Though often lumped into high-end, this is a tier made up of designer brands like Chanel, Dior, and YSL. Most higher-end/designer lipsticks are scented, usually with floral or fruit. Rose seems to be the most prevalent scent found in brands across the board; sometimes it’s subtle (Chanel), while other times it’s heavy (Dolce & Gabbana). I find designer range lipsticks to be non-drying to moisturizing with more opaque formulas overall. Packaging is often nicer, but it’s not always the case and is, inevitably, very personal.
PROS: Creamy, opaque, long-wearing (4 to 6 hours), universally wearable shade range
NEUTRAL: 0.13 oz., no out of the box shades, heavily rose-scented
CONS: Hard to find in stores
MY REC: One characteristic that I think is noteworthy is Burberry Lip Covers are exceptionally well designed with a lot of attention paid to the details, from the gunmetal packaging to the magnetic closure to the etched check pattern on the lipstick itself. The shade range seems very flattering across skin tones with a good variety of pinks, nudes, and reds.
PROS: Semi-opaque to opaque, moisturizing, long-wearing (4 to 6 hours), nice shade range
NEUTRAL: 0.12 oz., slightly rose-scented
CONS: Mostly cream/satin finishes
MY REC: I love how pigmented Rouge Allures are, and I find them comfortable wear; they wear for several hours and never leave my lips feeling dry. Sometimes I wish they’d make more (or some) Rouge Allures with shimmery finishes, too; it is a range dominated by satin/creamy finishes.
PROS: Lightweight, smooth, semi-opaque, many shades available but mostly wearable shades, wears 4 hours on average
NEUTRAL: 0.12 oz., slight rose-vanilla scent, no out of the box shades
CONS: Mostly shimmery/frosty finishes
MY REC: This is probably the least moisturizing lipstick by Chanel, though it’s not at all drying, but it won’t heal up dry or cracked lips by any means. Rouge Coco excels in being a very wearable shade range with a lightweight formula that doesn’t quite feel like your average lipstick.
PROS: Glossy, creamy, opaque, long-wearing (4 to 6 hours), easy to apply
NEUTRAL: 0.20 oz., slightly rose-scented
CONS: Short shade range, limited finishes
MY REC: I almost didn’t include these, as they’re more of a liquid lipstick than the traditional bullet lipsticks that dominate this series. It’s one of my favorite lip formulas of all time, though, because it’s very comfortable to wear.
PROS: Creamy, semi-sheer to semi-opaque, wears for an average of 4 hours
NEUTRAL: 0.12 oz., heavily rose-scented
CONS: Short shade range with mostly pinks/reds
MY REC: The lipstick doesn’t feel drying but not overly moisturizing, and it only wears for an average length of time on me (4 hours), so for a higher-end lipstick, I’m not totally sold on it.
PROS: Creamy, glossy, moisturizing, semi-opaque, several shades available (mostly wearable)
NEUTRAL: 0.07 oz., scented but it’s quite faint (indeterminable)
CONS: Very little for the money, wears off within 1 to 2 hours
MY REC: These are comparable to Cle de Peau’s Extra Silky Lipsticks (which retail for $52); they’re not quite as good (particularly when it comes to wear), but they’re still very similar. It’s a moisturizing formula, but given that you get very little in each (just 0.07 oz., a little over half your average lipstick) and it needs frequent reapplication, it’ll add up quickly.
MY REC: Not as moisturizing as the Shine formula but more pigmented in return. It also wears a little longer on average. The Classic Cream formula has the same heavy rose-scent, though.
PROS: Creamy, glossy, semi-opaque to opaque shade range with wearable and some “fun” colors, moisturizing, wears 4 hours on average
NEUTRAL: 0.13 oz., heavily rose-scented
CONS: May be difficult to find in-stores
MY REC: Other than it being harder to check out in person (and worse yet, Saks doesn’t have a great cosmetic return policy last I checked), I’ve had a lot of success with their Shine Lipsticks. They’re moisturizing and have lots of color pay off. I think the biggest complaint I’ve seen from others who have tried this lipstick is the scent (very strong).
The Lipstick Comparisons series is designed to provide a quick reference summary sheet for some of the many available lipstick formulas. It seems like most brands have at least a couple of formulas, if not half a dozen, and it can be difficult to find the formulas that will work best for your budget, coloring, style, or taste.
