The last lipstick I got from Addiction is one that nearly got away. It’s called Lady of the Lake, and it’s from the “C” or Color range. I managed to get one per line (sheer, pearl & color), by happy accident, so I can’t wait to use them more and make comparisons as to their longevity, etc.

This was going to be “the lipstick that got away.” I already had my eye on Gold Fish and Super Woman, but the lady at the counter saw me swatching the darker shades (that were apparently in the sheer range) and suggested this shade. I asked if I could try this on because I was on the fence about it, and let me tell ya—it was a long process.

I think the Japanese have such a high regard for hygiene. They sat me down in front of a mirror, and scraped a bit of lipstick on a spatula. Then, she prepped my lips (which I wish I had gotten) and carefully drew on the super creamy, super pigmented lipstick. I held my breath because I had Yakiniku for lunch and my sauce had raw garlic. It was a tense few minutes because she kept overdrawing on my lips and had to conceal the mistakes because Lady of the Lake is so pigmented, it stained my skin. Torturous, I tell you.

Anyway, I didn’t know if I liked it enough to get it, so I purchased Gold Fish and Super Woman. We were supposed to meet Barby and Isa at Bag N Noun across the street, so I thought on it… then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Obviously, I went back for it, so now, I have it!

Lady of the Lake is a beautiful, deep red berry color. One of the reasons why I didn’t pounce on this beauty is because I thought it looked a little bit like the Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait in Orgueil. But I am a Master Rationalizer. I think the difference in formulation was worth it enough for me to get it, despite already owning Orgueil, which I think pulls a bit more purple/plum than Lady of the Lake. Maybe I’m just a sucker.

But I’m a happy one.

This is an awful phone picture of me on the day I was wearing it. You can kind of see the shoddy concealing job on my under lip, but I wanted to show you how long-lasting the lipstick is. This was taken a bit after six p.m. and I had been wearing it for about two hours and already had a drink.

We were on the train to the airport in this picture! About to go back home. 😦

The formula is a bit drying. I noticed that upon landing at around half past midnight. Osaka to Manila is about three and a half hours. About eight hours of wearing the lipstick, with occasional snacking and without touch-ups or a lip balm break, made my lips look like bloody Zombie lips. So, reapplication within the day is definitely recommended, or just a swipe of lip balm would do the trick. I don’t know if it has to do with me being on an airplane or something like that, but just to be on the safe side, reapply. 🙂

Of course, I tried to take better pictures, just so you can see the color better:

Have a toothy smile to see its effect on teeth. I can safely say that Lady of the Lake does not coax the yellow from your teeth. Yay!

What I’m wearing: Benefit Hellow Flawless Oxygen Wow in Cheers to Me Champagne, shu uemura eyeshadow in ME medium brown 885, Urban Decay Naked (Virgin, Sin, Half Baked, Buck, Smog), K-Palette Liquid Liner, Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover, The Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit in 02

And, just for the sake of it, a side-by-side comparison with Orgueil:

Swatches, L-R: Addiction by Ayako Color Lipstick in Lady of the Lake, Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait in Orgueil

In this swatch, Orgueil is more pigmented and opaque, but Lady of the Lake is definitely buildable. And, as you can see, my initial thoughts were correct: Orgueil seems to be plummier than Lady of the Lake, which is still cool but is a bit warmer than Orgueil. 🙂 Also, Orgueil actually has the slightest hint of shimmer in it, though I think you would need a closer look to be able to detect it.

Addiction lipsticks retail for ¥2940, including tax. The price is similar to Chanel lipsticks, but most online retailers that sell in the States or abroad mark up the price sky-high, though they reportedly have excellent delivery time and reputation.