A Lipstick Meant for Layering

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as a “gold with tone-on-tone sparkle” and is supposed to be used to illuminate lips with a veil of sparkle or used as a layering base/top coat with another lip product. The base is mostly clear, perhaps just enough to give it a warm tone, but it is predominantly composed of lots and lots of gold sparkle and shimmer ranging from medium to micro in size. MAC Ruffian Gold is similar, slightly less yellow-y. Dior Or Etoile paler and more uniform in the size of the shimmer (which is fairly fine). I was also reminded of Bobbi Brown Canary, which is a gloss.

I love that Guerlain made sure to describe this exactly as it is:  a sheer veil of shimmer that’s designed more as a layering shade than a standalone shade in the Shine Automatique line–a range that is typically semi-opaque to opaque in color.  It has a healthy dose of sparkle, and I like using it as a base shade rather than a top coat, only because it tends to be easier to apply that way. I’ll apply Altoum first, and then I’ll apply a more opaque lipstick on top.  If you use a lip brush, then I like using Altoum second, since you can pat it on.

As sheer shades often wear off quickly, I wasn’t all that surprised to find that this shade didn’t last as long as other Shine Automatique shades: four hours overall, but there were a few pieces of shimmer that lingered for longer.  It was slightly hydrating but not as moisturizing as other shades.  I could also feel the texture of the sparkle from the get-go.

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick

Guerlain Altoum (700) Shine Automatique Lipstick