Review: Lancôme Lip Lover

With the warmer weather and sun this time of year, I much prefer a low-maintenance lip.  Gone are the days of perfectly applied, creamy, opaque lips.  Hello to sheer color, plump and healthy lips.

Lancôme's Lip Lover caught my eye as being something that I could just swipe on and go.  I'm not usually a big fan of gloss, but I really wanted to give this a try.  Quite honestly, the packaging is so gorgeous and adorable, and I am a complete sucker for pretty packaging.

Here are the claims for this gloss (from Lancôme):

"A dewy intense lip color that creates shine and color without sacrificing moisture. Captivating color intensity combines with the hydration of a balm in this new three-in-one elixir formula. The balmy base provides up to eight hours of moisture while a smoothing layer reduces the appearance of fine lines and creates a dewy shine. Finally, the saturated pigments provide the ultimate in color pop."

Price: Retails for $23.50 for 0.14 oz.

Packaging: Comes in sleek and adorable silver tube.  There is a small, clear window on the front of the tube that shows the color of the gloss.  It has a small button that you push to release the wand.  When you are done with application, just pop the wand back into the tube, and push down.  You'll hear a very satisfying "click," telling you that your gloss is safe and secure.

Application: The applicator on the wand is a small, narrow doe foot applicator, with a slightly pointed tip.  I find the shape of this applicator to work really nicely in applying the gloss exactly where you want it to go.

Finish: This gloss has a nice, shiny finish.  It does not feel sticky, but does feel slightly tacky on the lips.

Color: I picked up the shade 357 Bouquet Final.  It is a very pretty berry pink.  It does have very, very slight microshimmer when swatched heavily, but once blended out the shimmer is undetectable on the lips.

357 Boquet Final on NC25 skin

Coverage: 357 Bouquet Final gives your lips a translucent wash of color.  It is sheer in the sense that the color is not creamy/milky or opaque in any way, but it does pack quite a bit of color on the lips.  You can apply it more heavily for more intense color, or you can dab it on and sheer it out for just a wash of color.  I have worn it both ways and enjoy both application methods.

Final thoughts: I think this is a splurge item that, for most people, would be something that is a nice little treat, but it is not by any means unique enough to be a must-have item.  The packaging is gorgeous and so satisfying to use.  And as far as glosses go, this isn't sticky and is quite comfortable to wear on the lips.  But $23.50 is a steep price to pay for something that isn't outstanding or different enough to justify purchasing.