Lava

Estee Lauder Lava Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick ($32.00 for 0.12 oz.) is bright, medium-dark fuchsia red with subtle, cooler undertones and a creamy, lightly glossy finish. It almost looked like a "warm" fuchsia as it had so much red in it. The consistency was smooth, lightweight, creamy but not slippery, and comfortable to wear. It had nearly opaque pigmentation, though, which was a lot more than described, but some might prefer it that way. There was a bit of color that pulled into my lip lines, though it wasn't noticeable from a normal viewing distance. This shade wore nicely for six hours, left a stain behind, and was moisturizing.

The formula is supposed to have medium coverage with a lustrous finish. It takes the Pure Color Envy formula and adds shimmer to it with the end result varying from lightly pearlized to more frosted and near-metallic. The shimmer was finer in size, so the lipsticks did not feel gritty on the lips, and the particles didn't migrate as the lipstick wears down. The coverage was more semi-opaque to opaque, though a lighter hand could achieve medium coverage. It was lightly creamy with some slip that became more noticeable as the formula warmed up against the lips. The wear ranged from four to six hours and was typically hydrating. The formula featured a vanilla scent but had no discernible taste.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.

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