Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain 507 — the perfect, stay-put all day red.

There’s something about bold, red lipstick that makes a woman look polished, poised and totally put together. Like the fact that her lips are flawless and drenched in color means she has the time to devote to making herself look glamorous every morning. I am not that woman. I am not a morning person and I don’t have the time (nor do I have the money to have someone come do my hair and makeup at home every morning, despite my pleas to my fabulous friend Kacee Geoffroy of Kacee Geoffroy Makeup Design to do just that). Kacee, you see, is a makeup and hair goddess. A goddess, I tell ya. Recently, she shared some of her favorite affordable red lipsticks on her blog (read this post) including her number one go-to red for every day: Cover Girl Outlast in Ever Red-dy 507.

I think lip stains are definitely the way to go when it comes to pulling off such a dramatic color like red so you can be sure it stays put all day, without needing touch ups and reapplications. This one definitely fits the bill — it didn’t fade or smudge all day or all night and I didn’t have to worry a bit about eating, drinking, and even a bit of kissing, if we’re being honest. The lip stain comes with a clear coat that provides a glossy shine and hydration to lips (without being sticky) that you can apply if you feel like your lips are drying out, which is no different than it would be to apply a balm or extra coats of gloss throughout the day. I haven’t quite figured out the easy way to take it off at the end of the night but scrubbing my lips lightly with a washcloth and makeup remover did the trick well enough.

This is definitely a new staple in my makeup bag and has given me the confidence to wear red on regular occasions to look a lot more put together than I actually am.

Do you have a favorite red lipstick, stain or gloss?