Sometimes I feel guilty about indulging in expensive lipsticks, and about recommending these lipsticks to any of you who are reading here. Just for the record: I do have some drugstore favorites! Here’s one: L’Oréal’s Colour Riche Lipstick in Blushing Berry (shade 590).

Blushing Berry is a medium, cool-toned shade similar to raspberry with a dash of mauve. It has a satin-creme finish (no shimmer) and full-coverage pigmentation. It applies evenly and smoothly, and it wears well without fading out or clumping up.

When I need a lip color that’s more sophisticated and longer-lasting than a sheer formula, but I don’t want anything matte or dramatic, this lipstick fits the bill. I also like Colour Riche’s brushed-gold case, and I happen to love L’Oréal’s signature waxy-violet lipstick scent.

Here’s a swatch on my inner arm, in sunlight. See the coverage? If a makeup artist applied this lipstick to my lips without letting me see the packaging, he or she would probably be able to convince me that this was a much higher-end product (even a Guerlain!).

I’ll definitely purchase another Blushing Berry when I finish this one. On the other hand, most Colour Riche shades are unwearable for me—they’re too bright, too dark, or too heavily laden with mica—so I probably won’t experiment much with the rest of the line. On the other hand, even one perfect lipstick from the drugstore is an excellent find!

L’Oréal Colour Riche Lipstick sells for about $8 at drugstores.

Images: top image via L’Oreal website; photographs by Tinsel Creation.