Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo & Ametista Classic Cream Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick ($36.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as an “ice-cold, luminous green.” It’s a cool-toned, emerald green with fine emerald green shimmer. Illamasqua Violate (P, $24.00) is cooler-toned. See comparison swatches.
The color payoff was sheer; no matter how many layers I attempted to apply, whether I used a lip brush or not, it was always sheer, streaky, and all in all, horrible. If Dolce & Gabbana are going to take the time to put out a green-hued lipstick and then charge $36 for it, the least they could do was pack it with pigment, least of all by making it apply smoothly (I would settle for mostly even at this point). The shimmer and color tended to bunch up, too, so it was streaky, crumbly, and patchy. The only nice thing I can say about this shade was that it was hydrating for the three hours it lasted for–it did stain my lips a sort of green-ish-gray. This is a product that made me see red as soon as I applied it, and I was just in total disbelief as to why they would let this go into production. The formula is rose-scented with a slight floral taste at times.
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick ($36.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as an “bright purple.” Less bright purple, more fuchsia-tinted lavender with iridescent purple shimmer. NYX Castle (P, $4.00) is more lavender, less shimmery. NARS Tender Night (LE, $25.00) is similar but sheerer. MAC Pink Popcorn (LE, $15.00) is pinker. See comparison swatches.
Though both of these lipsticks are part of the Classic Cream range, and these specific shades are touted as “bold, rich color inspired by the stones they are named after” and neither of these fit the bill. Ametista is semi-sheer, and as it is closer to the natural lip color, the sheerness doesn’t look as patchy or streaky, but it’s not a lipstick that deposits color very evenly. It wears two and a half hours on me, though it was moisturizing while I wore it.
Smeraldo
LELimited Edition. $33.00.
Ametista
LELimited Edition. $33.00.
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Smeraldo Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Ametista Classic Cream Lipstick
waste of money….-_- according to me
I’m glad you reviewed these! I was so excited to get “Smeraldo” in the mail and was highly disappointed when the pay off came out awful! you’d think D&G would step their game up.. not sure who thought it was a good idea to approve these shades haha.. #fail
Good to know I’m not the only one who was frustrated with it!
I like Ametista and would definitely wear it.
I was so curious seeing Smeraldo on the lips when I saw your post on facebook… such a disappointment. Too bad it’s not pigmented, could have been so unique & stunning.
I think Ametista is pretty, it’s just not at all as described!
Yikes! not good at all! I actually had these in my cart during the sephora sale, but I took them out because I wanted to see your review first. I’m glad I waited! I did get the red shade, and it’s really pretty. It’s a wearable off-red shade, and much more pigmented than these two, although I wouldn’t call it full pigment. It’s moisturizing, and the scent smells like my grandma’s lipstick ( which is a great scent memory for me! I associate it with my glamorous grandma!) but it won’t be for everyone.
The red shade is definitely better than these two!
I was so exited by Smeraldo until I saw the swatch and how it looks worn. I honestly think the paucity of -good quality- lipsticks in colours like this is a big part of the reason that ‘weird’ colours aren’t in the mainstream as much as I would have thought, by now, they would be. Some people might want to wear a green lipstick (and look good while doing so), but no one wants to wear something patchy and gross looking (or drying, feathery etc.).
I also think it’s pretty lousy of the brand to release something at this price point that obviously doesn’t work well.
I really admire you Christine because you can smile genuinely while testing duds like these.
Going to trawl the net now and see if I can find an emerald green lipstick that’s actually green rather than grey.
I was seething on the inside, I promise! 🙂
I think it’s going to be hard for this color to look with a sheer application (because it’s going to be uneven to a degree – have the same issue with say a super deep berry or purple!), which is why I’m surprised they don’t go all the way and do something opaque. Sheer can always be an option – just less product!
http://blog.devannah.com/swatch-party-portland-black-lipstick-company/ oh! here’s better swatches!
Another disappointment! And an expensive one. It seems high end brands can’t get black and green lipsticks right. So far, the only one seems to be illamasqua.
I was so sad about it! I haven’t tested anything from Dolce & Gabbana in a long time, and then these arrived, which was like, “ooh, green? I’m so there!” Boo!!
Christine, I would LOVE to read your reviews on some of portland black’s other lipstick colors. I have the black and I love it, but I can’t commit to buying any of the other ones (haha, I’m fickle like that).
Thanks for the suggestion!
The other colours are as amazing as the black!! Really, it’s now my favorite lipstick brand by far, I’m in love. Plus, their samples are only $1, so you can try them all 😀
I’d also recommend Kryolan for amazing black lipstick. Not sure if they have a green one, but I know they also have awesome blue and purple shades which I love!
morgana cryptoria has a nice selection of green lipsticks, including one i love called Absinthe
Wow. Smeraldo’s just terrible!
