Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick Gets a Special-Edition Makeover

In the lipstick department, I'm as goth as an early aughts Hot Topic shopgirl. The darker the burgundy, the pitcher the black, the better. True reds, like Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick, for this very reason, aren't usually on my radar. That is, until now. Nars is launching a special-edition version of the cult-favorite scarlet shade on Tuesday, November 1st. The Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick will come in all-red packaging and a coordinating tube, all dressed up festively for the holidays. Honestly, it's the most gorgeous tube of lipstick I've ever seen. (And I've encountered a lot of lipsticks in my day.)

Typically, red lipstick makes me cringe. Every time I swipe one on, I feel like an out-of-place extra in a Taylor Swift music video or a bad Marilyn Monroe impersonator. Neither is a good look for an uncoordinated brunette with zero performing/acting skills. But when I saw the Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick in all suited up in red, my interest piqued. Yes, wearing red lipstick was off-brand for me, but experimenting with beauty products and color coordination is so me.

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When I decided to live a little and swipe it on, I was amazed at what looked like on my lips. I should have known to trust a lipstick named Rita. That's my grandma's name, and she's the most honest person I know. And as we mention in our review, the name is also really versatile, and the shade is, too: Ritas can be seductive (Hayworth), saucy (Moreno), or just plain badass (Ora). What I loved most, strangely enough, was the shade's irrepressible brightness that complimented my clumpy lash look just so. There's a chance that the reason I've been so lipstick averse my entire life was—surprise, surprise—I just had never found the right one.

Of course, I also wasn't immune to the confidence-boosting power of a great red lip. When I went to get lunch, I walked a little straighter and with more confidence. I was genuinely surprised at how much I was feeling myself in the poppy shade. When I got back to my desk, instead of relegating the bullet to the castoffs pile, I put it directly in my purse for future use (and Instagram posts). Now, I finally get why Michelle Lee, Allure's editor in chief, calls the Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick a "gateway red." Although it's not my signature color just yet, it will definitely be my go-to red.

The Nars Rita Audacious Lipstick will be available on November 1 for $32 exclusively at Sephora and on sephora.com. Be sure to get it all dressed up in red while you can, because, as a reminder, it's only out for the holiday season.

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