Today I’d like to review a natural, gluten-free, and cruelty-free Indie mineral makeup line that is most well known in the natural community for their high-quality lipsticks and glosses in a wide range of colors completely free of FD&C dyes. Red Apple Lipstick (RAL) is a relatively new company that I’ve been following for about three or so years now. They’ve grown quite a bit over the years and they’ve expanded their line to include pressed eyeshadows, eyeliner pencils, lip liners, lipglosses, and mascara. They mentioned a while ago that they’re in the process of formulating blushes, which I am so incredibly excited for!
All of RAL products are gluten-free, which is comforting to know, not just for people diagnosed with Celiac disease, but also because many people have a gluten-sensitivity without knowing it. RAL’s lipsticks have a range of slightly differing formulas that have different consistencies, pigmentation, and finish. All of their lipsticks are incredibly moisturizing since they are completely derived from naturally sourced ingredients and contain many beneficial and healing butters, oils, and waxes. Whenever I wear my RAL lipsticks, I never have to apply a lip balm beforehand, even in the dead of winter. I consider their lipsticks to be a lip balm and lipstick in one!
RAL does also carry an amazing clear lip balm called Rallye Balm that is separate from their colored lipstick line. I mentioned this product in greater detail in my Winter Skin Essentials blog post here. You can use their Rallye Balm before applying their lipsticks for an extra layer of intense hydration. I personally use their Rallye Balm at night as a lip treatment before bed.
Another fun aspect of RAL is that they’re always working on their next release of new shades of lipsticks and they typically release a Summer collection and Winter collection with lots of new goodies to look forward to (there may also be a Spring collection, but my memory is failing me on this one!).
Their lipsticks retail for $23.50 each, so I would consider their products on the “high end” of the spectrum. They do offer regular deals where if you sign up for their newsletter you get a monthly 10% off discount code. If you follow certain green YouTubers, you can usually find a code for 22% off. I have a non-affiliate coupon code for 15% off any order over $50 CLARITY15. In addition to these coupon codes, RAL offers deals where if you buy two lipsticks, you get the third one half off and if you buy 4 lipsticks, you get the fifth one free. They also offer a very generous return/exchange policy where you can return any lipstick you’ve purchased within six months or you can opt to exchange a lipstick for a different one if you decide that a color you’ve chosen isn’t right for you. This makes purchasing lipstick online a lot more inviting!
Depending on the particular lipstick formula, certain shades have a berry flavor, vanilla flavor, or no flavor. Any flavors added are naturally derived. My only complaint is that RAL doesn’t list the full ingredients of each individual color when you click on a particular lipstick. For example, if I go to redapplelipstick.com and click on the shade “Secrets”, you’ll find the product description, photos of the color on real people with varying skin tones (which is very, very much appreciated!), and reviews of the product, but you won’t find the ingredients. RAL has a separate tab on their site listed “Ingredients” where you have to look up the color formula and then scroll through to find the corresponding ingredients to the particular formula of the lipstick shade. In the natural community, knowing the ingredients of a product right off the bat is very important to the consumer when considering a product. Especially since there are varying formulas, it would be nice to see the specific ingredients listed within each shade of lipstick.
RAL sent me two lipsticks in the shades Secrets and Oh My Guava, in exchange for an honest review of their products. These are two shades I’ve been really curious to try and they are without a doubt going to be my new go-to shades for the upcoming warmer months!
Packaging:
RAL lipsticks come nicely packaged in a sleek black bullet with ribbed detailing on the bottom to ensure a steady grip when applying your lipstick, which is a nice touch (particularly for clumsy people like myself!). They have their cute Apple logo on top of the lipstick bullet and their brand name, Red Apple Lipstick embossed on the side.
Secrets on left; Oh My Guava on right
Each lipstick contains 4.5grams of product.
