Whilst people have been talking about the Tom Ford Lipstick, the Serge Lutens, the Cle De Peau, I have been drooling over this lipstick for months and months and months.
From Elegance Paris (an extremely expensive high end Japanese brand), their line of lipsticks is called Spice Shot Rouge and stand out feature is a striking streak of colour running right through the body.
Here are the shades:
At around £35, I wanted to pick one that was wearable but also looked unique and had a bold streak through it. I choose 08 which looked like a warm pink with a strong blue streak.
(I’d also love 04 and 12! But lets not get greedy.)
When I decided to order this, it was like a Rod Stewart moment, tonight was the night.
I would and did give up any other posh lipstick for this one. (I was tempted and went into Selfridges to swatch the Tom Ford Lipsticks. The visuals are gorgeous but the packaging is so crap and boxy, and I was totally unimpressed by the colour selection).
But here is the Elegance:
Spice. Shot. Rouge. Only Japanese brands can come up with these kind of names.
Rather nicely, these lipsticks are refillable. I haven’t ever finished a lipstick…but still, I can try.
The packaging is a pale gold with swirls all over. Its shiny, so it doesn’t look quite as dirty as the likes of YSL’s gold packaging.
On top of the barrel is a jewel…The packaging is nice, and it does look quite grown up – I imagine this is the target market due to the prices.
On the downside, the casing is lightweight. It looks like it should be heavy and lets face it, at these prices it should be sturdier.
Shade 8 is what I expected. It’s a warm rosy pink with a shot of bright bold blue. It doesn’t really smell of anything and there’s no lipstick wobble. Boy would I have been mad if it wobbled!
The blue streak is also embedded throughout the whole lipstick, not just on the surface – you can see the joins where the colour slots in. At this price I imagine it can’t just be an overspray or just on surface level.
Then you start thinking…blue and pink. In one lipstick. Really?!
I guess I had considered this beforehand, and that it could turn out to be one big mess, but I imagined that they could mix together quite nicely to add a bluish edge to the lipstick.
The texture is not what I expected.
I thought’d we’d have some YSL Rouge Volupte thing going on but it is NOT that creamy. It is soft, but its not what I’d call a creamy or cream based lipstick.
But then again, its not a sheer lipstick either. Japanese lipsticks err towards the sheer, shiny and sparkly and this is none of those.
It’s in between creamy and glossy.
The pigmentation is good – it’s not FULL coverage but one sweep will give you very good coverage on the lips.
It didn’t dry my lips out at all.
A closer look – not there’s a fine shimmer to this lipstick, but not outright sparkles:
Now…I found out that the blue is not a deep blue, it’s actually a sheer – almost clear – gloss with a hint of blue.
When mixed with the lipstick it adds a tint of blue and adds gloss.
Here:
It makes 100% sense of course, but the clown in me DID want the blue to be bold! Would it be a nightmare to apply? Yes! But it would’ve been fun!
On the lips:
08 is not a unique shade, nor is it one I would say that everyone must own. There are so many shades in the range that anyone can find something that suits. I just chose this because I wanted something that would show up and be wearable for everyday.
I thought I’d show you what the lips look like in accordance with the rest (or at least half!) of my face. Its highly wearable and quite natural with my colouring:
Verdict:
I love this lipstick and I don’t regret buying it at all – its really a pink I can wear all year round.
It is a very expensive purchase though and there are few (read, NO) swatches around – so its was a big decision to make! I would recommend this lipstick if you want a real shot of luxury and something that is not as heavy as a cream but is not quite as sheer as a glossy lipstick either.
I paid about £35 (with the current naff exchange rate).
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I *want* this. I love the shade that you picked too, which is unusual for us – I tend to go for the very bold shades and you tend to like the nuder shades. I think the packaging looks lovely. The streak thing makes much more sense with it being sheer.
I’m looking at 06 and 15, and I do slightly blame you for stirring the lemming again.
Reply
was too busy too look at your PERFECT eyebrow to notice lipstick
can i take you out sometime?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
i am thinking… KFC?
Reply
love the package, and the 14!
your eyebrows are amazing!!
Reply
great to see some reviews of different products!
Reply
Is is sold in any of the London shops?
Reply
No Sabrina this is from Japan only. Try http://www.ichibankao.com
Reply