Quest For The Perfect Red Lip: MAC Ruby Woo

.For those of you who know me, and the rest are about to find out, I have forever been on a quest to find the perfect red lipstick. I have used many different brands, many different colors. Some I like, and some I don't. What I've discovered is that I am able to wear pretty much any color, any reds with any undertone, and have it look alright. However, I am looking for certain qualities of a lipstick. What are these qualifiers you ask?
 Must Be Matte.
      I want it to dry to a matte finish (preferred) or I can use translucent powder over it to make it matte. I can't stand the feel of gloss, and I hate how messy non-matte lipsticks are. I get it all over my teeth, straws, food, and my chin, no matter how careful I am.
Easy Application
        I hate waking up unnecessarily early to get ready for work. My every day makeup consists of simple foundation with slight contouring, a somewhat neutral eye with winged liner, and a bold red lip. Minus the red lip, I have this routine down to about 15 minutes, depending how my hands are handling my eyeliner. I want to find a red lipstick that I can apply quickly and have it look like I spent time doing it.
     Seems easy enough right? One would think. If you have seen my YouTube videos, you know I wear red lipstick in just about all of them. Chances are, they are different lipsticks. I buy many different lipsticks all the time, I almost have more lipsticks than eyeshadows (now thats a feat!).

What I want to do is take you on this quest while giving you reviews of different lipsticks I find.

Today I am going to be reviewing MACs Ruby Woo Retro Matte lipstick.

MAC has always been a brand I was scared to try. Why? Because it costs at least sixteen dollars for a lipstick, and depending on the collection and type, could cost more. I also secretly didn't want to give in to MAC, for that I don't really have a legitimate reason. 

But since I have been on this quest for the perfect red lip, Ruby Woo has caught my attention and has been calling my name. I caved in Chistmas Eve. 

                                    

It is a retro matte. This means that it is going to be at matte as it can be. Mattest of the matte. Matte Queen. 

The applications is okay. It's not the easiest, because it is SUPER matte, it's also really chalky upon application. The ONLY thing I don't like about it, is that it dries out my lips and starts just peeling off after a few hours. I do use a NYX lip primer, but one of my friends told me the best way to remedy the peeling is to use the matching lip liner from MAC to fill in your lips before application. I haven't tried that yet, but it has been tolerable. I'm usually home by the time peeling begins. Other than that, it is BEAUTIFUL. It is a true blue toned red, and is very VERY opaque after a few beginning layers are applied. There is zero to little color transfer to food and straws (easy foods like snacks, wouldn't recommend for pastas and soups), and virtually none to other people, making this lipstick 100% kissable. Now I wouldn't recommend making out with the lipstick on, but you get what I'm saying. 

It IS a MAc lipstick, so it also has that delicious vanilla aroma, if that is important to you.

tl;dr

Pros

True blue toned red. Very matte. Smells like vanilla. Kissable. Very little ( simple) food/straw transfer. Very opaque. No feathering. 

Cons. 

Expensive. Chalky. Peels after a few hours. Doesn't survive messy dinners (noodles, burgers, etc). 

Overall, I would give this lipstick an A-.... I know there's perfection out there somewhere. 

I'm sure this lipstick would be an A+ if I tried that lipliner trick though.. 

Do you use this lipstick? Do you have one you want me to try? 

Let me know in the comment section below!