Making a virtue of my continued eyeshadow-neglect (dammit, spring! stop it with the pollen already), I present the first in a series (remember my epic gift card Innisfree haul?) of Korean lipstick reviews!
Laneige Serum Intense is a new formula launched for spring 2014, with twenty vibrant shades and incorporating a so-called 'LED pigment downsizing technology' (....google translate?) to guarantee true, clear colour in an unctuous, high-glide base.
The shade I was sent to try is one of the four headliners, LR08 Flare Magenta (sometimes mis-Anglicised as 'Flair Magenta' even on the official site/packaging), which is a clear, briiiight, hot pink, with, I actually do think, a true-to-copy, novel way of suspending pigment that makes for a lit-from-within 'LED' brightness. (Distinct from either the clear or neon brights of the past, or the gleaming finishes of squishy jelly, classic gloss, or creamy lipstick, it's a quality I've only otherwise encountered in the new Dior Fluid Sticks, and I think a result of a genuine innovation.)
Hopefully these comparison swatches will illustrate this -- see how Mona Lisette and Flare Magenta share a common stained-glassiness? Distinct from the equally loud Guerlain Rouge G Girly, which has a more opaquely creamy brightness. Guerlain Rouge Autos in Reflex [LE Holiday 2013], with its white base, and Chamade, with its soft warm rosiness, look noticeably more muted in contrast (more pastel and soft respectively). In contrast, I said. I know these are all fairly eyeball-searing :D
As for warmth, a makeupalley poll came out inconclusive, and I still dunno what neutral-hyphenated? temperature to call it. However, to my eye/on my skin, Flare Magenta both swatches and applies true to tube, so let's just keep calling it HOT.
(Lunasol Sheer Glossy Eyes EX-01 Nuance Grey and EX-04 Peach Beige on eyes, Etude House Blueberry Cheesecake cream blush on cheeks.)
As you can tell, the texture is indeed a serum-like, gel-cream, which melts onto and glides effortlessly across the lips; it borders on having too much slip for me; the formula doesn't bleed / sink into lines / migrate as the even slicker Visée Creamy Lipsticks did, but it can get a little messy on application and entail some cleanup of lipline edges with a q-tip or (as I prefer) a concealer brush. The lightweight, unsticky feel and stained-glass glossiness is very flattering on vertical liplines, giving a subtle plumping effect that looks more modern than a heavier lacquered-glossy finish.
Wear is pretty decent -- much better than you might expect from this glossy a formula. After a meal a strong, even stain is still evident -- Flare Magenta fades to a midtone pink-red. On my very dry, picky lips, this formula is very, very slightly drying, but that's easily mitigated by a thin layer of a waxy balm underneath (which is how I wear 99% of lipsticks), and the formula is pigmented enough not to be sheered out / muted down by a bit of balm.
Scent/taste: thankfully faint (most other Korean brands leave me reeling upon uncapping), slightly sweet and rosy, very quick to fade.
Packaging: the Serum Intense lipsticks come in a fairly sleek, no-nonsense twist-up silver inner tube encased in clear plastic, which again picks up the lit-from-within theme. All edges are slightly rounded, and it's neither obnoxiously heavy nor flimsily light.
Head on to makeup-box for swatches of the full range -- any catch your eye? It's a vibrant lineup, very much in tune with the currently dominant Korean clean-face-bright-lips trend.
Laneige Serum Intense is a new formula launched for spring 2014, with twenty vibrant shades and incorporating a so-called 'LED pigment downsizing technology' (....google translate?) to guarantee true, clear colour in an unctuous, high-glide base.
Hopefully these comparison swatches will illustrate this -- see how Mona Lisette and Flare Magenta share a common stained-glassiness? Distinct from the equally loud Guerlain Rouge G Girly, which has a more opaquely creamy brightness. Guerlain Rouge Autos in Reflex [LE Holiday 2013], with its white base, and Chamade, with its soft warm rosiness, look noticeably more muted in contrast (more pastel and soft respectively). In contrast, I said. I know these are all fairly eyeball-searing :D
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| all swatches one swipe, except for Mona Lisette, which is two (more for evenness than to build pigment) |
(Lunasol Sheer Glossy Eyes EX-01 Nuance Grey and EX-04 Peach Beige on eyes, Etude House Blueberry Cheesecake cream blush on cheeks.)
As you can tell, the texture is indeed a serum-like, gel-cream, which melts onto and glides effortlessly across the lips; it borders on having too much slip for me; the formula doesn't bleed / sink into lines / migrate as the even slicker Visée Creamy Lipsticks did, but it can get a little messy on application and entail some cleanup of lipline edges with a q-tip or (as I prefer) a concealer brush. The lightweight, unsticky feel and stained-glass glossiness is very flattering on vertical liplines, giving a subtle plumping effect that looks more modern than a heavier lacquered-glossy finish.
Wear is pretty decent -- much better than you might expect from this glossy a formula. After a meal a strong, even stain is still evident -- Flare Magenta fades to a midtone pink-red. On my very dry, picky lips, this formula is very, very slightly drying, but that's easily mitigated by a thin layer of a waxy balm underneath (which is how I wear 99% of lipsticks), and the formula is pigmented enough not to be sheered out / muted down by a bit of balm.
Scent/taste: thankfully faint (most other Korean brands leave me reeling upon uncapping), slightly sweet and rosy, very quick to fade.
Packaging: the Serum Intense lipsticks come in a fairly sleek, no-nonsense twist-up silver inner tube encased in clear plastic, which again picks up the lit-from-within theme. All edges are slightly rounded, and it's neither obnoxiously heavy nor flimsily light.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| shown here with one of the new Laneige quads in 6 Classy Mood, which I'll review another day |
Disclosure: the Laneige products in this post were sent free of charge for consideration.