Guerlain Gaela Le Rouge G de Guerlain Lipstick ($45.00 for 0.12 oz.) is the ultimate in lip luxury. This lipstick’s compact was designed by Lorenz Bäumer, a famous jeweler from the Place Vendôme in Paris, which is one reason this lipstick compact comes with a high price tag.
Gaela is a pretty-in-pink shade. It’s a medium pink with a slight sheen but not a whole lot of shimmer. I’d classify it as a neutral-warm pink, and it’s bright enough to add a pop of color to lips, but it’s not so bright that it stands out from miles away. It applies opaquely with one layer, and even from the tube, it goes on fairly evenly.
Le Rouge G de Guerlain Lipsticks are creamy, long-wearing, often opaque to semi-opaque in color pay off, and they feel hydrating once slicked onto lips. The wear-time depends on the intensity of the shades (e.g. darker shades like reds and burgundies will last longer and easily get through a meal with minimal fading, but lighter shades disappear a bit faster), but I get no less than six hours of wear with these babies. I can even get through drinking/eating, too. I do find that there is some noticeable fading after eating a meal, but it’s not a deal-breaker. These just feel very lightweight and yet give you amazing color with a few swipes. They last long enough to get me through the day without worrying about fading lip color, and they leave my lips feeling hydrated.
The packaging is sleek, luxe, and more than most look for in lipstick packaging. It’s a heavy, metal-based compact (the heaviest lipstick I’ve personally owned) with a flip-top mirror on the outside casing, which can be handy for re-application. Now, I’m not willing to fork over extra money for a mirror (hey, I can buy a $2 mirror and keep that in my purse instead!), and even though I love innovative packaging, I’m not sold on paying for it, you know? The packaging does keep fingerprints like other Guerlain packaging, but I will say that fingerprints are a lot less noticeable (hardly noticeable, in fact) compared to their other packaging. It’s most noticeable when I take flash photography of the product (ha!), but not when you’re just looking (admiring?) it. Bottom line: packaging is gorgeous and every bit luxe, but I’d rather pay $35 and skip some of the bells and whistles of the case.
For those who love to splurge on luxury beauty items, Guerlain Le Rouge G de Guerlain didn’t disappoint me. In fact, I really love the lipstick formula itself, and I’d love to see it offered sans the heavy-duty luxe packaging if only so I could feel better about purchasing these!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re feeling like a splurge, Guerlain’s Le Rouge G de Guerlain Lipsticks aren’t a bad place to start. The formula is outstanding, but the price tag is tough to swallow–pretty much the only reason this product isn’t rated an A.
Availability: Nordstrom, Saks 5th Avenue, Sephora
See photos and swatches… Continue reading →
Chanel Rouge Allure: Hysteria, Maniac, Obscure
Chanel Noirs Obscurs Collection features three shades of Rouge Allure Lipsticks: Maniac (deep black red), Hysteria (eggplant black), and Obscure (brown black).
Rouge Allure Lipstick ($30.00)
- Hysteria is a deep, dark cool-toned blackened, red-toned purple. It goes on very opaque and layers well. Applied with a lip brush and/or over a dark lip liner, this color is very intense and completely solid. It has subtle violet-purple shimmer and a glossy finish.
- Maniac is a dark brown-based red–almost reminds me of a deep, dark blood red in a way. Like Hysteria, it applies better with a lip brush rather than straight outta the tube (which is often the course you’d take with such a dark and bold lip color like this anyway). This one has very subtle reddish shimmer that’s almost missed by the eye. It has the same glossy finish as Hysteria.
- Obscure is a dark, terracotta-warmed brown. It also has a glossy finish with just a slight bit of coppery orange shimmer. This one applied the best straight from the tube, but it, too, applies better when you use a lip brush.
I’m a big fan of Chanel lip products. Their eye products are often misses for me, but their lip products rarely disappoint. I’m so pleased to see truly opaque, richly pigmented colors release from this high-end brand. These aren’t imitations of bold, fall lip colors at all–they’re intense and well-pigmented. My advice is to line with a lip liner and potentially fill in all of your lips with it (you can try a flesh-toned, lip-toned, or similar-toned shade) and then apply using a lip brush for precision. Bold lips look best when they’re well-defined, so a lip brush for application is really necessary!
Rouge Allure lipsticks are creamy, silky, and are nearly always pigmented. They wear incredibly well throughout the day (several hours and still hang on a bit after eating/drinking) and fade in such a way that doesn’t leave any funny rings or the like around your mouth. They’re hydrating and just feel good on the lips.
What do you think? Are these colors drawing you in?
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: For luxe, long-lasting and intense bold lips, Chanel’s new, limited edition Rouge Allure shades are a top choice.
Availability: October/November 2009 at Chanel.
See swatches and close-up photos… Continue reading →
MAC Lipsticks: Blood Red, Nude Rose
MAC Cosmetics DSquared Collection: Lipsticks & Fuchsia Fix
MAC DSquared Collection is small launch in-stores today, the 28th. The collection includes two new, limited edition shades of lipstick–Nude Rose and Blood Red–as well as specially packaged, permanent item Fuchsia Fix tinted lip conditioner.
Lipstick
- Nude Rose is a semi-sheer, milky pale pink-beige. It’s kind of like a nude lip color, but it has enough pink tones to it that it warms it up and gives it color.
- Blood Red is a semi-opaque pinky-raspberry shade. It’s not red on me at all; it’s definitely pink and maybe a deep pink at that, but given its name, I was expecting something quite different.