Oh My Guava: The PERFECT nude pink that is the first fully “nude” color that I’ve tried that doesn’t wash me out, blank out my lips, or make me look sick. I’m very fair with neutral-yellow undertones in my skin with naturally pale pink lips and every single nude color I’ve tried has looked atrocious on me. Unfortunately, RAL’s “New York” shade is the brown-nude equivalent to Oh My Guava that doesn’t flatter me at all, but looks very pretty on many other people! I thought that “nudes” just weren’t my thing or that I just couldn’t pull them off…. Until now, my friends… Until now. Oh My Guava is literally the “perfect” depth of color, so it’s still adding color to my natural lips, but it’s so subtle, yet opaque in coverage that it still gives that “nude lips” effect. This shade would match anything and everything, would be great for the office, is perfect for any day-time look, and will go amazingly well with bright or smokey eye looks!
RAL, I just want you to know, you’ve enhanced my life from this point forward… And I thank you : )
In all seriousness, Oh My Guava is a matte nude-pink with a dusty rose undertone and opaque coverage. This particular formula is so incredibly moisturizing! It’s glossy, a bit shiny to make your lips look fuller, and is completely odorless.
Ingredients: Helianthus Annus – 100% pure organic cold pressed, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii, Synthetic Beeswax, All Natural Gluten Free – Soy Free – Corn Free Vitamin E Tocopheryl Acetate, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide ,Manganese Violet, Mica, Iron Oxide
Oh My Guava in the tube:
Oh My Guava Lip Swatch:
Oh My Guava is the top swatch:
Secrets: How have I gone this long without you in my life??? I’m the type of girl who LOVES a pretty pink lipstick–not fuschia pink, not “Barbie” pink–the PERFECT MLBB (My Lips But Better) light, baby pink that enhances my natural lip color and adds some subtle magic. If this is something you’re looking for…just stop your search right now and go get yourself RAL’s Secrets lipstick because it is PERFECTION. Secrets is a soft, neutral pink with golden shimmer that’s slightly on the sheer side, but is buildable. Secrets has a soft vanilla scent that isn’t too noticeable once applied. This formula is not quite as glossy in texture as the Oh My Guava formula, but it’s still very moisturizing and non-sticky.
Secrets is the perfect pink shade for Spring and the upcoming warmer months, but it’s also a great staple everyday shade to wear all year long! Soft pinks are great during every season and for any occasion. You just can’t go wrong with a MLBB shade. The gold shimmer sprinkled throughout provides a soft sheen, rather than overt shimmer particles on your lips. I’m not one for big flecks of glitter, so I can assure you, you definitely won’t find that here!
I have a lot of lipsticks, lipgloss, lip balms that I’ve accumulated over the years, therefore I hardly ever finish a whole lipstick up before it goes bad, but I gaurantee I will finish this entire tube in record time!
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate from an all natural non gluten source, Prunis Dulcis (Almond ), Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Essence of Vanilla, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide ,Manganese Violet, Mica, Iron Oxide
Secrets in the tube:
Secrets is the bottom swatch:
Arm Swatches:
Secrets on left; Oh My Guava on right
Oh My Guava top swatch; Secrets bottom swatch
Overall, both shades are creamy, smooth, hydrating/moisturizing, and fairly long lasting. Natural lipsticks don’t typically have the same longevity of conventional lipsticks, due to the fact that they are free of harmful fillers and binders that make conventional lipsticks adhere to your lips (and dry them out in the process). Therefore, natural lipsticks last 3-4 hours if you don’t eat or drink a lot, so they have to be applied more often. In exchange for this possible “downside”, you’ll have very hydrated, happy, and healthy lips! In addition to increasing your overall health/wellness by not putting toxins on your body everyday!
What we put on our lips is so incredibly important because we wind up eating the majority of any lip product we use as we talk, rub our lips together, drink, and eat throughout the day. If you’re putting harmful, carcinogenic chemicals on your lips, not only are you eating those chemicals, but those chemicals are directly entering your bloodstream via absorption of your skin. The skin on your lips is extra thin, as well.
I highly recommend giving RAL a try, especially if you’re just starting to use more natural products. Their lipstick style is more on par with conventional lipsticks, which may make the transition a bit easier for you. Plus, once you use one of their lipsticks, you’ll never go back to conventional lipsticks after you experience the difference first hand!
I will do a separate post on some of my most beloved RAL shades that I’ve purchased over the years.
You can find RAL online: Red Apple Lipstick
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Have a beautiful day! : )
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***The products reviewed in this post were sent to me by Red Apple Lipstick in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
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