Gummy Tint

I wasn’t going to buy the new L'Oréal Shine Caresse Lip Colour (said to be a cheaper dupe for the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain), but I stopped by Priceline last Wednesday and thought, well, it is my birthday. With a buy 3 for 2 offer being further incentive (though at $23.95 a pop, Australian pricing is still a joke), all I had to worry about was the right shade selection. In the end, I narrowed it down to the nude Lolita (101), purplish pink Marilyn (103) and coral Princess (200), much like 90% of my existing lip product collection. The more subdued and neutral Lolita just edged out Romy (102), which seemed a bit too warm for my complexion. Eve (400) looked too purple, Bonnie (501) too tawny-brown. The vampy plum of Milady (402) and deep cherry red of Juliet (300) would be my picks if I wore darker, more dramatic colours more than five times a year, but as usual, I opted for more safe, wearable shades.

l-r: Lolita (101), Marilyn (103), Princess (200)

l-r (first row, then second row): Lolita (101), Marilyn (103), Princess (200)

The Shine Caresse Lip Colours are described as a cross between a lip gloss and lip stain. I never gave much thought to what that meant, until I tried them and realised that if you don’t like lip gloss, these might pose a problem. I find they leave a sort of sticky, mask-like sensation on my lips that isn't exactly drying, but is far from comfortable. The main issue I have with these is that rather than being really liquid and smooth like a gloss, once you apply them, it feels like a thin layer of viscous paste has set on top of the lip. There’s a lot of resistance if you try to press your lips together to blend the product, and little bits of dried up gloss ball up and cause uneven patches on the lip. Really strange. My lips felt ten times better after I generously applied some Korres Mango Lip Butter to two coats of Princess.

Lolita and Marilyn are really quite sheer, with Princess being the only one that gives a vibrant pop of colour. I found that they require two coats for opaque coverage, as it often looks patchy and not pigmented enough with just one. Lolita is a rosy, slightly mauvey brown with fine gold shimmer — one of those “my lips but better” shades that is daytime and work-appropriate. Marilyn misleadingly looks like a bright magenta in the tube, but appears more like a watered down, pinkish berry shade. Princess is a vivid coral red. The stain they impart is nowhere near as intense or long-lasting as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. You can wipe it off with your hands and it’s practically half gone.

What I do love about the Shine Caresse Lip Colours is they impart a wet, glossy look that reminds me of a translucent candy that’s been sucked on. The finish is a juicy, jelly-like stain that isn’t overly shiny, which is unlike any lip product I've tried. L'Oréal have done well with the gold packaging and teardrop-shaped applicator, which is reminiscent of higher end brands. But overall, I can't say I'm a fan. They lack staying power as a stain, are much sheerer than expected, but above all, are just not comfortable on my lips.