L'Oreal Infallible Lip Color

Being Infallible can be tough. I try to do as many right things as possible-- like the taped-up fortune I see everyday, "Do as much right as possible and you will please some and astonish others." I love wise sayings from cookies. I know the right thing to do right now is to tell you how much I don't like L'Oreal's Infallible lip color in #400 Coral. 

The very sleek and slim packaging will make you look like a chic 1950's Manhattanite lighting up a ciggie; It's shaped like a lighter, the chrome-gleamed outer layer doubles as a mirror, while the Infallible lip color itself is applied in 2 stages by twist up bullets which flank the 2 sides. One side contains that actual coral lipstick, which you apply to dry lips and allow a gap of a minute to let it 'set'. The second bullet contains a 'sealant' which is supposed to moisturize your lips. You are allowed to reapply this second coat as much as you like throughout the day. All in all, the packaging is very clever, functional and chic. Hip Hip Huzzah to the packaging team and their large budgets. 

Now. The product itself. First, let me say that I would rather go to a department store and pay $5 more for a lipstick rather than guess at a color at the drugstore and be stuck with something that I don't really want to use. The Coral color is essentially an orangish-red. Unflattering on even the supreme-est of super models. The formulation in the first coat is so drying, that my luscious big lips started to shrivel as the longwear portion of the lipstick began to set. The moisturizer does indeed wet the pucker, but it still was such an overdone look--- perhaps just the color mixed with the intense formulation turned me off of it all... And don't even get me started on what I consider the unacceptable taste and smell of all these drugstore lipsticks. Instantly, I am transported to junior high when I would spend hours at Long's Drugs figuring out how I was going to get my mom to buy me Glints for my hair (preferred shade: Garnet) AND Toast of New York. Stick me in a Hole T shirt and drop me off at a Nine Inch Nails concert, why don't you. 

Anyway here's the deal: I won't slam this product off my list forever, because it definitely has staying power. I couldn't get it off without some serious oil-based remover. So maybe, if we can get some testers up in these drugstores, and if can stand the taste and smell-- then maybe, just maybe it would be worth dropping $9.99 on this thing and slathering it all over your lips. I may never walk down that road because I don't know when I would need insanely intense infallible coverage (ever) because I believe it beautiful but approachable lips... but who knows! Maybe one day, I'll decide to clown it out and want a stay-put red pout that lasts 16 hours. Weirder things have happened. 

X.

S.