Review | Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in 14 Grape

The Clarins Spring 2011 makeup package which Clarins Singapore sent me (the same one that contained Clarins Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette) also included Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in 14 Grape (S$33). Although there were quite a few lip lovelies in the bag, I have to admit that this one caught my eye immediately.

Preferring to take my time with product photos and waiting for the right occasion for use, I’m not one to open products straight away. However, I couldn’t help but quickly photograph and test this lipstick.

Why? I guess it’s because I have a soft spot for berry lip hues (Stila Lip Color in Natalie comes to mind as I type this) and Grape is a pretty berry…with pretty shimmer. Best of all, a wonderful whiff of blackcurrant hits the nose as soon as the lipstick is uncapped. It’s nothing like the synthetic fruity scents of some lip products; rather, it has a juicy tone laced with a hint of sweet freshness.

The description of the colour can range from ‘grape’ to ‘raisin’ to ‘plum’ – take your pick! ;) – but essentially, it’s a predominantly cool-toned lip shade infused with copious coloured shimmer that imparts an almost-metallic sheen (it actually reminds me of the Maybelline Watershine lipsticks of old, the ones that were made in Japan). The shine is boosted by its mango butter content, while ‘renewing tripeptide’ gives it a plumping effect…on top of the illusion of fullness given by the reflective shimmer. This would certainly be apt for women who desire fuller lips.

And although it is supposed to be a sheer lipstick, it can certainly be built up for opacity, as you can tell from the swatch. It’s not something I’d wear every day because its reflective nature is quite obvious.  (I’m also more partial these days to nudes because of the smokes that I wear; I’m often happy to go without lipstick or lipgloss too.) However, it is certainly a visage-brightening (and scentilicious!) lipstick to use to complement a  simple eye  look.