Tinted Lip Conditioner
- Fuchsia Fix is a bright pinky-fuchsia creamy lip color that is really only meant to add a bit of a tint to lips. Fuchsia Fix has always been a favorite, because it does tint my lips a brighter pink shade, but it’s not actually a hot or bright pink on.
These are surprisingly soft lip colors in comparison to the Style Black collection from last week!
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Recommendation: If you like rosy, pinky shades, you should consider these.
Availability: MAC Cosmetics
See swatches and lip swatches… Continue reading →
Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque
Chanel: Dragon Rouge Allure Laque for the Perfect Red Lip
Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque ($32.00) is one of the most stunning shades of red I’ve ever had the pleasure to wear. I’m absolutely in love with the vibrancy, subtle shimmer, and opacity. There are eight lovely shades available — you can see a full list here.
The Rouge Allure Laque formula is satiny, smooth, and very pigmented. (Lighter shades seem to go on more semi-opaque, though.) Dragon is inspiring. It’s just that kind of color to me! It wears well, and it leaves behind a very nice stain even as it fades after eating (I managed five hours of amazing wear before eating).
It’s also very easy to apply straight from the tube, despite being such an intense shade. The applicator is doe-footed, but it’s modified – it’s grooved and fits against the lips really well. The finish is high shine, slightly glossy, and such rich, vibrant color. Even though $32 is pricey (at least, for most) for a lip product, the fact that this is basically a lipstick and gloss in one, has intense color that requires no work to achieve… I think it’s well worth it.
Love, love, LOVE. I’m definitely going to check out the other shades and see which other ones I have to get!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 5/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for a way to indulge, Rouge Allure Laques may be a way to go. Chanel lip products rarely disappoint me, but this one not only met my expectations but INSPIRED me!
Availability: Nordstrom
See product photo and swatch… Continue reading →
Benefit Lipsticks: Fame Game, Label Lover, No Competition, Breakup Rumor
Benefit Full Finish Lipsticks: Review, Photos, Swatches
Benefit Full Finish Lipstick ($18.00 for .10 oz.) are slim lipsticks available in fourteen different shades and two finishes (cream and pearl). Today, let’s look at four shades — Fame Game, Label Lover, No Competition, Breakup Rumor.
- Fame Game is a soft frosty pink with silvery-white shimmer. It’s opaque and has a pearl finish.
- Label Lover is a bronzy, russet rose kind of color with a gold-bronze shimmer and pearl finish. It goes on semi-opaque on lips.
- No Competition is a creamy, opaque muted berry that is dark and bold, but not overly so.
- Breakup Rumor is a shimming rosy plum with gold and rose shimmer and pearl finish. It applies mostly opaque on lips.
Benefit’s Full Finish Lipsticks are mostly opaque to opaque in color, feel creamy, and don’t leave lips dried out while you’re wearing them. They wear well (I get about six hours of wear-time with minimal drinking/light eating), too, which is always a plus. I love the shade range Benefit has, because I feel like they offer a good mix of shades that flatter many skin tones. Their pearl finishes aren’t drying in the least, as some frost-finish lipsticks often can be. I love all four of these shades, though I love the way Breakup Rumor shimmers.
The packaging is slim and compact, and it looks sleek in an all slightly shiny all-black case with Benefit’s logo wrapping around it in white. The value is so-so; it comes in as slightly more expensive (by the ounce) than Urban Decay and MAC, but it’s still less than brands like NARS and Dior.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Recommendation: If you love more opaque lip colors, these lipsticks are a great place to start your search!
Availability: Benefit
See more photos, swatches, and lip swatches… Continue reading →
MAC Midnight Media Mattene
MAC Style Black: Lipstick/Mattene Review, Swatches, Lip Swatches
MAC Style Black is a deep, dark collection with the rich tones of black as inspiration. Included in the launch that’ll hit stores on the 24th are two mattenes, Midnight Media and Night Violet, as well as one lipstick in Black Knight.
Mattenes
- Midnight Media is a near-black, creamy semi-matte lip color that goes on semi-opaque. It’s a red-toned or burgundy-toned black. It appears mostly black on lips, but there’s a bit of a burgundy punch that keeps it from going monotone. I don’t recommend applying this without a lip brush — it is not forgiving! (My lip swatch is evidence of thus.)
- Night Violet is a burgundy-wine shade with a creamy, semi-matte finish and goes on mostly opaque. It doesn’t bleed nearly as much as Midnight Media and is much more forgiving when you apply it directly from the tube.
Lipstick
- Black Knight is a slightly creamy, monotone black with a glossy sheen. It’s a cremesheen finish, which can be drying at times, but this one didn’t feel that way to me. I had a terrible time getting this to apply even remotely evenly. Up close (as in the lip swatch), every flaw is enhanced. I assure you it looked relatively even in the mirror. I’d probably pass on this and just use Bat CCB on my lips (but I gotta double-check the safety on that).
Out of the three, Night Violet is the most wearable, and then Midnight Media is more wearable than Black Knight, because it has that reddish tone to it. I don’t personally love any of the three, but I do like Night Violet enough to own. If you don’t have any black lipstick, Midnight Media isn’t a bad way to go.
- Product: 7/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 7/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Recommendation: If you love yourself dark and vampy lip color… this is for you!
Availability: MAC Cosmetics
See more photos, swatches, and lip swatches… Continue reading →
