L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Stain

Lips

Apr 25

Lip stains used to be known as the most drying lip colors available in the market. Sure theyre long-wearing and convenient, but since they were mostly liquid, they don't offer a lot of hydration to the lips. But times are different now. Lip colors (and cosmetics in general) won't succeed in the market if they don't give us exactly what we want - and a litte bit more.

Cue in the L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Stain (P595). It promises to provide long-wearing color with the shine of a gloss and the feel of a lip balm. They came out in 2012 and become hugely popular because of the 30% water and 60% oil formulation, as it's so much more hydrating while feeling weightless at the same time.

I have here three new shades from a new line called Pearly Shine: Flora, Luna, and Ruby. I don't have the original Shine Caresse products with me, but based on swatches online, the Pearly Shine looks like it's more sheer and sparkly than the first formula.

Here's a quick rundown on these intriguing stains!

What I love about the product

It feels watery upon application but dries into a tacky coat, similar to a lip balm. It doesn't feel heavy or waxy at all!
A shiny stain develops, sheer at first but buildable. The stain stays on for a good five hours on me, while the shine is good for about two hours.
I feel it moisturizes my lips due to the balmy texture.
Excellent, elegant packaging. Remove the L'Oreal logo and it'd be hard to guess that this is a drugstore lippie.

Affordable at P595. Some say this is comparable to a YSL gloss. Haven't tried that one, but I wouldn't be surprised as L'Oreal is YSL's umbrella company. It's not the first time the drugstore brand "imported" a high-end counterpart's formulation. (Remember Lancome Teint Miracle and L'Oreal Lucent Magique?)
Very lightly scented.

Swatches: Luna, Flora, and Ruby. Luna is a peachy pink stain, Flora is a cheery pink, while Ruby is a coral red. All of them are sheer but buildable. Two or three layers should do it!

Here is Ruby on my lips. It's uneven as I only applied one layer here. Pretty shade though!

What I don't like about the product

The staining effect is uneven on my lips. I need to layer to get proper coverage, else it'll look patchy. That's my only complaint.

Recommendations

Do try out the L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Stain if you love hydrating lip products that leave a long-wearing stain. If you have dry lips, just remember to exfoliate them beforehand to keep the color from settling into the cracks of skin. Then, layer up until you're happy with the pigmentation.

I think this is best for girls who prefer fuss-free makeup - it's just so convenient!

Verdict

I like it. Personally I find the colors too sheer, but I'm curious about the original Shine Caresse lippies since they look more daring! I'll check them out next time I'm at a L'Oreal counter.

Lemme know what you think, as usual! ;) I'm typing this in my hotel at it's 6:48 AM in Tokyo. Can't wait to explore!

Have a great weekend guys!