I’ve been seeing this strangely attractive ornate tube all around the beauty beauty blogosphere, so I decided to go get myself one of the shades for myself. Taylor of My Lucite Dreams loves these, and I trust her taste in cosmetics so I took the plunge.

I got N° 17, Rose in Tension, which is a pretty old rose, mauve-y color. At least from what I could tell in press photos and in the bullet. It’s a tad warmer on the lips than I anticipated. Here’s a heavy swatch for you, though it’s pretty pigmented, even with just one layer.

Don’t mind my eye makeup! I don’t know where I was going with this, but let’s pretend that it was a good place.

I’ll start with what I didn’t like about the product. First of all, it smells like artificial mangoes. Being that I like the smell of real mangoes and also that we have the best mangoes here in the Philippines, I am not a fan of the scent. Actually, that’s my main qualm about this product. It’s pretty much a dream to apply otherwise.

The color pay-off is pretty remarkable for something that is “sheered out” by the moisturizing component. Like I said, it’s a tad warmer than I’d like but it does perform very well. I love how balm-like and shiny it is. Even then, it remains weightless and comfortable to wear on the lips. Although, it does tend to get a bit drier as time passes, though I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s drying. It just stops being shiny after a while, though the color remains bright and bold. The finish just kind of goes away.

I think I’d love a nude or even a lighter shade of this. There’s no discernible taste so that’s good. I love how luxe the casing is, in a different way than say, Guerlain’s lipstick compacts are.

VERDICT: Gorgeous formula and shade selection (everyday wear to a night out), but I can’t get behind the way it smells.
How much? $34 for 0.15oz. Bought for $30.
Will I repurchase? While I love the formula and I want a coral or nude version of this, I think the mango scent might be a deal breaker for me.
Where to buy? I bought mine on eBay.