I recently got sucked into a rerun of “A Perfect Murder,” with Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortenson (who is hott, let’s just say it and get it out of the way). My favorite part of the movie (other than Hott Viggo) is Gwyneth’s whole look — her costumes and hair and that perfect red lip. I love that her character is not particularly made up but she her lipstick is impeccable, always (well, ok not so much after she has her breakdown, but she’s just killed a total stranger WITH A MEAT THERMOMETER, so it’s understandable). So lovely.

I’ve always wanted to be able to do a great red lip, but that perfect shade of red has been hard to find. Largely, I think, because I was looking in the wrong place. Recently, I went looking in my makeup bag and hey, guess what I found!

Red lipstick. In the perfect shade. Go me.

I don’t wear a lot of makeup and I’m not a big lipstick fan (too matte/drying/old lady for me). For day, I need a red gloss that won’t overwhelm my otherwise bare face. I’ve been hooked on Clinique’s Long Last Glosswear for a long time; I love that it has SPF and that is stays on (and on and on) because I’m one of those girls who needs something on her lips all the time. I have issues, you all.

Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Juicy Apple

Clinique’s Long Last Glosswear comes in a really lovely red shade called Juicy Apple; it’s a pinkish red with a cool blue undertone which is perfect for my skin tone. It’s easy to wear and easy to apply on the go (because who carries a mirror?) and doesn’t make me feel like I should really put some mascara on already, which is good because while I love the idea of a red lip, I do not want to have to commit to a face full of makeup to go with it. The perfect red lip for day: done!

For after five, though, I want something a little more dramatic, which is where I was getting stuck. Even at night, I still keep my makeup understated — black mascara, gray or black liner, blush — so I need a lip option that brings the drama without being too much. And of course, I kind of hate lipstick because it can be drying and weird and uncomfortable. Issues! I warned you.

JK Jemma Kidd lipstick in Siren + lip gloss in Dress to Impress

In my ongoing quest for the perfect red lip, I’ve been picking up various glosses and lipsticks; in my makeup bag, I found a lipstick and a lip gloss that I bought at Target from the JK Jemma Kidd line. The lipstick is a dramatic blue-red (Siren) that can be layered on for more or less color; the gloss (Dress to Impress) is also a deep blue-red and is more heavily pigmented than the Clinique gloss. The lipstick plus the gloss gives me the perfect red lip without leaving me feeling  like an old lady with dry lips (because that’s my lipstick experience — ugh). I’ve also been dabbing the lipstick on with my finger for day and layering the Clinique gloss over it, for a slightly more bold (but still pretty subtle) daytime red lip.

JK Jemma Kidd lipstick + Clinique gloss

Both the JK Jemma Kidd lipstick and gloss are still on the shelf at my Target, but neither is on the web site (sorry!). Next up: planning a date night to road test my nighttime red lip. Yay!

Do you have a go-to lip color? And are you a red-lip-for-day kind of girl, or only for night?

You can see my full Life List here.