Lately, I've been extremely into the coral-y, warmer-toned lipsticks I like to call "nearly reds". Like a tomato that is on its way to ripe but has been picked before its time, this is not quite coral, yet not quite the blue-toned deep red we all know and love. This is a special breed. It's hard to get these right, but man, oh man--when they get it right, they get it so right. And the end result is a gorgeous, summery, coral-red color that is at once chic and summery. Wear it to the office, or the beach--it doesn't care. It works wherever. It is my summer lip color.

Interestingly, my favorite formulation for this color is a creamy matte. I like to give my lips a good scrub on a flakey day with LUSH lip scrub, but ordinary granulated sugar in a teaspoon of food-grade (olive, vegetable) oil will do the trick for pennies.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square, $$

NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick, $5.99

Flower Kiss Stick Velvet Matte Lip Color in Get To The Poinsettia, $6.98

Rimmel x Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in #110, $5.79

Palladio Herbal Lipstick in Coral Punch, $5.99

Hourglass Opaque Rouge lipstick in Muse, $28

Have you ever sported a warm, coral-red lip before?