Some time back, Kosé Singapore gave me two limited edition Esprique Precious lip products to try.
With a moisturising rosemary extract as one of their ingredients, Esprique Precious Heart Graphical Rouge in PK833 Blossom Pink (S$39) and Esprique Precious Dress On Glossy Rouge in BE382 Milky Beige (S$35) promise to make lips plump and lustrous.
Blossom Pink looks special in that it has a raised heart on its surface. This whimsical feature not only looks cute but the curved surface also seems to deposit colour with a soft, pampering sensation. The shape will wear off after several uses but I’m enjoying it while I can. ;)
Like many Japanese lipsticks, this lip product has a silky texture with a nice balance of slip and pigment. Unfortunately, this warm-toned pink is more coral than pink on me and I’m not particularly fond of the hue – I much prefer cool-toned shades as they are more flattering on me.
That said, it doesn’t disappoint performance-wise, so I’d certainly recommend it to people who look great in warm colours and who want a comfortable/moisturising lipstick.
Milky Beige, on the other hand, is a cooler shade.
It’s something I like on its own or as a topper because of its translucent milky tone that is lifted by multi-coloured sparkles.
Unfortunately, its pretty shade is marred by its stickiness. The tacky feel isn’t something I’m comfy with but thankfully, the spatula/flocked sponge tip of the applicator allows me to smooth out the gloss to minimise the sticky sensation.
I do like the shade a fair bit – I particularly enjoy using this gloss over MAC Lip Pencil in Test Pattern and Maquillage Glossy Perfect Rouge in PK112 for a pinky-nude lip that complements smokey eyes.
Here are swatches of the lippy and the gloss. As you can tell, the gloss isn’t as creamy as it seems in the tube. The third swatch is of the gloss over the lipstick – isn’t it a lovely laminated look?