This is not necessarily a best of list, and it’s not exhaustive–it is based on actual lipsticks that I’ve tried; they are all, however, decent to excellent lipsticks. (And perhaps, some day, it will be an exhaustive list.) I have summarized my experience based on pros and cons, but also some “neutral” factors that may be pros or cons, depending on your preferences. I will update this series as I try new lipstick formulas.
Dolce & Gabbana Orchid (115) Shine Lipstick ($30.00 for 0.13 oz.) is an paque, deep fuchsia pink with a high glossy shine. It’s bright without being neon, but still a very rich, noticeable color when worn. It doesn’t seem to pull very blue, as many fuchsias do, but it still brightens teeth, giving the illusion of a whiter smile. The consistency is great: creamy without being heavy or overly slippery, while the color is intense in one or one and a half layers of product. I like the rose-scent of Dolce & Gabbana’s lipsticks, but if you’re more sensitive to scent, you might want to sniff before buying.
MAC’s Rebel Lipstick was the closest shade I could find to this particular color, but it pulls a lot redder and a couple of hues darker, while Orchidis distinctly pink (compare the full face photos–the difference is so dramatic!).
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Product: 29/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: Rich color, moisturizing, and flattering on cool and warm skin tones — if you’re in the mood for a deep fuchsia, it’s a good choice!
Dolce & Gabbana Divine Eyeshadow Quad ($59.00 for 0.16 oz.) looks like a beautiful, elegant mix of feminine colors that seem neutral–not too cool, not too warm. I’ve always liked Dolce & Gabbana’s eyeshadows in the past (like Dazzling, Gold, Laguna), and I really haven’t had trouble with application of them.
In addition to having trouble with this palette, I also found similar issues with Ocean eyeshadow duo (also from fall, to be reviewed separately). I thought perhaps it was due to my usage of NARS’ Smudgeproof as a base, so I tried Urban Decay’s Primer Potion, and I experienced the exact same issues: sheer, faded colors that looked lovely at first but seemed to fade away as quickly as I applied them; slight muddying of color when blended. It’s like there was nothing to bind the shadow to my lid, despite the eyeshadow base.
The best solution I was able to come up with was to use a shimmery, white gold cream shadow base (Shiseido Lemon Sugar). Cream bases can sometimes be more adhesive, which can help softer or more difficult shadows stay on better, and shimmery bases always seem to emphasize colors in my experience. It’s better–decent to just below good–but it’s not fabulous.
Divine consists of a barely-there beige with a subtle cool tone; medium mauve-tinged beige; frosted cotton candy pink; and darkened blue-toned purple with a semi-matte finish. After using the quad in three look attempts, the lightest shade was my favorite, because it worked really well as a highlighter on my skin tone. Though the pink shade swatches the best, it is the worst performer of the bunch, because despite its brightness in the swatch, it looks faded and flat on the lid. The other three shades are more on the matte/satin side, so they already have a softer look and don’t fall flat when used.
I’m also mildly amused that the Eyeshadow Duos contain 0.17 oz. of product for $36, while the quads hold 0.16 oz. and go for $59. This quad was a total miss for me, and I really wanted to love it. It’s stunning when you first open the compact, but it’s such a let-down in practice. Nothing will get a product onto my skip list faster than requiring me to give it three tries just to yield decent results. As they say, three strikes and you’re out!
I mentioned it previously, but the nude shades worked just fine; they’re soft, smooth, and apply the same. I don’t think they’re going to work well on anyone that’s medium-dark to dark in skin tone–they’re just going to be way too light and look chalky rather than subtle. These shades would work well on light to medium skin tones for a contoured nude eye. So in a sense, half the palette is… palatable (ha, ha). I already spoke on the pink shade, and the purplish shade is so-so; it applies smoothly, but it seems to go sheer and fade pretty quickly.
Edited 10/01: Despite calling the Saks’ Dolce & Gabbana counter and being told not to use these eyeshadows wet or else I would ruin them, I did use them wet–it did solve a lot of smoothness/evenness of the eyeshadows on the lid, though the colors were still a bit faded and flat. I changed the product grade from 20 to 23 as a result, which raised the overall grade from a C- to a C+. A new issue, as a result of using them wet, was a bit of difficulty in blending out the darker shade.
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Product: 23/30
Value: 7/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I’d rather get two lipsticks for the price of one eyeshadow quad. (I have reviewed many of Dolce & Gabbana’s lipsticks with happy results!)
