Will the Real Red please stand up? Chanel Red Review

If you know me you will have probably heard me preach about the universal appeal of red lips just about every chance I get. I have constantly been on the look out for a great red lipstick with excellent colour pay off, real moisturizing properties and actual staying power.

I have sung the praises of lip stains and lip colours that last longer than the 3 hours it takes for me to eat my lisptick and have been convinced to think that this was as good as it was going to get. Boy, was I ever wrong!!

When I was sixteen I promised myself that I would get a Chanel red lipstick, having fallen in love with the classic appeal of the brand. There is no Chanel counter in Jamaica as far as I know and if there was one there would probably be no chance of me being able to conscientiously spend the money in Jamaican dollars. So, when I got the opportunity to travel to London recently (more on this later) and spotted the Chanel store in Covent Garden I knew it was time.

The black and white sign might as well have been neon and I dragged my companion promptly towards the store between the crowd of tourists and the rain. I immediately bee-lined for the lipsticks and started swatching. I kid you not, I nearly swooned. It was perfect! And it was that much sweeter a satisfaction because I had previously gone into Selfridges to check out the Tom Ford lipsticks but I had been sorely disappointed with their colour pay off and semi-sheerness.

When the store clerk came over and asked if I was taking it I had no choice but to say yes. My memory isn't very clear on what took place afterwards, because I was still swooning and all, but I think it was something like 25 pounds. I'm not quite sure, I'm sorry. I got the Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense lip colour in # 99 'Pirate' - you can see it here on the US site where it is listed for $34.00 USD (yikes?)

The colour and application was smooth, velvety and luxurious. One coat and it fully swathed my lips in rich opaque colour. Which is like a really big deal for me since my bottom lip is very very pink.The tube is a rich black casing with a gold-coloured interior on a spring that you push on gently so it slides out and you apply. Very fancy and va-va-voom if you ask me.

Now by all means, I am not saying you should go out and spend this much money on a tube of lipstick, but as my best friend religiously berates me when I moan about spending 'you get what you pay for'. If you spend this money it WILL be worth it. I wore it out on the town last weekend and even though I had applied  it at almost 9pm, it lasted me through till I woke up the next morning (yes I was bad and didn't wipe off my lipcolour). So the lipstick (along with the lipliner I purchased in duty -free - I blame Laura for this! lol) lasted me through one heineken, food, two mixed drinks and popcorn. I would call that a success right?!

Anyway, I will be inserting pictures of the packaging, of it swatched and such shortly in the meantime here are pictures of the packaging etc. I haven't gotten up the nerve to waste it on the back of my hand yet. lol

  

Till later!
Jane

ps- let me know if you want a video showing how to get the perfect red lip. :)