Brand: L’Oreal Paris
Range: Shine Caresse Lip Colour
Shades: Lolita 101, Romy 102, Marilyn 103, Princess 200, Juliet 300, Eve 400, Milady 402, Bonnie 501.
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• L’Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Colours have an ultra-light fluid texture, that is a unique formulation of 30% water and 60% oil that boosts lip hydration and is comfortable to wear.
• The foam applicator has a hole in the centre, specially designed to remove any excess colour leaving a veil-like lustruous finish.
• The formula takes a while to set, making it easy to fix bloopers while it is still wet.
• Sheer buildable coverage – 2 layers is perfect for my pigmented lips, but for some shades I needed around as many as 3 layers for photography purposes.
• Available in 8 shades – Lolita, Romy, Marilyn, Princess, Juliet, Eve, Milady and Bonnie.

Are these dupes of YSL Glossy Stain?

• Both have lightweight fluid textures that have a non-sticky but slightly tacky finish.
• Both are long lasting and fade gracefully into a light stain, but YSL lasted slightly longer whilst L’Oreal left more of a stain.
• YSL sets quicker than L’Oreal where you’re left with that oil/water film that takes just a few more seconds to set.
• YSL has a more vibrant colour range & is richer in pigment but it’s offset by a water colour finish. Except for a few, most shades from L’Oreal are more subdued and need several layers to build coverage.
• YSL’s taste is noticeably synthetic, whereas L’Oreal has sweetened theirs slightly in an attempt to mask the synthetic taste – but I can still taste it.
• YSL does a better job at reviving tired dry lips & camouflaging lip flaws than L’Oreal, which only looks best on healthy lips.

Verdict: With both lip stains coming from the same umbrella company (YSL Beauty is owned by L’Oreal), it’s tempting to draw conclusions that they are dupes for each other.  I’d say that L’Oreal offers very impressive & similar results to YSL but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that one is replaceable for the other.  Where L’Oreal stands out from YSL is how easy it is to control just the right amount & it stains better than YSL if that’s what you like in a lip product.  Even though YSL has more sophisticated pigments, L’Oreal’s finish (once set) is more polished than the water colour finish of YSL that I find messy when combined with shades such as red & coral  hence why I only own one shade from YSL Glossy Stain).

Click on the lip swatches to view enlarged images.

Click on the lip swatches to view enlarged images.

RRP: $23.95 AUD

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: Dior
Range: Dior Addict Be Iconic Gloss
Shade: Delice, Diablotine, Spring Ball, Princess
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• The new Dior Addict Gloss gives lips a mirror-like shine, with a gel formula enriched with hyaluronic acid spheres that plump and moisturise lips for a voluminous effect.
• Available in a carrousel of 24 new colours in 3 finishes – Shimmering, Pearly and Pure.
• I was sent 4 shimmery shades to feature – Delice (peach), Diablotine (coral), Spring Ball (milky peach) and Princess (baby pink).
• Feels very comforting and instantly soothes lips, effortlessly conceals lip flaws transforming them into a soft plump pout.
• The gel finish is really pliable and glides on easily making it really tempting to over apply, but you only really need one application to achieve a mouth-watering glossy lip.
• Verdict: If you love the popsicle finish of the new Dior Addict Be Iconic lipsticks but find that it lacks oopmh, you’ll love the juicy finish that this gloss adds to your pout.  The iridescent finish in the shimmer range glimmers in all angles, making your lips ultra dimensional.    Diablotine was the most pigmented out of the 4 shades I received, and compliments pigmented lips to give a juicy coral finish.   I’d recommend Delice, Spring Ball and Spring Ball only to those with fair lip tones, or are looking for a finishing gloss on a nude lip.

RRP: $49 AUD

This product was sent for consideration.

