Christian Louboutin Lipstick Swatches on Dark Skin {Overview of All Shades}

So first things first: I took the swatches while at the tiny Christian Louboutin lipstick display at Bergdorfs on the day they came out. I went during the day to try to avoid the after-work crowds but the counter was still pretty busy and I didn’t want to be a jerk hogging up all the lipsticks and snapping pics. Lighting there wasn’t great and I didn’t want to whip out my SLR and source lighting because again, I wasn’t trying to be a jerk…lol. I managed to get these swatch pics with my iPhone and then after doing all of that, then realized that some of the lipsticks were in the wrong slots (GRRRR). So I had to try and figure out what was what from the Christian Louboutin site which doesn’t include color descriptions. I did the best I could with the time, space, and lighting I had. Please keep this in mind when reading this post—sometimes folks get used to seeing swatches done a certain way and don’t realize the work (or in my case the challenges) that goes behind it.

So yes, Christian Louboutin Lipstick is finally here. The packaging is GORGEOUS. A total collectors item and if I had to guess, I’d say a good portion of the price is because of the packaging (well, the CL name is very significant, too). If you’re a sucker for packaging, you might as well just prepare yourself to get at least one. But unlike what you might have seen in promo images, it does NOT come with a chain. Instead it comes with a silk ribbon. I felt that it looks better with the chain—especially if you do want to opt to wear these as a necklace.

While I was at the counter there was a guy buying a few for his girlfriend—he even had her talk to the counter reps on the phone to figure out lip shades. I need a man like that…lol.

Actually, maybe not. Just give me the money and I’ll get it myself…lol.

They come in three formulas:

Silky Satin (20 shades)

Glides on lips with an opulent and sensual feel.
Sets with a silky satin finish and soft shine.
Applies medium to full coverage in one stroke.
Features a unique blend of ultra-fine pigments for deep and generous colour.
Protects effectively against dryness thanks to a complex of natural oils and seed butters.
Lasts with comfort and excellent appearance without feathering for up to 4 hours.
Presented in a re-usable black lacquer carton jewelry box including a silk ribbon and a silk carrying pouch.

Velvet Matte (9 shades)

Features an intensely rich pigment blend for velvet matte colour with a soft touch finish.
Applies with smooth precision and full coverage in one stroke.
Protects effectively against dryness thanks to a complex of natural oils and seed butters.
Lasts with comfort and excellent appearance without feathering for up to 4 hours.
Presented in a re-usable black lacquer carton jewelry box including a silk ribbon and a silk carrying pouch.

Sheer Voile (9 shades)

A creamy smooth and nourishing sensation on lips.
Impactful colour accents lips natural radiance.
Sheer coverage with a luminous shine finish.
Effective protection against dryness thanks to a complex of natural oils and seed butters.
Presented in a re-usable black lacquer carton jewelry box including a silk ribbon and a silk carrying pouch.

I’d say all three formulas are amazing—which one you choose would depend on the look you’re going for. I was initially going to go for a matte but didn’t see any shades that particularly jumped out at me. Eton Moi was a really pretty vampy matte that I think will appeal to most but I didn’t get it because dark lip colors like that can tend to wash me out since they get close in color to my skin tone—I usually mix in a bright red or pink with colors like that to give it more pop. And for $90 I didn’t want a color I had to mix with anything. Then I was looking for a really standout red and while there are a few reds in the various formulas, none stood out to me.

What did stand out was surprisingly Rose Du Désert a soft pink with a slight hint of mauve. I LOVE shades like this because they pop so nicely on dark skin (not everything needs to be a bright color—although I LOOOOVE my brights and bolds). Plus I plan on doing more smoky and darker eye makeup for fall and winter so this lip color is PERFECT for those looks. It’s a Sheer Voile—it looks pretty with one coat but it’s outstanding with two. The formula feels amazingly silky and hydrating on the lips. It also wore well, too considering it’s a sheer formula.

You can see a short Periscope/Katch replay of me talking through the line AND wearing Rose Du Désert here.

There are also Lip Definer Pencils which come in nude shades to match almost all skin tones. The trick with these is to match your skin tone and not the lipstick.

Rose Du Désert

See Rose Du Désert on me in action here.

Swatches

Remember what I said above about the lighting and these being taken at the counter.

Bottom line: $90 Christian Louboutin lipstick isn’t for every beauty girl. But that’s the fun thing about beauty—there’s so many different brands and price points for all of us. I’d say the kind of girl who owns an enviable number of YSL, Tom Ford, Guerlain, etc. lipsticks is the type of girl who would want at least ONE Christian Louboutin lipstick. For me though the color selection didn’t have very many “standout” shades to justify those of us who can’t buy $90 lipsticks all willy nilly. But from what I got from the beauty counter reps is that Christian designed these with making the woman standout and not the lips per say. So basically you won’t find “MAC shades” in this line.

Aside from the silk ribbon in lieu of a chain, I do feel like I got a $90 lipstick. Thankfully I didn’t see a lot of colors that stood out to me or I’d have more…lol.

If you’re interested in buying and can only get one, I think you need to take the time and go into a store to check out the display.

P.S. If I’ve mislabeled a lipstick, please let me know. I almost wish I didn’t label them because it’ll take work to redo the labels…lol.

Price and where to buy: $90 at Sephora (plus 4% cash back when you use eBates), Nordstrom (plus 4% cash back when you use eBates), Neiman Marcus (plus 8% cash back when you use eBates), Bergdorf (plus 4% cash back when you use eBates), Saks (plus 10% cash back when you use eBates), and christianlouboutin.com.