So near, yet so far. (L'Oréal Glam Shine)

Member Name: carly_pussycat

Product:	L'Oréal Glam Shine
Date:	06/05/04 (1033 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful glossy sheen, Pretty colour

Disadvantages: RANK SMELL!!!

One of the first cosmetics items I bought in my early teens was a L?Oreal lip gloss called ?Rouge Pulp.? It was a subtle rose shade with a soft metallic sheen; a stunning shade which I loved at the time. However, there was one major drawback which put me off L?Oreal lip products right up until this year when I bought Glam Shine. Immediately after applying it I realised why I had avoided L?Oreal for SO long ? and I shall explain why in due course.

Glam shine initially appealed to me because I am constantly on a mission for the perfect lip enhancement, and being a newbie on the market this little gem grabbed my attention with its promises of a ?dazzling glamorous lip-plumping effect.?


Glam Shine comes in several different colours:

? Silver Crystal
? Moon Crystal
? Clear Crystal
? Pure Chrome
? Volcano Chrome
? Sand Crystal
? Carmin Crystal
? Mercury Crystal
? Opaline Crystal
? Virtual Chrome

They range from pale beiges and clear whites to darker raspberry shades. There is not a huge selection but you should be able to find one to suit your skin tone. I chose Pure Chrome because I thought it looked a little different to the others, and also different to other glosses that I own. Pure Chrome appears glittery white in the tube but looks more subtle on the lips. It is presented in a small classy tube about four inches tall, wide at the top and bottom and slightly tapered in the middle. All the writing is gold and there is a thick gold band around the middle. The top, which also acts as the wand applicator is silver ? sounding good so far?

Open the tube and have a sniff ? THAT is that exact reason I can?t stand this gloss.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly why I dislike it so much but I would say that it smells like synthetic fruit mixed with some kind of perfume. I remember at first when I bought ?Rouge Pulp? years ago I liked the smell at first but gradually went off it and the
n got to the point where I disliked it so much that I was unable to wear it any more. So it smelt bad, but I?d bought it now, so I had to wear it?

The wand is fairly similar to any other lip gloss wand, although it differs slightly in that the applicator tip of the wand is fairly thin and slightly tilted for ease of application. I personally find that this neither helps nor hinders application.

You can tell that the gloss is fairly thick, but not in a sticky way (a la Lancôme Juicy Tubes). It glides on easily and you don?t need much for full (but sheer) coverage. On the lips it is much clearer than in the tube. It has a hint of white but it mainly consists of shiny diamond like particles and small silver flecks which glimmer in the light. It provides exactly what it promised, which I would describe as a glassy pouty look. It slightly plumps your lips, making them look full and very sexy. It gives flawless but subtle colour and doesn?t feel sticky in the slightly.

When you are wearing it, if you run your tongue over your lips you can?t really taste anything. It feel smooth rather than textured with glitter or plastered with excess gloss I find that this colour makes my skin appear healthier as it complements but skin and brightens my appearance.


LASTING EFFECT?

Due to the texture of this gloss I find that it can last longer than some stickier alternatives. You can rub yours lips together and they slide rather than sticking. It will last with full shine for around an hour pr
oviding you are not really drinking/eating or making contact with your lips, it fades well, not leaving any kind of sticky residue on your lips. It doesn?t leave a strange outline, but then my shade is quite sheer so I couldn?t comment on how darker shades may look after time.


THE AFTERMATH

I don?t find that this has any lasting results on my lips ? it neither dehydrates them nor moisturises them. It is easily re
moved with normal makeup remover (I use Clinique ? Take The Day Off). After removing the gloss your lips will be back to normal.


PRICE AND AVAILABILI TY

£6.99 for 6ml from Boots and any other place that stocks L?Oreal cosmetics.

Personally I think that it is an absolute rip off because I can buy a 15ml Juicy Tube for £11, which actually works out a lot cheaper (and tastes a hell of a lot better!) Failing that, Urban Decay?s Lip Gunk costs £2 more but I?d much rather shell out £2 extra than waste £6.99 wearing something once.


VERDICT

I have no complaints whatsoever about the effect and I believe the product does live up to its claims. However the smell, for me, is absolutely unbearable as I prefer sweet smelling and sweet tasting lip glosses. I certainly shall not be repurchasing this as I think it is vastly overpriced and I can?t even bring myself to wear it. I sold mine as 'used' on eBay in the end and someone was very happy with it!



 carly_pussycat - dooyoo UK ©

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