Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge ($26.00 for 0.13 oz.) is described as a “bright red coral.” In the pot, it looks like a really bright, intense red-coral, but applied, it’s much more muted–it’s a softened, medium orange-coral with warm undertones and a satiny sheen. theBalm Crisp is more shimmery. Clinique Ginger Pop (01) (P, $21.00) is a powder. Chanel Intonation (69) (LE, $38.00) is pinker. Kevyn Aucoin Fira (P) is darker, brighter, powder. Illamasqua Sleek (P, $26.00) is more muted. Chanel Presage (62) (LE, $38.00) is more orange. Tom Ford Beauty Flush (P, $55.00) is brighter, powder. NARS Boys Don’t Cry (LE, $41.00) is darker, powder. MAC Out for Fun (LE, $20.00) is slightly more orange. Guerlain Peach Boy #1 (P) is a powder. See comparison swatches.

The Pot Rouge formula is supposed to be a “multi-tasking cream color” for lips and cheeks. Bobbi Brown says to “blend it on the apples of your cheeks for a just-pinched look.” The color is buildable, but it never looks as intense applied as it does in the pot, even though it seems opaque when layered on the skin. The finish has just enough sheen to give the skin a natural, lightly dewy finish that doesn’t look oily or shimmery, and it didn’t emphasize pores. It wore well for seven hours applied to cheeks, and I had no trouble wearing it on bare skin or patted over (liquid) foundation. As a lip color, it was somewhat drying over time, though it lasted for four hours and left a very subtle stain behind, but it did have fully opaque color coverage–again, it did not look anywhere near the intensity or richness of the color in the pot. As tends to be the case, this product performed better as a cream blush than a lip color, so you’ll want to consider how you might use this and round-up or down the overall rating, as the rating reflects how the product performs in both ways.

P.S. — Today is the last day of Bobbi Brown’s Friends & Family sale!

See more photos & swatches!

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge

Bobbi Brown Hibiscus Pot Rouge