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report by Melinda of the Cosmetic Connection Product Panel
With the catwalk makeup focusing on lips this fall, I decided to hit my local department stores here in Windsor in search of The Dream Lipstick. You know what I mean. The lipstick that makes you feel as glamourous as Michelle Pfieffer, even if you're buying Pampers at the drugstore. I found four lippies that I really liked, and I think you would, too!
Elizabeth Arden Lip Spa "Bare" (91)
This had an SPF 15 in it, which is a nice bonus. The colour is a great nude, a good basic staple of any woman's makeup wardrobe. There were only two minor complaints: I found the packaging a bit gaudy (it's a sort of silver and gold affair), and the smell of the product was downright repulsive. Luckily, you'd have to go out of your way to smell it, even though it sits right under your nose!
The texture was creamy, there's no other way to describe it, and I would recommend Elizabeth Arden Lip Spa as it is a high quality product with a good range of colours.
Clinique Different Lipstick "Sweet Honey" (96)
After giving this an initial two week run and then moving on to other lipsticks, I thought I wasn't too wild about this, but I noticed that, despite this, I kept coming back to it again and again. The reason? Its glosspot texture means you don't have to fiddle around with a lipliner or even have a * in front of you – just whip it out and slap it on! (Being a full time working woman, I especially appreciated this aspect!) It's almost like a lipbalm with colour, so you don't have to worry about "staying in the lines" when you apply it.
A small bonus: I really liked Clinique's packaging. It's a kind of space-age silver tube. Well done, Clinique!
The downside of the Different Lipsticks is that 1) it's not longwearing – reapplication is a must, and 2) it gets used up quite quickly. But who cares?! I'm already looking forward to trying another shade in Clinique's Different lipstick range… ;)
Estee Lauder Perfect Lipstick "Sheer Bronze" (PL-70)
As the name implies, this is Estee Lauder's bid at producing The Dream Lipstick, and, like virtually everything else in the EL range, it is an outstanding product well worth every penny. It went on – and I can't emphasize this enough – incredibly smoothly, was sheer and yet wore for longer than the Clinique Different Lipstick.
Sheer Bronze is probably too dark for pale blonds, but it would go well on just about anyone else. I guess my only complaint is that you don't get that "I'm-so-hip-it-hurts" cutting-edge feeling that you might get with some other designer brands (Benefit, Hardy Candy and Stila spring to mind…). But if that's the only fly in the ointment, EL have named this lipstick aptly.
Helena Rubinstein Rouge Forever Creme High Tenacity Creme Lipstick "Beryl Rose" (07)
This was my absolute favorite lipstick, for a couple of reasons, some of which may not be that important to you.
First of all, the packaging wasn't so flash that it screams "designer lipstick", yet it had nice touches and a nice weight to it. Secondly, the smell drove me wild – I don't know what they use, but it really made me itch to apply it. Call me perverse, it's just a small factor which I find important. And thirdly, the texture was substantial, almost waxy, yet easy to apply. It reminds me of my mother's lipstick, and that's exactly what I like about it. It is pure 50's Hollywood star lippy, make no bones about it.
Regarding the colour: you've either got the confidence to wear Beryl Rose or you haven’t. If you have, you’ll feel very retro – get out your pedal pushers and your white heels! If sexy kitsch isn't for you, don't despair – HR have many more colours to choose from, and not all are matte, there are some very nice sheer colours as well. And HR's Virtual Reality line has some funky colours for all you Urban Decay fans (e.g., blue lipstick).
Was it really "high tenacity"? In a word, yes, although I did have to re-touch the corners of my mouth every few hours, for the most part the colour really clung!
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