Sunday Riley is currently one of my favorite brands for cosmetics, and I’m slowly but surely replacing my old makeup with products from the Sunday Riley counter. I seem to remember promising plenty of lipstick reviews here on Tinsel Creation, so here’s my first commentary on lipstick from this niche cosmetics line.

Duchess is one of several pink hues offered by Sunday Riley. To my eye, it’s the perfect rosebud shade. This is the kind of color that I like to have on hand for everyday use but often have a hard time finding. Duchess gets everything right. It’s slightly cool in hue, but not too bluish. It’s neither a bubble-gum pink nor a frosty 1980s-style mauve, just a very feminine pinkish-rose shade that gives a pretty-yet-polished result. It’s richly pigmented, and it looks matte in the tube but it applies with a fresh cream finish (and no shimmer).

Sunday Riley’s Modern Lip Color formula includes moisturizing ingredients such as beeswax and shea butter, so it’s non-drying. And, although it isn’t pitched specifically as a “long-lasting” lipstick, it does in fact hold up very well for several hours, even if that time includes a cup of coffee or a snack.

Then, of course, the name “Duchess” appeals to my romantic sensibilities. I’m sure there are some present-day duchesses in the world, but I prefer to think back to to the idealized depictions of eighteenth- or nineteenth-century ladies of rank (like the Duchess of Devonshire, top). They wouldn’t have been wearing lipstick, but they no doubt found ways to enhance their appearances. And Duchess gives me a small way to imitate the artful beauty that I admire in portraits by society painter Thomas Gainsborough.

I’ve been shopping for Sunday Riley products at Bergdorf Goodman, where counter manager Stacie has been assisting me. She’s very knowledgeable as well as very sensitive to her clients’ tastes and needs. You can reach the counter by phone at 212-872-8635.

I may be acquiring another Sunday Riley lip color in the future; if I do, another review will follow!

Disclaimer: this product was purchased by the reviewer.

Images: photos by Tinsel Creation; Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Thomas Gainsborough (1787), National Portrait Gallery, London, via Wikipedia.