Muse

      ha thought I was being picky J! Wasn’t so fab right? Color was oddly off although BEAUTIFUL in the package!

  • Jasmine

    I think it looks gorge on you!

    Or maybe I can’t tell what’s a good red (oh the horror of reality checks! I gotta go see if my reds are as great as I imagine them to be.)

    • the Muse

      aww thanks Jasmine Hugs!

      LOL!!!!! Naa I suck at red! I can never tell which is good and which isn’t 🙂

  • Kaoru

    I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who thought it didn’t change color at all. It didn’t completely make me look like a clown, and I loved the formula, but perfect shade of red it is not.

    I kinda liked the staining, myself (I hate reapplying all the time). Go, henna, go!

    • the Muse

      Oh Kaoru as sometimes I wonder if it’s me 😀 I really didn’t notice any change in the color. I was swatch happy with it and even tried it on guys as they tend to run warmer blooded than girls but nope same thing in the tube. I loved, loved, the shade in the tube but on my lips was a bit of a clown look!

      I love stains but this kinda made me look all garish when it was gone 😀

  • TerriB

    Actually relieved by this review, as I was looking for that last red light to clear before purchasing Medieval. I am “supposed to” look good in red, but, oh the frustration of seeing a beautiful tube that is a no go.
    You are a makeup enabler, but in the wisest way as you provide expectation vs. result. A joy to read you reviews!
    Terri

    • the Muse

      hi Terri!

      Mmm for me it wasn’t so fabs….you should really try swatching in store though as it might be something amazingly great you are missing out on. It seems so beautiful in the tube but I felt like the joker with it on lol!

      Terri you’re great thanks for the wonderful compliment/comment 🙂

  • Melissa

    I am ordering this when I get in on the 31% off coupon sale for the duwop site this weekend. I will let you know what a golden (nc30) redhead looks like with it. I love bold lippies and it looks slightly coral-ish on your fair skin so maybe it will work for me. I noticed a lot of mixed reviews on it but if its more of a “yellow” red vs. a blue red it just might be perfect. The smokey shadows do look awesome on ya. When I do smokey I have to tone down lips and blush or I look like a darker version of bozo 😀

    • the Muse

      aw heck yes best treat ever at DuWOp 😀

      I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts Melissa 😀 hahaha I was sporting a little bozo here lmao! total clown look for me…red was overpowering…I normally like a smoky eye with bolder lips but no go with this lip shade 😀

      I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of private red!

      • Melissa

        I put up a new pic on face book sporting the private red. I like it. Its not hg but its a nice true red on me. Its a bit too creamy. I like a slightly drier lipstick if that makes sense. I also didn’t love that it didn’t change color at all. I think the “change” is because it looks different on everyone which is pretty much true of any lipstick from any brand. I got a mini of it in the Sephora Favorites kit. I’m not sure I need to spring for the full size which seems to be sold out on Sephora.

        • the Muse

          melissa is it your profile pic of so I just seen lovelys!!!!!! 😀 Naaa I felt the same way, def no color change for me either. sold out? hmmm interesting as I really didn’t like it enough to think i would sell out so fast! It’s def not HG for me either the color was a bit too clowny on me…loving how it looks on you though if that’s the correct pic I’m viewing!

  • cherrysoftness

    Hi 🙂

    I think I won’t risk getting it, I’m a little scared 😛 I wish there was some way to know for sure, but to be honest… oh so embarrassing… I don’t even know for sure if I am warm or cool toned 😛

    My favorite red lipstick was Insatiable from Tony and Tina a few years back, I think it’s gone now 🙁 Thanks for the MAC reminder, yes a nice trip to a nearby MAC counter will surely be a good way to find a red lipstick – sometimes, you really need to put it on your face to be sure! And love how MAC has a gazillion testers of their gazillion shades 🙂

    • the Muse

      hey cherry!

      I think I’m warm for reds but not sure either LOL! Don’t be embarrassed I’m in the same boat 😀

      OOOO don’t say Tony and Tina! I loved the brand le sigh!

      absolutely, mac has zillions of reds and it’s always a good idea to play and test 😀

  • jonnie

    I think it looks fabulous on you in the pictures!

    I got a deluxe sample of this in the kit I bought… I’ve never been big on dark reds either but I must say I think this one looked fabulous on me even without any other makeup on! And as you said, the formula is creamy and full of goodness and yes, it did stain a bit but like one of the above posters I kinda liked that. 🙂 a caveat here is that I haven’t yet had the courage to wear such a dark color outside – I’m not a very ostentatious person – but it looks pretty at home. 🙂

    As for color change, none noted here. It just happened to look nice the way it was.

    • the Muse

      aw shucks thanks jonnie you are fab for my ego lol!

      absolutely, no color change but def gorgeous inside the tube..on me..kinda a bit clownish 😛

      WEAR IT OUT! I insist! I bet you look gorgeous! 😀

  • LizKS

    I think it looks good on you not clownish at all but maybe it looks dif in person. If it acts like a stain, why don’t you use it like one and put another color over it?

    • the Muse

      hi liz!

      Thanks hun.

      Mostly it stains my lips after it’s off as it if I wipe it off. Kinda looks strange and garish 😛

  • Laura

    The hubby is ll about the rockabilly bright red lips right now – something I hate cuz I like nudes on my lips.

    But I thought finally a red!

    Nope – Muse and I have the same coloring! I looked like a clown too. I kissed hubby’s forehead and a day later – it’s still there!

    I did put a fav lipgloss with it to change it and that helped alot.

    • the Muse

      omg laura LOL! I can’t believe his face is still stained! damn straight for the great pigmentation DuWop! w0000t! haha.

      Red lips can be awesome but yup total clown moment for me. it’s SO weird b/c the color is gorgeous in the tube right?! I tried layering it with a clear plumping gloss but it was still really garish and scary!

      I want to love it boohoo!

  • Laura

    So I just had to tell you this story since both you and I thouht we looked clownish with this and it was such a disappointment.

    So my husband was watching the two year old daughter. Well let’s just say he wasn’t watching enough and she got intoa stash of my lipsticks.

    She’s been all about wearing lipgloss when she sees me put it on, so she (luckily) grabbed this and went to town! Hubby says it was ALL around her face to her cheeks (real clownish!) When I got home her hands were stained and it was all over her clothes. She was a red hot mess, literally,

    She was so proud of herself! Getting pretty like mommy!

    And the hubby felt SO BAD she ruined one of my expensive lipsticks. We went out to the mall and straight to Nordstrom, he said to pick out any lipstick I wanted. I got a brand new MAC lipstick – SCORE!!

    I didn’t tell him how I wouldn’t have cared less about the DuWop Private Red – shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    • the Muse

      laura I love stories. let me get my chips and a blanket so I can sait and listen. LOLLLLLLLL adorable husband and to this day he has NO idea! hahahahaha!

      I gotta say Duwop holds my heart but this was just too clowny on me, not what I wanted at all. 🙁 I’m glad someone had same experience!