Lipstick-gloss-stain hybrids! From the drugstore!
Infinite Fuchsia is a deep pink-red-fuchsia. It is so pretty, gah. Just look at this!
Endless Red is––surprise!––a red. A beautiful, glossy, true red.
The formula on both shades I got is the same, no doubt due in part to both being so bright (dark? rich? I dunno what to deem them). They're thin and somewhat watery, though not to the point of dripping or anything––they just spread really easily and evenly. It takes about a minute for them to dry down to a slightly tacky, slightly gummy finish; I'd say it's a little more sticky/less gummy than YSL Glossy Stains, but there's not a huge difference. I have very little tolerance for stickiness in my lip products, and these annoy me a little, but not too much. Like the YSL ones, these deepen once they're on lips, becoming more opaque and slightly darker, but what you see in the tube is close to what you get on the lips (on me, at least). Adding another layer deepens the color somewhat and makes it shinier, but it isn't necessary.
I find these last several hours on me without eating, though when I drank out of a water bottle it smeared on my top lip a little (not an issue out of cups). It's pretty transfer-resistant, though the boy is out of town right now so I haven't been able to test how kiss-proof it is, but smooching the back of my hand leaves a bit of stain and itty bitty hint of color, with little detrimental effect on the appearance of my lips. These can also be worn as a stain––applied, let sit for a few seconds, then blot before it "sets" (they stain really quickly)––but I prefer the full-on beauty of them.
ETA: Here is Endless Red is after 4 hours of wear, 3 glasses of water, 1 glass of wine, and a cheesy dinner.
Pretty impressive, eh?
After wearing exclusively these for 2 days straight, I can say they are not drying, perhaps even a bit moisturizing, and they have no issue with dry spots on lips, looking glossy and gorgeous regardless (though my lips are not really very chapped, so your mileage may vary). Another bonus: they reapply super easily, giving no issues with patchiness, unlike other long-wear lippies.
Other things to note: They smell quite intensely of rose, though I find it annoying me less now than when I first tried them (a full 3 days ago, whoa!); it lasts longer than most scents in lip products, but it's gone after 20 minutes or so. Still, something to keep in mind if you're sensitive. The applicator is similar to the YSL, but not identical, and there are several shades that resemble YSL's (Endless Red is less cool than 11 Rouge Gouache, but beyond that I have no idea)––Emi of Project Swatch compared the two formulas in more depth, and has awesome swatches of several shades from the line. The packaging is fine; I'm not a big fan of the gold, but that's true of YSL's packaging, too, and I like the unusual shape just for novelty's sake.
Bottom line? I mean, I can only conclude based on these two shades, both of which are undoubtedly some of the longest-wearing and most staining of the line, but I have to say: it's love. They're long lasting, glossy, staining, rich, luminescent, and mostly comfortable to wear. I have my eye on some more now, too––particularly Rose On and On (the pink I initially passed on) and Berry Persistent (which I liked but decided was probably similar enough to Rouge d'Armani 600 that I didn't need both). I couldn't find ingredient lists anywhere, and it's not on the packaging, but I'll post them as soon as I do.
Overview
$9.99 for .21 oz, available from some drugstores (should be at all drugstores in January)
Quality: 9
Effectiveness: 5
Ease of Use: 4.75
Senses: 4 (I could do with less scent)
Pigmentation: 5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 4 (a bit sticky)
Price: 4 ($10 for drugstore is ouchy, but a) they go on sale, and b) it's less than a third as much as a YSL Glossy Stain)
Value: 5 (it actually does what it claims to!)
Grade: A-
Have you spotted the Shine/Colour Caresse (Colour Caresse in the US, but same product as Shine Caresse abroad) glosses in your area yet? Are you tempted by them?
