revlon strawberry suede matte lipstick

Lately I have been on a bold lipstick kick. More specifically, poppy reds since I still haven't been able to imagine myself pulling off bright magenta or fuchsia any time soon. I'm diving into one realm at a time here! To help myself diffuse out into other color families, I decided to pick up reds with hints of colors I'm too afraid to try full out. For instance, rich pinks are not something I am comfortable with yet. I see colors like NARS Schiap and think they are beautiful, but not something I would ever wear. So I decided a strawberry red would be just what I needed to help me get over my pink fear.

REVLON STRAWBERRY SUEDE MATTE LIPSTICK

I first heard about Revlon Strawberry Suede from Essie back in the day. I remember her saying it was one of her favorite lipsticks and it looked so striking against her porcelain skin. I next saw Viola over at Killer Colours post a picture of her wearing it and that further piqued my interest. I also heard about the shade from Lisa Eldridge (aka makeup God). She mentioned it was a favorite of hers and sadly announced Revlon had discontinued it. The raving reviews and the rarity officially made it desirable number one to me. I was not willing to pay eBay prices ($20 and up) so one day I randomly searched on Amazon for the shade with no expectations and it surprisingly came up, for only around $6.

So what do I think of the shade? Beautiful no doubt. However I must say I am still more of a fan of orange-reds. It still is a very pleasing shade and I can see why lipstick lovers would go crazy over it. I am quite a big fan of the Revlon matte lipstick line, they are very comfortable with decent longevity and very rich pigmentation. It also is nice that it is so affordable and readily available. It is a shame that this shade is discontinued. Lisa mentioned the shade Pink Pout replaced this one and I think that was a mistake on Revlon's part. Pink Pout wouldn't suit nearly as many people as this shade would since it is very cool toned.

SWATCHES

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MAC Vegas Volt, Revlon Strawberry Suede, NARS Heat Wave, Revlon Really Red

I have seen some bloggers try to find a dupe for this shade. It has proven to be very difficult. From what I have read and seen of comparisons, I don't think there is any good dupe for it. It is unsurprisingly unique in my line-up since I don't own too many bold lipstick shades. Perhaps if MAC Vegas Volt and NARS Heat Wave had a hybrid baby, it might come close.

I would share the seller I bought it from but they no longer have the shade on sale any more. If you are desperate, you could turn to eBay but I would suggest to do a quick search on Amazon first to see if anything comes up. If you are a lipstick lover, you will definitely enjoy the shade!