Mar 29, 2013

L'Oreal Limited Edition Spring 2013 Colour Riche Balms

L'oreal recently launched the Versailles Romance Collection for Spring 2013! The collection features new, limited edition pastel Coulour Riche Balms and nail polishes. I was so excited when I first saw the photos of the collection on Nouveau Cheap. I already knew that I had to try at least a few of the Colour Riche Balms, since the pastel shades looked so pretty in the packaging. Unfortunately,  these balms turned out to be quite sheer.


The pretty pastel casings immediately caught my eye!

The blue balm is called Sundays by the Seine and the purple is Legally Regal.

 Legally Regal swatched on the bottom and Sundays by the Seine on top

Legally Regal is a cool lilac shade that is sheer. Sundays by the Seine is absolutely clear, but it does have a bit of white shimmer. I found that both formulas were slippery, which made building color difficult. I was unimpressed with the formula, and the shades didn't wow me at all.

Claims: "This tinted lip balm provides a hint of luscious, kissable color, smoothing lips instantly and for a full 8 hours of continuous hydration. Lips are softer and more supple all day long—and keeps conditioning even after it’s been removed."
Pigmentation: I knew that these are balms, and that the colors would be tinted. With that said, I was still shocked that Sundays by the Seine was clear! Legally Regal has ok pigmentation.
Finish/Texture: The finish is shiny, and the texture is slippery- almost like a lipgloss. 
Lasting Power: I had maybe an hour at most. These balms slide all over the place.
Scent: These are unscented. (what a plus! I hate the smell of L'oreal lipsticks)
Packaging: The packaging is very pretty. The plastic caps coordinate with the color of the balm, and the lipstick holder is a gold tube. The lipsticks twist up/down easily and are labeled. 
Price/Availability: I paid $8.50 for each at Walgreens

Likes:

  • Pretty/functional packaging
  • Unscented
Dislikes:

  • Colors aren't true to packaging
  • Pigmentation is lacking
  • Lips don't feel moisturized at all before/during/after wear
  • Pricey, almost $9 each!
  • Low quality
  • No lasting power
  • Formula feels greasy
Overall:
This was my first time trying the L'oreal Colour Riche Balm line. I felt that these colors were very boring. At the store, the packaging made each lip balm seem like it was going to match color of the lid of the tube. That wasn't the case, as you can see from my swatches. These balms are very sheer, and one of them was completely clear. The claims of 8 hour moisture is honestly ridiculous, because I didn't feel that these moisturized my lips at all! The texture feels more like a lip gloss than a lip balm. I can't believe that these are priced at $7-$9 dollars at drugstores for such low quality. I was really expecting something much better from L'oreal since I'm a fan of their other lip products. 

Hopefully the sad pigmentation and formula is just on these new pastel shades. I would like to try some of the original shades, they look much brighter and pigmented. I won't rule out the entire line just yet, but I won't be trying anymore of the pastels!

 Have you tried any of the L'oreal Colour Riche Balms? 

14 comments:

  1. Since you didn't like these, I don't think you'll like the regular line. They are the same, sheer and unpigmented. The do call them Balms though, normally lip balms are unpigmented. I happen to really like them though, just to throw on something quick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know they aren't supposed to be super pigmented or anything, but I do feel like if the packaging is supposed to correspond with the lipcolor, then there should be some sort of similarity. I was really sad that the lip balm that looked blue in the tube, wasn't even tinted blue!

      Thanks for commenting:) I really enjoy reading other opinions.

      Delete
  2. Oh what a shame the pigmentation lets them down, as they look absolutely gorgeous! I love the packaging :( $9 is a lot of money for something that doesn't deliver xxx
    Gemma ♥ | Miss Makeup Magpie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think that lip balms shouldn't be that expensive at the drugstore. I really like the packaging too. It makes me want to put them on a shelf for display. Haha:)

      Delete
  3. Great review! :) I had a completely opposite experience with Sundays, though. I absolutely love it, so much so that I'm considering a backup. I love the fact that it's a funky little color in the tube, yet totally wearable. Also, mine smell like vanilla sugar?....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Well I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I can see your point on it being wearable (I mean it's basically a clear balm), but I wanted something that was actually a blue lip balm, even if only tinted blue. The fact that it was clear made me feel ripped off. I'm one of those people who likes to get what I see in the tube.

      I wonder why the ones I had didn't smell like vanilla? Maybe they had been on the shelf longer and the scent disappeared. Who knows, I just write about what I experience personally:)

      Delete
    2. I was thinking maybe L'Oreal changed the formula. My fave drugstore only just got these in, and I know they've been available for a coule weeks, at least.
      The color was what drew me in in the first place... It's even slightly tinted on me, too. It's strange, as if we're talking about two completely different products, lolol.

      Delete
    3. I don't know if they changed the formula, because this is my first time trying these all together. Maybe I just got a tainted one, but either way I didn't like these much. Everybody has different experiences with products. Some people will like something, while some won't. Like I said, I just write about my personal experiences.

      Delete
    4. I meant within this particular collection? I don't know, I'd never tried the line, either, lol. I picked up the light pink one thinking it'd be similar to Sundays, only with a pink tint, of course, but I didn't like it nearly as much. It is more pigmented, but in a wierd, chalky sort of way... Anyhoo, that's cool you could return yours :) Have a great night, been fun chatting with you :)

      Delete
  4. Hi I really love your reviews on products!
    Just a suggestion~
    Walmart products are way cheaper than drugstores like Target ect, like I payed only $5 for mine.
    I know some people are hesitant to shop there because it's icky, but it saves you a ton of money

    xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Zoe! I haven't seen these at my Walmart yet. When these first came out the only place I could find them was at Walgreens. Now they have popped up at Target too. I kept my receipt so I got my refund on these:)

      I only buy from places who will let me return items, just in case!

      Delete
  5. I love the names of the shades, but it's disappointing that the blue one was sheer! I guess you wouldn't expect L'Oreal to release a pastel blue lipstick :p Legally Regal looks quite pretty though :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Have you tried the L'Oreal Paris GlamShine Stain Splash? They are great, and apparently a dupe for a YSL product.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't heard of it referred to by that name before. Out here they call them L'Oreal Cololur Riche Caresse Stains, and yes I have tried them before but the scent was very off-putting for me! I would rather invest in the YSL because it doesn't have that strong chemical smell.

      Delete

Thank you so much for leaving me a comment! I appreciate and read each one. I will try to respond to any questions asap. Thank you! ♥

Please refrain from leaving spam- giveaway promos, follow for follow, hey check out my blog, etc, it will be deleted.

But feel free to leave your blog link so that others may see it ♥