Brand: Revlon
Range: Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick
Shades: Cruise Collection, Finale, Trendsetter, Muse, Preview, Womenswear
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• A long-wearing lipstick that applies buttery smooth, but sets into a velvety suede finish.
• Thanks to the Shea Butter, Vitamin E and aloe, my lips stayed smooth throughout the day despite the matte finish, with no signs of losing much hydration by the end of the day.
• I recommend applying these to either bare lips, or lips that have fully absorbed their lip balm, as any lip balm residue makes it hard for this formula to set & build coverage.
• Despite the medium-sized round tip, I find it easy to apply without any lip liner, using the edge of the bullet to create a precise edge.
• Of the 20 shades available, I received 6 shades – Cruise Collection (orange coral), Finale (fire engine red), Trendsetter (raspberry), Muse (peony pink), Preview (dusty pink), Womenswear (sheer pink)
• Verdict: Some of you shared with me that this formula dries out lips & looks patchy.  Whilst it doesn’t hide lip imperfections, I didn’t find that it accentuated them either, provided that lips are moisturised well beforehand.  I found it to be rather comfortable for a velvet suede lipstick – if not more comfortable than Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick! A must-try for the matte lippy lover.
• GIVEAWAY: Stay tuned for a giveaway of this lipstick range! More details coming shortly.

My favourite shades are Finale & Trendsetter.

The creases in my lips vary in each picture as they were losing steam towards the end of the swatching session.

RRP: $25.95 AUD

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: Maybelline
Range: NY Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color
Shades: Shocking Coral, Fuchsia Flash, Vivid Rose, Neo Red, Hot Plum, Pink Pop, Vibrant Mandarin, Electric Orange
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Maybelline has launched their boldest and brightest lipstick range with 8 vibrant shades in the Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color
• Creamy smooth to apply, with a moderate grip and features Maybelline’s signature ingredient – honey nectar – to nourish and condition lips.
• Whilst it’s lacking in sculpting and smoothing properties, it certainly makes up for it with saturated “undilluted” pigment.
• Initially it had a fruity scent that reminds me of fruit chews – however the scent seems to have evaporated now probably because of the heat wave that’s wilting both me and my makeup collection.
• Verdict: Shocking Coral is my favourite as such a shade is hard to come by.  The most difficult shade was Pink Pop which didn’t sit well on my lips – possibly because my lips were exhausted by the end of a swatching shade.  Overall it’s a fun and bold collection that will appeal to those that like a punchy statement lip.

Click on lip swatches to enlarge images.

RRP: $16.95 AUD

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: Fresh
Range: Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
Shade: Coral
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• A cult favourite amongst beauty junkies, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments are scientifically proven to keep lips moisturized for up to 6 hours after initial application, guaranteed to give smoother softer lips and prevent dryness.
• Transforms lips into juicy pillowy cushions, thanks for a blend of repairing oils (rich in plumping essential fatty acids) and waxes with real sugar (a natural humectant to retain moisture) and vitamins A, C and E for anti-oxidant protection.
• Coral is a reddish coral.  Although coverage is buildable, I find it best worn sheer, as over application tends to transfer onto teeth & cups etc.
• Texture is incredibly buttery & waxy at the same time, and the bullet is often left looking like whipped butter after I’m done applying.
• You only need a small amount & press your lips together to blend.  Over applying can lead to a “ring” effect around your lips due to the slippery finish, and losing half of it onto your cup!
• It’s not only citrus in scent, but there’s also a distinct waxiness in the taste too.
• Free of petroleum, mineral oil and lanolin.
• Verdict: I can confidently say that the hype & scientific claims are all true. I apply this 2-3 times a day, and I find the moisture lasts me throughout the whole day and my lip flakes don’t appear until they are ready for “turnover” after a good 3 days.  My only gripe is the waxy taste and the tendency for it to slide & transfer onto teeth and cups.  But as I value moisture over lasting power, this is currently my daily go-to lip product for the office.  Especially when I need to keep my lips in condition for a swatching weekend ahead!

I purchased this product from Sephora.