Everyone has a favourite lip colour. One flattering shade that is guaranteed to light up your face, brighten your smile and always suits you.
I’ve had two great lip shade loves from both ends of the money spectrum, both long discontinued. The luxurious Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick Escapade aka Desert Rose and budget buy L’Oreal Glam Shine Cherry Sorbet Lip Gloss. I’m still working my way through various Chanel lipsticks in the hope that Escapade makes a ‘comeback’ as another shade.
In the meantime, any shade labelled ‘cherry’ is always going to get my attention and I’ve bought quite a few with varying degrees of success.
DIOR ADDICT LIP TATTOO, 761, NATURAL CHERRY
The first long wear lip tint by Dior, is about to shake up your makeup routine.
With its 10-hour hold (nope) comfortable formula and weightless ‘no transfer’ finish, the colour fuses to the lips like a tattoo just seconds after application.
I know exactly why this lip tint doesn’t have the best reviews – it doesn’t last anywhere close to 10 hours. Even 5 would be pushing it, 3 hours would be more accurate.
It’s such a great product why did they over-promise and label it ‘tattoo’ which implies it’s long-lasting and won’t fade? Why not call it something cool like Lip Ink (ooh, that’s good) or Lip Smack or Lip Stamp? I’m on a roll here.
I bought the Natural Cherry based on the case colour which I now take with me everywhere because it’s the exact shade I’m forever looking for. Also, the assistant said it would dry lighter when I first swatched it. The colour starts out as a vivid ‘in your face’ cherry red. Yes, it did change, but unfortunately, it dries down to a much lighter raspberry shade which is not at all flattering on me.
Swatching shades on your hand is not ideal, although we need to for hygiene reasons. The problem is it’s very deceptive because the stain really takes hold when applied to the skin. I put a dot on this morning and 7 hours later it’s still there, only water and cleanser will remove it. It just doesn’t last on lips.
Why don’t companies, especially the high-end ones, because we’re paying enough already for the product and marketing, produce individual swatch cards divided into warm and cool tones?
Charlotte Tilbury does something similar with individual lip shades instead of full palettes, although even those are becoming rarer.
In fact, now we can’t physically swatch makeup at counters anymore, this is an ideal solution – am suddenly a marketing genius!
REVIEW
The tint is liquid, but it’s not dripping wet. I wouldn’t fancy your chance if some got on your clothes though. It has a clean, minty fragrance which was a surprise.
Applied straight to lips, the strong pigment looks very dark and a little patchy. You should always begin with a thin coat as it’s very intense. It doesn’t glide on particularly smoothly either. But it is comfortable to wear, it’s not drying unlike a lot of matt lip stains.
The tint would have a more natural-looking sheer finish if the shade didn’t alter so much. The blue tone in cherry is very different from raspberry which makes my lips look very thin and mean.
HOW I APPLY TATTOO LIP TINT
All this seems very negative, but then I discovered a new way to wear lip tattoo. * I blend it with another lip colour, which can be in gloss, solid or liquid form before applying it with a lip brush. I have a tiny ceramic palette to mix it in and I’ve tried all sorts of combinations.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips in shade Too Bad, I’m Bad (a light rosy pink) works particularly well, the colour just pops and looks rich and polished and the lightness of the pink is dialled up a few notches with the cherry. You need very little of the lip tint, we’re talking tiny dabs here, you should also give it a few minutes to dry. The best part, of course, is that the colour is locked in, properly this time. Wear is even instead of that telltale rim of colour around your mouth.
I bought another tube of Natural Cherry as a back up because I’m worried it will be pulled because of all the poor reviews.
There’s a good range of 8 shades. I’m toying with the idea of buying 421 Natural Beige or 351 Natural Nude next. I can’t wear a true nude lip, it washes me out, but I could mix it with another shade and see what happens.
Golden skin would suit 451 Natural Coral. Olive and dark skin tones will love 491 Natural Rosewood, 661 Natural Red and the vibrant 881 Natural Pink will really pop. The range of shades is so good, it’s disappointing that the lip tint itself is a bit of a fail – unless you mix it of course.
SHOPPING INFO
Dior Lip Tattoo £28.00
Escentual ** is selling them for £25.20 which is the best discount I’ve found and they carry the whole range of shades in stock.
Allbeauty ** is selling Natural Red for £22.50.
*It’s the same old story. I’ve paid a lot for a product so I’m going to MAKE it work!
**Affiliate links
Photo Credit: Andrey Zvyagintsev – Unsplash.