Pristine display at Rite Aid
Ever since reading about these on Nouveau Cheap, I've been eagerly anticipating their arrival in the states (why does L'Oreal release their awesomest stuff overseas first? The anticipation is terrible), and when I heard they had landed at some Targets a couple weeks ago, I put it on my to-search-for list. I didn't see it at Target, but luck struck when I went to Fred Meyer. There, a nearly-perfectly intact display––and at BOGO1/2 off! Angels sung, the sun shone (but seriously, the sun was shining that day, which is miraculous around these parts in December––see photo above), and I dithered for 15 minutes on what shades I should get. Now, a good, non-selfish blogger would have gotten two that were different in pigmentation intensity, in order to compare the longevity/application within the line, but I chose to go with two of the deeper shades because they were both just too pretty to pass up.
In case you'd forgotten what they look like since the last post
Infinite Fuchsia is a deep pink-red-fuchsia. It is so pretty, gah. Just look at this!
1 layer Infinite Fuchsia
2 layers Infinite Fuchsia
Endless Red is––surprise!––a red. A beautiful, glossy, true red.
1 layer Endless Red
2 layers Endless Red; couldn't decide between the photos so I included both––so sue me; I was trying for Old Hollywood, an effect I think was diminished by my irritated skin (let's just say Guerlain Meteorites and I don't get along, *sob*) and fuzzy hoodie. I even picked up a black eyeliner (because my stash was utterly lacking that, I know, wtf), liquid, no less, which ended up being not terrible, though you can't see it very well here. THIS CAPTION IS WAY TOO LONG GOODBYE.
I find these last several hours on me without eating, though when I drank out of a water bottle it smeared on my top lip a little (not an issue out of cups). It's pretty transfer-resistant, though the boy is out of town right now so I haven't been able to test how kiss-proof it is, but smooching the back of my hand leaves a bit of stain and itty bitty hint of color, with little detrimental effect on the appearance of my lips. These can also be worn as a stain––applied, let sit for a few seconds, then blot before it "sets" (they stain really quickly)––but I prefer the full-on beauty of them.
ETA: Here is Endless Red is after 4 hours of wear, 3 glasses of water, 1 glass of wine, and a cheesy dinner.
Pretty impressive, eh?
After wearing exclusively these for 2 days straight, I can say they are not drying, perhaps even a bit moisturizing, and they have no issue with dry spots on lips, looking glossy and gorgeous regardless (though my lips are not really very chapped, so your mileage may vary). Another bonus: they reapply super easily, giving no issues with patchiness, unlike other long-wear lippies.
Other things to note: They smell quite intensely of rose, though I find it annoying me less now than when I first tried them (a full 3 days ago, whoa!); it lasts longer than most scents in lip products, but it's gone after 20 minutes or so. Still, something to keep in mind if you're sensitive. The applicator is similar to the YSL, but not identical, and there are several shades that resemble YSL's (Endless Red is less cool than 11 Rouge Gouache, but beyond that I have no idea)––Emi of Project Swatch compared the two formulas in more depth, and has awesome swatches of several shades from the line. The packaging is fine; I'm not a big fan of the gold, but that's true of YSL's packaging, too, and I like the unusual shape just for novelty's sake.
Bottom line? I mean, I can only conclude based on these two shades, both of which are undoubtedly some of the longest-wearing and most staining of the line, but I have to say: it's love. They're long lasting, glossy, staining, rich, luminescent, and mostly comfortable to wear. I have my eye on some more now, too––particularly Rose On and On (the pink I initially passed on) and Berry Persistent (which I liked but decided was probably similar enough to Rouge d'Armani 600 that I didn't need both). I couldn't find ingredient lists anywhere, and it's not on the packaging, but I'll post them as soon as I do.
Overview
$9.99 for .21 oz, available from some drugstores (should be at all drugstores in January)
Quality: 9
Effectiveness: 5
Ease of Use: 4.75
Senses: 4 (I could do with less scent)
Pigmentation: 5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 4 (a bit sticky)
Price: 4 ($10 for drugstore is ouchy, but a) they go on sale, and b) it's less than a third as much as a YSL Glossy Stain)
Value: 5 (it actually does what it claims to!)
Grade: A-
Have you spotted the Shine/Colour Caresse (Colour Caresse in the US, but same product as Shine Caresse abroad) glosses in your area yet? Are you tempted by them?
