Hello!
Back with a comprehensive review on these precious liquid lipsticks from Clé de Peau A/W 2016. After a slight delay due to a mid week deadline, glad I made it in time before the weekend hit!
I hope you find this detailed post informative.
As seen in my previous Clé de Peau A/W collection roundup (here), I have 4 of these beautiful lipsticks to test. Three generously provided by Clé de Peau Beauté, with one shade purchased by me. I’m happy I grabbed it while I had the chance since, as of now all 8 shades of Radiant Liquid Rouge are out of stock in Singapore (but will return shortly).
The shades in my possession are, 12 Chenille, 13 Flushed, 15 Fast Lane & 17 Bugatti Red.
Packaging
They say good things come in small packages and never were more truer words uttered. Encapsulated in art deco inspired packaging these new lipsticks are so tiny (adorable), delicate and just luxurious to hold.
I was also pleasantly surprised to discover the black ombré case was glass, which give them a nice weightiness. It adds to the overall luxurious feel of the product.
Formula
According to Clé de Peau Beauté these new lip lacquers boast a moisture-rich, lustrous formula for a seductive long lasting finish.
I find these a hybrid between a gloss and lipstick. A lightly scented, creamy gel formula that glides on and stays put for much longer than your average gloss or glossy lipstick. Even though they never quite set and do transfer, I got substantial wear time with these. An average of 4 hours with moderate eating & drinking.
I also found the formula very nourishing and throughout wear lips feel deeply conditioned and never dry or flakey.
The wand as you see is features a slightly curved edge to fit the lip contour for better control & easy application. If you have trouble with regular liquid lipstick, you won’t have a problem with these. It smooths on colour evenly without any streaking.
The coverage you can expect is semi-opaque, with some shades (such as 15) less pigmented, applying sheerer than the others. On a side note, with this formula I prefer a single pump of product per application as it can feel heavy if you dip in twice.
Also less product gives it less slip. Meaning less feathering around the lip line so you can skip lip liner. I also noticed the more product you use, the more chances of the excess ending up on the teeth. Try applying these in the thinnest coat possible.
Overall verdict,
I do like the luminosity they bring to the lips. A fuller, plumper pout with good coverage and no sticky feeling.
On to swatches!
17- Bugatti Red is a bright red with a blue undertone
15 – Fast Lane is a neutral pink orchid with lilac tones
13 – Flushed is a pink nude with fine shimmer
12 – Chenille is a neutral medium brown with hints of rose
As always I put together a few sets of comparison swatches for each in case you plan on purchasing these online.
I was surprised by how deep 12 Chenille wore next to other similar shades I had in my stash. It has a very unique hint of rose that makes it super flattering on medium skin tones without pulling too warm. As I was gathering samples for comparison I figured NARS Corsica, a limited edition from a holiday collection few years ago looked quite similar. Chenille is almost a deeper more intense version of that.
13 Flushed was also rather unique in my stash. I don’t normally gravitate to medium pinks as much though I do enjoy a good pink! Most of what I own are blue based pinks. However I found this really pretty on the lips and should be a universally flattering shade for most skin tones.
15 Fast Lane was the very first shade to catch my eye when initial promo pics started circling on social media. It’s one of those blue based pinks I LOVE to wear. Surprisingly I had only one lipstick I thought similar in my stash. Tom Ford Jack from the the first Lips & Boys collection. It’s almost identical.
Reds! I found most of the liquid reds I own fall into a similar category. There are slight variances when worn on the lips which are harder to notice in the swatches, though I hope you can see the texture of 17 Bugatti Red! So creamy and opaque!
Here’s how the 4 shades look like worn.
I paired these lipsticks with very soft eye makeup using just a wash of light pink cream shadow (Clé de Peau Cream Eye Colour Solo in shade 302) paired with the lightest peach shade from the quad Golden Age (Clé de Peau A/W2016) and some crease definition using an older quad, Baby Universe. One of my go-to favourites for nude eye looks. On the cheeks I used NARS Madly. A blush that practically looks great with any eye or lip look.
Bottom Line
I find the formula falls into the nourishing lip colour category. Similar to the MAC Huggable Lip Glosses, Rouge Dior Brillant glosses & Clarins Instant Light Perfectors, all of which I LOVE. These lip formulas are distinctively nourishing and clearly categorised as glosses, whereas the Clé de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge stands alone as a nourishing liquid lipstick.
It is without a doubt one of the most luxurious, if not, THE most luxurious of liquid lipsticks available on the market right now. The end result is sophisticated, polished and elegant. Perfectly suited for the discerning customer this prestigious brand attracts.
Although the price is steep, I believe you pay for the quality, packaging and experience. And by what i’ve seen so far. It’s well worth the price and highly recommend you try one if your budget permits.
Pricing and Availability
Each liquid lipstick comes with 5.5ml of product retailing at SGD 80.
Available at Tangs & Takashimaya Clé de Peau Beauté (Singapore).
