L'Oreal Shine Caresse - Love at First Touch?

I noticed the recently released L'Oreal Shine Caresse (supposedly YSL Glossy Stain dupes) at Watson's and with 25% off the usual S$18.90 pricetag, I figured why not~ Available in 8 shades locally, colours include pinks, nudes, reds and coral with subtle and vibrant colours in the mix.

L'oreal Shine Caresse in Shade 600 Venus

'Fresh, sensual brilliance: Shine Caresse redefines shine to make it more natural and more modern thanks to a moist-look effect. New-generation lip colour for dual results: beautiful shades infused with a fresh shine to bring out the natural beauty of your lips with the gleam of a candy-coloured caress.' - L'Oreal Paris

Sounds pretty awesome huh? Check out the swatch:

Notice the little hole in the middle of the petal-shaped applicator? It squeezes excess product off the applicator when you pull it out of the tube so you will never have a big dollop of gloss on your lips~ Hats off for this great idea!

The product itself really surprised me. I'm not a fan of lip glosses 'cos I'm very averse to over the top shine, shimmer, stickiness..etc. But Shine Caresse wasn't a sticky mess, in fact this reportedly intensely hydrating formula is quite jelly/gel-like and has a slight cooling sensation when just applied. Extremely light, it's easy to forget you have it on.



Note: Actual stain is about a shade deeper than pictured. (7 hours - Dinner, drinks & a light swipe with tissue)

Venus, being one of the lightest colours in the range, doesn't leave a vibrant stain but does have an obvious hydrating effect and flushed colour that evens out my natural lip colour. The pretty flushed pink is nice and obvious for the first 4 or 5 hours even after the gloss gets eaten wears off~ I'd played with the swatches in the store and the deeper shades left a very impressive, lasting stain on my hand.

 

In short, the L'Oreal Shine Caresse:

• is a gorgeous lip gloss stain with a sufficient colour range
• easily acessible drugstore brand that's always affordable
• product comes in a glossy gold tube that's classy & sturdy but is a fingerprint magnet 
• hydrating, lightweight gloss and colour is instant love
• slight cooling sensation and fragrance upon initial application but fades quickly
• no colour transfer after the colour has been allowed to set in
• gloss feels quite balmy after awhile and quite lasting
• long-lasting stain more apparant with darker shades but the light stains are natural & pretty too
• initial application colour will change slightly after the colour sets in your lips so do play with the swatches~

I'm going to get another shade before the sale ends! Have you tried the Shine Caresse yet? Which is your favourite shade? =)