Test-driving Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall Collection: Attempt #1
Don’t let that preview image fool you, this look did not make it past my front door. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Well, why bother showing us?” Because inevitably, I’ll be reviewing the products I used in this look, and it’s proof positive of my experience. Loved the lips, but the eyeshadows just weren’t working. They didn’t seem sheer, and they felt soft and smooth, but I couldn’t get them to stick for the life of me. I packed on three or four layers in a futile attempt to get the colors to look true-to-the-pan. A tackier base (like a creamy eyeshadow) helps, but you’ll need to get creative to get these to work.
I will also admit fully to giving up at a certain point and not even bothering to fully blend it out–everything just kept blending away into a faded, slightly muddied mess. But you know what’s funny? In reality, few people would really notice anything was amiss, especially since your eyes remain open for longer intervals than closed.
This my process when I review products, even product types I may have tried before, even from brands I enjoy. I may not always share the process (I often wear a mash up of all sorts of products in disarray, so it’s not exactly pretty, LOL!), but I had originally aimed to create and share a look around the collection in addition to testing wear and application. It didn’t work out as a look, but perhaps sharing the process will also help (and help you understand my review, which will follow shortly).
What I used…
Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), Dolce & Gabbana Divine Eyeshadow Quad (soft nude, medium beige, medium pink, dark purple), Dolce & Gabbana #11 Eyeliner (silvery gray), Bare Escentuals Buxom Mascara
Face: MAC Pro Longwear Foundation (NC30), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply the pink on the inner half of the lid and pull upwards along the inner crease. Lightly blend the medium beige eyeshadow on the outer half of the lid with the 239. Next, apply the dark purple eyeshadow into the crease with the 226, lightly blending onto the outer lid. Blend the nude eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying #11 eyeliner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Buxom mascara.
For cheeks, apply #15 Natural blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.
For lips, apply Orchid lipstick first, and then layer Vibrant lipgloss for a complementing lip.
All About Nudes in Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian Lace Collection
Dolce & Gabbana Perfection (220) Intense Nail Lacquer ($20.00 for 0.37 fl. oz.) is a nearly neutral caramel nude with a cream finish. It’s new for fall and part of the brand’s Sicilian Lace Collection, which certainly is all about barely there and nude shades. This is a very subtle color, and it’s not a trend or shade for everyone. I found two coats was plenty to get an opaque look, as the formula was very pigmented and on the thicker side.
I found the applicator a bit bothersome, as the brush itself is larger and thicker than average; it allows quite a bit of the lacquer to absorb into the brush, so it’s easy to overdo it if you’re not especially careful. If you have very narrow nail beds, you may also find the brush too wide to use with ease. The lacquer wore just fine with Zoya’s Color Lock System with tip wear but no chips after a week.
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Product: 26/30
Value: 7/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: At $20 a pop, this might not be the shade to splurge on if you’re not quite sure how you feel about the nude on nude trend.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana present their visionary colour cosmetic collection with signature elan. An unconventional palette inspired by colour straight from the runway is re-interpreted with an intrepid eye, and acute aesthetic. The iconic design duo pay homage to a monumental past… celebrate a glorious present… and prepare for a prescient future.
Introducing the Evocative Beauty Collection for Fall 2010: a collection that renders the essence of Dolce & Gabbana with bold attitude, passion and precision. Contrast reigns supreme: the look is seriously seductive, inspired by the rogue spirit of today’s Sicily and saluting the sartorial spirit of its proud past. Dolce & Gabbana refine and redefine their signature sensibility: daring duality, dynamic contrast and sly sensuality. Created for the Dolce & Gabbana woman, a woman who challenges conventions, relishes fantasy, expects luxury… and radiates a profound femininity.
Lipstick ($30.00)
Cosmopolitan (237) (Cream) (New)
Amethyst (165) (Cream) (New)
Lust (167) (Cream) (New)
Orchid (115) (Shine) (New)
Lipgloss ($29.00)
Amethyst (155) (New)
Vibrant (143) (New)
Smooth Eye Colour Quad ($59.00)
Divine (147) (New)
Smooth Eye Colour Duo ($36.00)
Evocative (95) (New)
Ocean (180) (New)
Crayon Intense (Eyeliner) ($29.00)
Chocolate (10) (New)
Onyx (11) (New)
Luminous Cheek Colour ($44.00)
Tan
Intense Nail Lacquer ($20.00)
Cosmopolitan (108) (New)
Dahlia
Availability: mid-August 2010 at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations.
