Pouting Pink

As mentioned in my last lipstick post, my newest lipstick additions didn't stop at two She lipsticks. Yet again, I was swayed by a buy one, get one free offer. This time it was the L'Oréal Colour Riche line. L'Oréal lipsticks are a ridiculous $21.95 each in Australia, so the BOGOF placed them at a much more reasonable price point. Initially, I contemplated one of the celebrity-endorsed nude lipsticks ("Collection Exclusive Nudes"), specifically Eva, but I found the formula to be drying. The colour also wasn't anything amazing — it reminded me of a less pigmented, more beige Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Nude Vibrato. I then spotted the Colour Riche Moisture Matte range and began swatching the shades on display. Sakura Petal (P501), a bright but pale, yellow-based pink, immediately drew me in.

l-r: Sakura Petal, Cherry Crush

L'Oréal Colour Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick in Sakura Petal (P501)

Let me tell you something about yellow-based pinks. I'm always on the lookout for them. I find them to be the rarest breed of pink at the "drugstore". There are many, many, cool-toned pinks, from your milky lavender/sheer baby pinks, to mid-tone purplish pinks, to fuchsia/hot pinks and deep berry/plummy shades. But I don't see warm pinks around very often, unless they're vibrant coral pinks like Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink About It or Sportsgirl Rosie Posie.

The only drugstore yellow-based pinks I can recall are the limited edition Revlon Matte Lipstick in Sky Pink (one of the very first lipsticks I purchased at the start of my makeup obsession — at an obscene $21.95 too), Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon and Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Elusive. Along with MAC Viva Glam Nicki, those are probably the only yellow-based pinks I have. It doesn't help that the natural pigmentation of my lips turns almost any pink more blueish and cool-toned, especially if the formula is sheer.

When it comes to lipstick, I'm all about brights and the novelty of the colour itself. Sakura Petal is one of those crazy grandma shades in that it's both old-fashioned and clownish. It also makes my teeth look frightfully yellow. But I don't care. It's magic.

l-r: L'Oréal Sakura Petal, Revlon Sky Pink, Revlon Pink Lemonade, Sportsgirl Beauty Queen, MAC Creme Cup

Revlon Matte Lipstick in Sky Pink is close to Sakura Petal but lighter. Sportsgirl Beauty Queen looks similar but due to its sheerness doesn't translate as very yellow-toned on the lips. MAC Creme Cup is more pastel and dusty, not as neon as Sakura Petal. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade is much paler and more of a milky peach.

Speaking of coral pinks, I tried on Cherry Crush (P502) from the same Moisture Matte line and was sold. What was happening — two warm pinks?! The texture is a lot smoother and it's more forgiving on the lips than the drier, patchier Sakura Petal which requires a perfectly primed pout.

l-r: L'Oréal Cherry Blossom, Revlon Pink in the Afternoon, Maybelline Vivid Rose, Sportsgirl Rosie Posie, MAC Chatterbox

Annddddd I think we've found our "drugstore" MAC Chatterbox dupe. Chatterbox might be a touch more pastel, but we're splitting hairs. Of course, the finish is entirely different — Chatterbox is creamier, with a satin rather than matte finish. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon is more peachy nude in comparison. Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids Lipstick in Vivid Rose, which I thought would be similar, is hugely more neon and saturated in high-intensity pigment. Sportsgirl Rosie Posie is more orange/coral, less dark pink.

Now that we're done with that, it's evident I need to consider a serious pink lipstick ban. I was going to say lipstick ban period, but let's not be overly ambitious. Baby steps.