You might have noticed that I’ve been looking forward to Guerlain’s launch of its new-and-improved KissKiss lipsticks, officially known as KissKiss Shaping Lip Cream Colour. Maybe it’s just because I have extra time on my hands right now, but I’m fascinated by all things Guerlain (even more than usual) and I’ve been stalking photos of these lipsticks on foreign beauty blogs. They arrived at American department stores about two weeks ago, with new shades and new (black!) packaging.

Oh, the thrill of a new lipstick (or two)! Here is KissKiss Fall in Rose (#366) in its shiny, sculptural black case. This is the shade that the makeup artist at Bergdorf Goodman chose to compliment the smokey brown-taupe-ivory eye that she did for me.

Official product description: “In perfect harmony with feminine curves, lips immediately regain their fullness and softness thanks to a formula enriched with plumping hyaluronic acid spheres. In parallel, Commiphora oil helps smooth the lip surface.” I had to look up “Commiphora.” It’s a plant in the myrrh genus that produces resins. #themoreyouknow

And here is Fall in Rose, uncapped. The official product photo (at top) actually captures this shade very well. It looks a bit darker here, but you can see it set against my face chart, where the lips are filled in with this color.

This formula is lighter than the Rouge G lipsticks, but a little more moisturising than the Rouge Automatique line. The texture probably differs from color to color: Fall in Rose is a creme, but there are also quite a few shimmery shades in the collection. Fall in Rose applies so smoothly and silkily that the high cost of these lipsticks is almost justified. I don’t even need to use a lip balm underneath. The lipstick has a sweet violet-vanilla scent, which I happen to love, because it reminds me of Guerlain’s Après l’Ondée perfume and Meteorites face powder.

Here’s a swatch of Fall in Rose on my arm:

(I tried to draw the shape of a Guerlain “G.”)

I think this swatch shows the ease of application — no skips or clumping, even around the curves. This is one stroke. (However, Fall in Rose wasn’t too buildable on my mouth; it tended to cake a bit, maybe because it’s a lighter shade.)

And take note: Fall in Rose actually looks more like a rosy nude on my lips. It’s paler than many of my other lipsticks, and it gives a more “natural” look than my usual berries or deeper roses. It also works nicely under a coral or pink gloss (another suggestion from the Guerlain makeup artist).

All in all: understated yet luxurious. Well worth trying out, if you want even your “no-makeup makeup” to feel like a million bucks.

Guerlain cosmetics are available at the Guerlain website, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and other high-end department stores. I purchased this lipstick at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. To contact Bergdorf’s Guerlain counter by phone, call (212) 872-2734.