Article & Review: MUD Lipstick in Ravishing Red vs MAC Ruby Woo

Today I’ve got another face off for you. Just like I put Wet N Wild’s Sugar Plum Fairy up against MAC’s Rebel, today I’m setting the standard high by testing MUD lipstick in Ravishing Red against the cult classic Ruby Woo. The MUD lipstick was kindly sent to me by the lovely people at the Heat Group.

Although the MUD colour isn’t supposed to be a super close dupe of the MAC colour, I thought it would be good to compare the MUD colour to Ruby Woo to paint a good picture of how it stands up next to higher-end lipsticks in terms of pigment, application and quality.

In the tube, the colours look similar enough. The MAC product looks much sleeker and I’m not a huge fan of the MUD packaging, but it’s a lower-priced product so I suppose that is to be expected! The MUD range has recently been launched in Countdown stores across New Zealand.

Upon first swipe, I was pretty impressed with the MUD lipstick. It is definitely a much more gentle satin finish than the Ruby Woo, which is a super-matte, super-drying red so you have to moisturise a lot when you put it on.

While I think you’d have to reapply the MUD colour every couple of hours, the initial struggle to get it on isn’t there, so it’s not a huge drawback by any means. If your lips are sensitive or if you prefer a colour you can swipe on and walk out the door with, the MUD colour is definitely for you!

In terms of  pigment, the Ruby Woo reigns supreme. With matte lipsticks, pigment usually comes with the territory so the MUD lipstick (a satin) had a lot to live up to. Although the MUD lipstick isn’t as pigmented, for it is much easier to apply, and would be a great everyday lipstick that even a first-time-red-candidate would find easy to wear.

Overall, the MAC lipstick is a better quality, which was to be expected, but if you are looking for a lower-cost, easy to apply, not too intense, classic red lipstick that wears a few hours or so, the MUD lipstick is the one for you. All in all, I was very happy with the MUD red and will be wearing it tomorrow to work!

Have you tried the MUD lipsticks? What do you think of the MUD colour? Do you have a go-to red? Let me know in the comments!