Giorgio Armani #600 Rouge d’Armani Lipstick
Venturing Into Plums: Giorgio Armani #600
Giorgio Armani #600 Rouge d’Armani Lipstick ($30.00) is a fuchsia-plum shade in Giorgio Armani’s new long-wearing lipstick formula. The formula is supposed to deliver up to eight hours of wear-time without fading or feathering while feeling moisturizing.
Previously, I reviewed #401, which is more of an orange-based red (more orange than red, I’d say, though) — and the shade didn’t suit me personally, so it was onto the next… #600 is certainly a shade much more up my alley! It’s a bright plummy shade (which is why I’d describe it as a fuchsia-plum) that’s not so bright it’s hard to wear, but bright enough that it can be worn alone or as the star feature of a look.
On my lips, it certainly hugs and adheres to them – looks like it’s natural and yet obviously not (since it’s clearly a brightened up pucker!). It has a very glossy sheen and full color coverage. I initially thought it might be a little sheer, since the swatch wasn’t quite as opaque as it was with #401, but it proved me wrong once I applied it to my lips.
It’s definitely hydrating and wears well — I don’t know about a full eight hours, but I get around five or six, which is good enough for me. It’ll hold on decently through some drinking and a bit of eating, but I didn’t get stellar results through a full meal myself.
I found myself liking this shade much more than #401, and I was happy to see that it wears very similar to #401 as well (reds tend to wear the longest and best, because they’re so deep and richly pigmented!). I’m also still digging the packaging – there’s a magnetic clasp that keeps it locked into place.
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: Looking for a plum with a lil’ kick? #600 might be it!
Availability: Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue
Dolce & Gabbana Gold Lipstick
Holiday Dazzle: Dolce & Gabbana Gold Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Gold Shine Lipstick ($30.00) is a shimmery, shiny dose of bronzy-copper with flecks of coppery gold. This is not really a shade that works best alone but as a layering tool. This is a great lipstick to layer to achieve a warmer, brighter, or more shimmery lip color. It works particularly well under semi-sheer to sheer red-based lipglosses! It is semi-opaque, actually, because it does significantly cover lips, but since it’s more shimmer than lip color, it can look patchy on its own if you’re not careful. Even though it’s a shade I’d wear with other products, it can still be worn alone since it has decent coverage. Dolce & Gabbana lipsticks are very creamy, smooth, and always last a good four to five hours on my lips.
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- Product: 27/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: Add some dazzle to your lips with this shimmery lipstick from Dolce & Gabbana!
Availability: Saks Fifth Avenue
Lancome Retro Rouge Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: Lancome Retro Rouge Lipstick
Lancome Retro Rouge Color Design Lipstick
($22.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a creamy, opaque shade that gives you full coverage in just one swipe. It’s a bold, bright cheery red with just a touch of pink. It has a lovely glossy sheen with a smidgen of shimmer sprinkled throughout. It really gave my lips a juicy look–that’s the best description I could think of–and it felt incredibly weightless. I found it wore well and got about four to five hours of wear without much fuss, too. I think what surprised me about this particular formula and lipstick was just how rich in color and high the pigmentation was–I just wasn’t expecting it to be so true-to-word.
What about you? Would you wear this red?
The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!
Illamasqua Avenge Lipstick
Brighten Up the Winter: Illamasqua Avenge Lipstick
Illamasqua Avenge Lipstick (£14.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new shade from their winter collection Dystopia. It’s a hot fuchsia pink with cool undertones and a matte finish. It has just a touch of sheen, but it really is quite matte. Illamasqua’s matte lipsticks are some of the least drying matte lipsticks around, but they may be more drying than some are used to (if you haven’t tried out mattes before — most of them can be a smidgen drying). Avenge is easy to apply, goes on creamy and doesn’t stick in places, so it gives lips even, opaque coverage without much fuss.
The only downside? It’s only available in the UK or through the website (which will ship outside of the UK!), but it is still a bit of a bummer.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 27/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: Love yourself some hot pink? Might like Avenge…
Availability: Illamasqua
See more swatches and photos… Continue reading →
Guerlain Gracia Rouge G Lipstick
Guerlain Gracia Rouge G de Guerlain Lipstick
($45.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a glossy, opaque shade of plum-berry with soft gold shimmer. It applies evenly and goes on creamy without being thick.
Rouge G is a really fantastic formula (though I would love it if they lasted a solid eight hours with such a hefty price tag, but I’ll take the four to six I get), because it’s rich in color and pigmentation, feels like a dream on lips with a lightweight texture, and the shimmer is subtle but still noticeable.
Gracia is a lovely shade for both the fall and winter season, but it’s very wearable year-round, too – just because it’s dark enough to work in the cooler temperatures, yet not so dark it’s vampy.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: When you find that signature shade of Rouge G, you might just find yourself saying $45 was worth it!
Availability: Nordstrom
, Sephora
Smashbox Legendary Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: Smashbox Legendary Lipstick
Smashbox Legendary Lipstick
($22.00 for 0.12 oz.) is an ultra glossy blue-based red lipstick. It glides on effortlessly and gives nearly opaque color is just two layers. It has a very glossy look to it, but there is no shimmer to it. It’s one of Smashbox’s Photo Finish Lipsticks, which means they “infused” their Photo Finish Foundation Primer into it. All in all, it’s supposed to make it feel silkier, smoother, and increase wear-time. I found it definitely felt very smooth and soft on my lips, and it certainly wore well throughout the afternoon I tested it (about five hours). It’s not the longest-lasting lipstick I’ve worn, but it’s very comfortable, which is a huge plus.
Edit: Fixed the photos!
What about you? Would you wear this red?
The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!