Neither one of these really do it for me.
I don’t see them as holding value as a layering lipstick either.
Smeraldo Classic Cream… No. The other one. Really nice.
oh my goodness these are terrible! definitely not worth the price tag. what a waste 🙁
Smeraldo looked so exciting in the tube, like a high end brand was going to release an edgier colour and something unique that other high end brands weren’t, but in the swatches (no offence intended) it made you lips look almost mouldy! I see what is meant by the glitter balling up in places too, very disappointed with D&G.
Don’t know why a high-end brand like Dolce & Gabbana was going to bother if they weren’t going to try 🙁
Because they know people will buy the product from their name alone.
oh boy! this is taking crazy to a whole different level :p Cant see myself rocking these at all!
Ametista surprisingly looks so pretty on the lips!
Well, at least the packaging looks pretty, with the “gemstone” on the tube. Christine, I’ve never really understood the purpose behind green lipstick or black lipstick or blue….I guess if I were a makeup artist or a performer but, really, I tend to buy a lipstick because I like the colour of it “as is”. I don’t even put lip gloss on top – if I want a moist, glossy look, I make sure my lipstick has that. My sis in law wore gold lipstick to my daughter’s wedding (I think whoever sold it to her told her she’d look like a “golden girl” or something). She is my age – just turned 60 – and to be honest, at first, I thought she was ILL. Perhaps at 25 or perhaps layered over another lipstick, this might have looked nice on her but she looked like she had jaundice. Looking at the green lipstick on you – wow, that finish is just dreadful – I can’t imagine wearing it even if it applied smoothly and evenly rather than like pond scum.
Some just want to wear green lips! Their green lip color is your pink or red or what-have-you 🙂 It’s not a color I would wear every day, but on occasion, it’s fun, creative, and just a nice way to do something different.
I hear you, Mariella!
I’ll admit, I do own one metallic gold lipstick and one metallic silver one, both from Ben Nye (a theatrical makeup company, mind you) and they’re wonderful for dabbing lightly over deep, dark colors like MAC “Media” or “Night Violet” to soften those colors’ intensity and add a bit of shimmer and a flattering “3-D” effect. However, I wouldn’t dream of wearing either of them alone, even as much as I love silver.
But for those who like to have green lips, Lime Crime might have a green lipstick – they have a good selection of non-mainstream colors, and I’d just about bet that Manic Panic offers one.
This looks NOTHING like it does in the advertisements!! I wonder if you got a bad sample? Either way it goes you saved me $36 and a trip to Nordstrom!! For the green I will stick with Limecrime Serpentina.
Thanks!! 😉
No prob!
How disappointing! 🙁 The description for these sounded amazing. I would have expected better from Dolce & Gabbana, especially for the price.
Me too, Michelle!
I’m pretty sure I can make a green crayon lipstick with more pigment then that. I would love to have a green lipstick, but this will not be it.
Oh wow, that’s terrible (Smeraldo). Even $1 lipsticks pack more pigmentation than that!
I’m a little surprised that a designer, mainstream make-up company would delve into a colour like Smeraldo when other companies (ie: OCC and MUFE) are known for these kinds of colours (and they do it far better).
I can only assume that D&G assumes that whomever purchases Smeraldo would use it as a topper (to tone down or darken an original lipcolour?) because of the poor rating it received on its own.
You are such a trooper, Christine!
It has a consistency that makes me feel like it’s not great for layering – almost like it’s too sheer and has too much slip – but I only tried layering it over a red (unsuccessfully!). I agree, though, that why do something that’s out of the box for your brand (but in another brand’s wheelhouse) and not do it well?
OH MY GOD I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw how awful the green lipstick looked in action. $36 for that atrocity? That’s so bad it’s borders on thievery.
If I had tried it on Halloween, I would have felt quite tricked.
It always breaks my heart when companies make really interesting, extreme looking colors, then make them so sheer and devoid of pigment that they lose all their impact.
If I want a green lipstick, I darn well want it to go on my lips true green, even, and opaque, then have the option of sheering it out myself. Then again, I want that with any color.
I’m with ya, Bella – you can always sheer it out! At least make it buildable and start from medium coverage!
Emerald green look so pretty in the tube but hated it on the lips.. not for the color but for it’s horrible formulaa.. The second one look so different on lips.. I quite like it but wish for a better formula..:)
It seems like when a lot of less out-there high end brands do odd-coloured makeup they are just doing it for the novelty factor and don’t put as much effort into making the product decent. Perhaps it’s a generalization but I’ve always been disappointed when a brand like D&G or Chanel (with the mascara earlier in the year) put these products out, considering other brands can make them work consistently.
