L’Oreal Rouge Caresse in Lovely Rose

These lipstick/lipbalm hybrids landed recently and are believed to be L’Oreal’s answer to Revlon Lip Butters.  Having used one on and off for a few days, I’d say they’re definitely similar, but texturally and pigmentation-wise they’re quite different.

I think the best way to describe it is if you’d like a lipbalm that hints at being a lipstick then go for the Lip Butters, whereas if you want a lipstick with a balm-like quality then go for these.

It’s difficult to say which I prefer as they both have a lot to offer; I think on days when I want to go for more of a polished, ‘put-together’ look I’d use Rouge Caresse, but on days when I just want easy, casual make-up (most days, it’s safe to say) then I’d go for Lip Butters.

Top swatched lightly, bottom swatched more densely.

The Rouge Caresse that I purchased was the shade Lovely Rose, which is a strong, light purpley/pink.  Obviously as there’s a bit of a lilac touch to it it definitely leans blue.

I’ve struggled with this shade as it swatches a lot darker and brighter than it comes out on my lips which means I end up with two problems; firstly, I don’t really like shades that are too pale – they drain me of colour and don’t flatter my teeth shade – and secondly, I rarely manage to get a very even finish with lighter colours, especially if they’re of a creamy texture.

The thing that’s really good about Rouge Caresse is that the colour is quite buildable.  If you have a look at the swatches you can see that you end up with two slightly different shades of pink by building it up, which makes these lipsticks quite versatile.

I’m definitely planning to try some other shades in the range as I enjoy the colour pay off and balm-like consistency, so expect more reviews soon! When I purchased this, I swatched 3 of the other pink shades so if you fancy checking them out, have a look here.

Available at Boots for £7.99 here.