L'Oreal Paris Moist Matte Lipstick in LINCOLN ROSE (R516)

Today I will be talking about one pesky lipstick. It comes in a gorgeous, metallic taupish-bronze tube that’s super shiny & reflective. The packaging alone can be enough to convince you to buy it in bulk. BUT there’s a deal breaker (sort of), read ahead to know what it is !

LINCOLN ROSE ~ It is a gorgeous red with pink undertones, it looks pink-red sometimes and when I’m out in the sun it looks orangey-red. Very confusing color I tell you! Obviously this shade is famous because of Aishwariya wearing it at Cannes last year(talk about a perennial fashion icon!) When I saw her lipstick, I’d never felt more attracted to a red color, I don’t gravitate towards reds for lips because I feel they can make me look more mature then I’d like, but due to Lincoln Rose’s pink undertones, I could tell it’s a fun red that anyone can carry off with ease. And it didn’t disappoint :)   

COLOR vs. SKIN TONE ~ I think Lincoln Rose shade will suit all skin tones. I’m NC42 in MAC for reference & my sister who is 2 shades darker than me also loves Lincoln Rose. It looks way pinker on her lips though.

APPLICATION & AFTER ~ Its very smooth during application & I doesn’t dry down to a powder matte finish, it looks creamy. It is not transfer proof. Its safe to say I’ve worn this lipstick for hours without feeling any discomfort, I made sure to continue my usual intake of water for those periods. 

PIGMENTATION  ~ I need 2 swipes for full coverage on my pigmented lips. Even then I feel there's a visible difference between my upper lip (pigmented lip) and bottom lip

PRODUCT vs. DURABILITY  ~ On its own, Lincoln Rose doesn’t have an impressive performance. Although it manages to stay on for hours, it fades from the centre of my bottom lip, even more so when I’ve had a meal. This is disappointing for a drugstore lipstick that costs over Rs.900.

When I line & fill my lips with Bourjois Rouge Soyeux lip liner, apply Lincoln Rose followed by blotting & reapplying it I get an unbeatable, meal-surviving combination. If you don’t want to use a lip liner, I recommend at least blotting the lipstick so that it doesn’t transfer. Additionally, you can set the center of your lips with a loose powder to ensure that area doesn’t fade off too soon.

FRAGRANCE ~ None, its fragrance-free as far as my nose can detect. 

DEAL HEART- BREAKER  ~

The lipstick bullet breaks. 

No, I’m not kidding.

I tried fixing it using the trusty hairdryer cum freezer DIY technique and it broke again.

I used the broken tube (with a lip brush) for a long time. I repurchased this shade last week (because I love it so much) and guess what...*in Annalise Keating’s voice* GUESS WHAT ….

it broke again !

SWATCHES ~ 

PRODUCT vs. PRICE  ~way, way, way overpriced. Imagine the highest price you’d pay for a lipstick that will break off with few uses & then double it and increase the price by few bucks every year (probably the formula L’Oreal supervisors used…)

Price : Rs. 925 / ~$14 (and counting !)

Qty : 4.2g

Availability : Flipkart | Nykaa (on sale now!)| Amazon | PayTm 

REMOVAL ~ Best removed using a makeup remover, I use Bioderma micellar water for removing it.

tell me you aren't tempted to buy it just by looking at its picture !

Overall Verdict 

Packaging - 5/5

Shade -5/5

Texture - 4/5

Overall Quality - 2/5

Price - 1/5

Recommended to buy during sale. It will definitely suit every skin tone, so if you haven't already got your hands on it, make sure you do when there's a sale. I repurchased from an online sale :)