L'Oreal recently expanded their Colour Riche line with eight new lip crayons, half are matte and half are shiny! I really loved the varitey in this line, plus all of the colors looked gorgeous in the packaging. I'm a sucker for a good lip crayon, but the formulas aren't anything special. I was a bit disappointed in these, especially after hearing countless rave reviews.
I could only find seven of the eight pencils available. It took me forever to find these, I had to go to about five different Targets! I'm unsure if these are limited edition or not, the display at Target didn't say they were, but I've seen others online which stated they were. Who knows?
Here are the applicators. The lipsticks is slightly pointed at the tips, but it wears off immediately after the first use, and there's no sharpener included- boo!
Swatches from left to right: She's So Matte, Matte-r of Fact, No Matte-r What, I Laque You a Lot, Never-Laque-ing, Laque-onic, and Laquer-ized.
She's So Matte is a bright coral. Matte-r of Fact is a vampy browinish red. No Matte-r What is a beigy brown. I Laque You a Lot is a bright orange red. Never-Laque-ing is a dusty pink. Laque-onic is a bright blue toned red, it's my favorite of the entire line! Laquer-ized is a bright purple that has a bit of pink in it. These swatches are all one swipe. I hate the cheesy names.. haha!
Claims: "Shiny/Matte full coverage lip color." Those are the only claims I could find.
Pigmentation: The pigmentation on both formulas is excellent. The pigmentation is the best thing about this product. The colors are all very intense with little effort.
Finish/Texture: The finishes are matte and shiny, as you can tell from the names. The mattes feel extremely dry, my lips felt terrible after wearing one. The laques felt creamy going on, but they aren't hydrating. They sit on top of the lips, and it's one of those lipsticks you can feel when you are wearing it. The formulas weren't comfortable for me.
Lasting Power: Both of these formulas weren't very long lasting, which was surpsing to me. I only got about three hours of wear before they started to get patchy. They did stain my lips, but in a very uneven way. This is a lipstick that needs a lot of attention-babysitting really.
Scent: The scent is that strong powdery/floral smell that L'Oreal has in it's original lipsticks. It's unpleasant to me, and it may really bother some people.
Packaging: These come in a slender, plastic twist-up tube. The tips are slanted, but they quickly turn into nubs, and there's no sharpener included.
Price/Availability: I paid $8 each for these at Target
Likes:
- Very pigmented
- Variety of finishes/colors
- Pretty packaging (I think it looks nice for L'Oreal)
Dislikes:
- Lasting power is mediocre- 3 hours at most
- The formulas weren't comfortable on my lips
- Wears off into a patchy stain
- Strong powdery/floral scent
- Limited edition- I think (also very difficult to find)
- A bit pricey- these aren't worth $8
Overall:
I had high expectations for these, since L'Oreal lip products are usually good quality. Plus, it almost seems like everybody in the beauty community has raved about them! I loved the idea of a lipstick in pencil form, especially in matte and shiny finishes, but the formulas are just disappointing.
The mattes are very drying, my lips felt chapped after I had worn one for only a few hours. The laques were creamy going on, but the formula just sat on top of my lips. I could feel it, in a slightly sticky way. I had slight feathering, and I did get a weird patchy stain on my lips after the color wore off, which only took three hours. The scent is of very strong baby powder and flowers. The packaging looks pretty, but there's no sharpener, and the laques get a little gooey in the tube, since they are so creamy.
Overall, these lipsticks need a lot of babysitting. When I wore these, I had to constantly check in the mirror. I felt like my lips needed a good lip balm the whole day, which is an awful feeling! They just aren't worth the hype in my opinion. They are very pigmented, but that's the only good thing about them! I only kept Laque-onic, because I just loved the color.
If you would like to see lip swatches, please watch my video review!