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Makeup trends come and go, but there are some beauty products that are still going strong, decades after making their debut. Red lipstick is one of those things that never goes out of style, and there are a few specific shades of red that stand the test of time. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in shade 740 “Certainly Red” has been around since at least 1955 and is still made today. I bought a tube to try, not knowing about its history, and quickly learned why the vintage lipstick shade is worth keeping around. Read on for my full review.
I didn’t plan to buy this classic lipstick shade. It was actually an emergency buy. My husband and I were on a road trip and on our way to our hotel, hours from home, with plans to meet friends for drinks that night. We were running behind so I decided to do my makeup in the car when—gasp!—I realized that I did not pack a single lipstick. Not one. Not so much as a tinted lip balm. Since I didn’t see any drugstores near our hotel on the map, and it was getting late, we made a quick stop at a Walgreens during the drive so I could run in and buy a lip color.
I headed straight to the Revlon section, because if I’m going to get a new lipstick all willy-nilly, I’m sticking with my trusty Super Lustrous formula. I have several shades from the line and love the creamy formula and saturated colors. I grabbed a shade I thought sounded like a classic red that I could wear with any outfit that weekend: Revlon shade 740 “Certainly Red.”
Once we were in our room, I did a quick change and touched up my makeup. To my delight, this lipstick applied smoothly and I was thoroughly pleased with the bright, flattering shade of red. It felt creamy and comfortable on my lips and had major shine. In other words, exactly what every glamour girl wants in a lipstick.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Certainly Red review
I’ve tried to find out the exact year that Revlon “Certainly Red” lipstick was released and have come across a handful of sources claiming different years. A Tumblr post I found featuring a Revlon infographic says this shade was released in 1946, while Cosmetics and Skin states it was released in 1951. The oldest advertisement for this shade that I could find is dated 1955. The ad reads, “Certainly Red is the one true red you’ve spent a lifetime looking for!”
Related: Best Red Lipsticks for Fair Skin
Today, Revlon’s website describes this shade as a “creamy strawberry red.” Compared to “Cherries in the Snow,” a fuchsia-red shade that also came out in the 1950s, “Certainly Red” isn’t quite as pink.
On me, “Certainly Red” looks like a bright, cool-toned red with just the slightest hint of pink. It’s a beautiful shade of red that I think would be pretty for day or night. I can definitely picture elegant women in the 1950s wearing this shade. Additionally, if you’re looking for one red lipstick to wear with hairstyles and makeup looks from multiple decades, this is a great option.
This shade has the same creamy texture and shine of other Super Lustrous shades that I know and love, maybe even more so. I did find that this color has a tendency to bleed because of how creamy the formula is. I recommend filling in lips with a lip liner before applying this shade to prevent the color from moving around too much. Overall, it applies super smoothly without skipping as matte lipsticks tend to do. Like my other Super Lustrous shades, I found this color to wear off evenly, not patchy.
For a vintage-loving gal like me, this shade was worth adding to my lipstick collection. Even one of my favorite television shows set in the 1950s agrees. In July 2019, Revlon collaborated with hit Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to release The Marvelous Super Lustrous Collection. The collection included two curated sets, one set with red lipsticks and one with nude-pinks. The “Take the Stage Reds” collection included three classic shades of Revlon lipstick: shade 720 “Fire & Ice,” shade 440 “Cherries in the Snow” and shade 740 “Certainly Red.”
If you like a classic red lipstick shade with a lot of shine, give this one a try: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in “Certainly Red,” $6.49 at Target
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