Sometimes it really feels like they don’t even try :/ There’s really no reason at this price point that it can’t be a quality product – they have the resources to do it!
Wow, it would’ve been so awesome if they pulled it off 🙁 I also think the purple one is pretty though!
Ouf. Smeraldo is just horrible. How embarrassing for Dolce & Gabbana.
My hopes got SO high when I saw the first picture of the green one. But applied, it looks like halloween store lipstick. Even if it applied evenly but sheer, it could work over other colors, but with how you described it, I’m not touching it with a ten foot pole.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw the product photo, but the application photo sank it… I agree, that although sheer, it could make for a fabulous layering product, but the fact it “rolls” over on itself isn’t flattering.
Thank you for reviewing these and calling out a horrible product. How did this even get approval to be sold? I understand different pigments have different behaviors when mixed into product; but come on, if you manufacture makeup for a living, I bet you could figure it out.
I have Sephora lipsticks from back in the day in grass green, deep teal, primary blue and navy. They’re opaque and gorgeous on. Knock on wood, they still haven’t turned.
Looked like a waste of money anyways…
Wow, looks like those lipsticks people give little girls to let ’em play make up.
Completely agree about Smeraldo being a waste of time and effort.
Despite Ametista being very sheer, it reminds me of NYX Aqua Luxe lip gloss in the shade Velvet Ropes. It has a pinkish tint to it and the same blue/purple mico sparkle that would probably look amazing layered over the D&G lipstick. It would be very eye catching, but not in a disco ball sort of way.
Try to layer Smeraldo over a black….maybe that’ll fit the bill of what it should actually look like.
I think that would work in terms of payoff, but the shimmers look like they pill, and over another product, they still may not mesh.
What a disappointment! They both look so cool in the tube. Not cool, D&G. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christine!
Aww, these are so disppointing! Thank you for your honest reviews! 🙂
Emeralds are one of my favorite gemstones and when I saw this liptick before I was tempted to get it. However, I have to say it is the worst lipstick I have ever seen on you. Thank you for saving me $36. The other color is nothing great either. I don’t thing I will ever buy anything D&G after seeing this.
I’m so disappointed in Ametista! I would have been all over it if it had been opaque 🙁
Thank you for saving me the large chunk of dough I was prepared to spend on this.
I’m so glad I didn’t buy these during the VIB sale and even more glad to see your review. I loved the color selection of the Sicilian Jewels collection but this looks awful!! Smeraldo is just disappointing. Ametista is really pretty but it’s too sheer for $36. Plus, 2 hours of wear time? Glosses last longer than that. Terrible.
You can almost tell how much you hate Smeraldo in the picture lol. The look in your eyes was like “get this crap off of my lips!”
Ametista is pretty enough, bit I think I’ll probably go with NYX Castle, instead. Smeraldo is just…
Wow. I had hopes this was going to be a creamy vibrant jewel-toned shade and something different to wear for the holidays but Thank you for saving everyone $36. Bummer 🙁
Ametisita is SO much more opaque on my lips. HUH. How odd! I think I’m just going to consider myself lucky and hope other people who bought it have more luck than you did. Such a shame.
Yikes!! I was going to order a couple of their more ordinary colors from this line… glad I decided “If I can’t test it, I’m not paying $36 for it.” 😀
Wow I am pretty shocked that they put out such a poor product. And for $36….?
Yikes those do not look good on the lips… maybe layering it on other lip products.
You took the words out of my mouth, Temptalia! If you’re going to do a green lipstick, at least make it pigmented and easy to apply! This one looks terrible.
Yikes!
Wow! What a bummer. I’m so glad I didn’t pick these up during the VIB sale like I wanted to. I would be devastated if I payed $36 for these.
OMG.. I’m not sure if I’m THAT fierce, but Smeraldo looked so great… such a disappointment! 🙁
If you are into the ‘green lipstick’ vibe, it seems like Lora and Dana from Melt Cosmetics are going to launch two green-ish shades soon. Have you tried their lipsticks? I LOVE them with all my heart! 😀
Thank you, Christine! :*
I haven’t!
That’s something they really need to fix! ;D
Shame, the packaging is beautiful and the emerald colour would be amazing if it was opaque!
I still think Smeraldo is interesting conceptually, and the packaging is gorgeous, but it’s not at all what I expected–a very sheer layer of emerald shimmer–and isn’t worth $36 at all, not even a quarter of that! It looks like crayon. And I think I can almost see the hatred in your eyes, lol.