Pale n' pretty: the L'Oreal Color Riche Collection Star Lipsticks
How's your nude lipstick collection? Mine is dismal. I have hundreds of lipsticks at this point but I only have a small amount of true nudes that suit me. Even then, I barely wear them out, as they tend to be unflattering in photos. They look great in person but they make my face look larger once they're captured on cam!
So I hope you understand why I am burnt out with nude lipsticks. I'm not talking about MLBBs or just pale lipsticks ha - I'm talking about true nude colors that blank out my lips and blend in with my skin. That's why I was hopeful to receive a press kit of the L'Oreal Color Riche Collection Star Lipstick (P625), an Asia-exclusive collection of five colors that promises to be the perfect nude for our warm skin tone.
How different can these be from all the nudes I've tried before?
Quite a bit, it turns out.
Each of the five shades were picked to be five beauty icons' perfect nudes: Jennifer Lopez's "Barely Greige", Doutzen Kroes' "Barely Pink", Fan Bing Bing's "Barely Coral", Sonam Kapoor's "Barely Plum", and Gong Li's "Barely Moka". I find all of the colors beautiful - but are any of them actually a true nude on my lips?
Well, no. I don't think that's a problem though as long as you go in a L'Oreal counter being totally aware of that. Otherwise you'd be disappointed! If you take the marketing speak out of the equation, these lipsticks are all lovely in their own right. The colors as well as the packaging are both impressively sophisticated, so much that you wouldn't have guessed they're drugstore. I mean, look at them! The gold bullets are sleek and classy with each celebrities' signatures on them.
I find the formula a bit streaky though. I don't have pigmented lips which means I've given passing rates to other streaky lipsticks, but for shades as light as these, streakiness can be a deal-breaker. I recommend using a lip liner or a lip primer to get the three lightest shades (Greige, Pink, Coral) to look solid. A base would also increase the staying power of these lippies - otherwise, they just last about 2-3 hours on me.
But I'm just grousing. They are streaky up close, but appear totally fine when you look at the whole face. And check out the pretty colors! I've said this time and again: I don't mind a so-so formula if the color is interesting enough to wear. These Collection Star lippies don't disappoint in that regard.
Here are my lip swatches and color notes! ^_^
Barely Greige is a frosty, semi-sheer beige lipstick with golden shimmer. Sounds like a bad idea on the get go, I know, but it surprisingly works for me! As long as I wear heavy eye makeup, that is. Greige is the color that's the most nude on me out of the five.
I look surprised in this picture because I AM surprised. I take random shots of my face when I try out something new. I totally expected greige to make me look dead in the picture, but on the contrary - it looks fab! I'll try wearing this out next time. I chose another lipstick to go with this FOTD because I needed something long-wearing.
Barely Pink is a white-based, pastel, Nicki Minaj pink. This would be a nude lipstick for you if you are alabaster fair. I wouldn't recommend it to typically warm Asian skin tones, unless you're going for Ms Minaj's statement look.
I like pinks like this but they just don't love me back, ya know?
Barely Coral is my favorite out of the five! It's a peachy coral with a white base - it reminds me of MAC Peachstock, actually. I'll show you an FOTD with this one time! It looks so streaky and blah in the close up swatch but I swear it's more fabulous when zoomed out.
Barely Moka is a gorgeous reddish chocolate shade that would be the perfect nude for dark skin tones. If your fair to mid-toned though, it would be a nice throwback to the 90s lip. It's chic and perfect for the upcoming fall season.
Barely Plum is my second fave shade. It's a pale mauvey color that gently toes the line between gorgeous lips and zombie lips. I think I'd go for gorgeous, haha. It's warm and pigmented enough to work for my skin tone.
Overall, even amidst all my complaining, I do enjoy the L'Oreal Color Riche Collection Star Lipsticks. ^_^ I highly recommend you check out Barely Coral, Barely Plum, Barely Moka, and heck, even Barely Greige just for the spirit of adventure! Just remember to wear a base or to bring a tube to retouch during the day.
Thoughts? What's your bet?
