Once a while I make an impulse purchase in the cosmetics aisle of the drugstore. I’m still curious about the latest wave of sheer lipstick formulas, and when I noticed that L’Oréal’s new Colour Caresse line includes a shade called Rose Taffeta, I couldn’t really resist.
L’Oréal has positioned Colour Caresse as part of its larger Coleur Riche collection, and it describes Colour Caresse as being formulated with the “revolutionary Lightfeel system to deliver a feather-light finish without being sticky or heavy,” offered in “16 gorgeously glossy shades.”
My choice, Rose Taffeta, is a cool-toned rose-mauve with a satin finish. Each Colour Caresse case has a colored band that corresponds with the lipstick inside. I’m not crazy about the shiny gold-coated plastic exterior, or the design of the skinny tube inside the long top cap, but the color and texture of the lipstick inside are enough to get me past my aesthetic nitpicking.
Here’s a swatch…
Colour Caresse in Rose Taffeta feels like a richly emollient balm on the lips and applies with moderate, slightly gleamy coverage. I’m very pleased with its amount of pigment and its creamy texture. This is a pretty-but-polished look: flattering color, not shiny-wet, but without any heaviness. Colour Caresse holds up well though a cup of coffee and a snack, staying color-true while it wears down into a light stain.
All in all, this lip color feels like a higher-end product. I’m remembering that L’Oréal is the parent company of Lancôme, and I’m wondering whether Colour Caresse is the drugstore sister of Lancôme’s L’Absolu Nu, which features “light texture” and “a veil of shiny, translucent color.” I’ll need to do a side-by-side comparison.
In the meantime, I can recommend that you take a look at Colour Caresse on your next drugstore visit. This products retails for about $9, although you can probably find it for slightly less with a store coupon or sale event.
Images: fashion photograph by Richard Rutledge, 1952, via Corbis; second photo via L’Oreal; open lipstick and color swatch by Tinsel Creation.
TINSEL CREATION 
How does the coverage compare to the balms they have that are in similar packaging?
Hi, Trina! They’re definitely more pigmented and have fuller coverage than the L’Oreal Colour Riche Balms. I’d say the amount of color is similar to Revlon’s Lip Butters, but this formula feels creamier and less glossy-butter.
That sounds good! I’ll have to check out the colors next time I’m shopping.
I love that name, and the swatch and texture look/sound excellent as well. Will add this to my “check it out” list for the drugstore. I like the idea of something a little less glossy feeling, since I have plenty of glosses.
That is really pretty. Have you tried the Revlon lip butters?