Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick for Spring 2012

The highly anticipated new shades of Sisley's Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick ($55) for Spring 2012 arrived. We knew they were coming. I had hoped to see them with the rest of the Tropical Orchid Look for Spring 2012, including the amazingly gorgeous Palette Orchidée Highlighter Blush. Maybe the staggered introductions give us a reason to keep checking back with Sisley!

The collection was inspired by the soft yet exuberant colors of Southeast Asian landscapes,combining warm and cool colors for a vibrant chiaroscuro effect. The four new shades of Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick bring the number of color options in the line to 25.

This soft, finely textured lipstick is a comfortable, full-coverage lipstick that offers protective, moisturizing benefits to the lips. It feels great on the lips, while offering:

• flawless, long lasting hold;
• full coverage thanks to a glide-on, satiny texture that does not bleed or settle into lines; and
• clean, precise definition with a unique beveled, spiral form of bullet.

Sisley recommends that you start your application by defining the lip contour using a matching shade of lip liner. I don't bother. For more voluptuous lips, apply a touch of lip gloss over the lipstick. I do bother - not for the moisture, but for the shine. The wonderful active ingredients of Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick include calendula to soften and vitamins C and E, antioxidants to protect against free radicals.

The new shades are Rose Fushia (L32 - can any makeup company spell this word correctly?), Rose Cashmere (L32), Rouge Passion (L33), and Rose Petunia (L34). You can see little color squares at this Neiman Marcus link. I tried all four and settled quickly on Rose Cashmere. I loved the warmth of the pink. The two other new rose shades are very bright, and the rouge red shade is way too dark for me.

You can see how pretty the shade looks in full sun - a warm pink that reflects light nicely. It is not this shiny in the shade or indoors. I really like this color, and I think it coordinates beautifully with Palette Orchidée.

Here's another full-sun photo directly above. On my lips, the shade is a warm coral-pink. It looks much less pink and much warmer than it appears in these photos. That's one reason I selected Rose Cashmere. I wanted to broaden my color wardrobe.

What do I improve it? I add a lip gloss. I like shine, and Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick, designed to last on your lips, is fairly devoid of shine. No problem there; I have at least four lip glosses with me any time I leave the house.

Next time you swing by your local Sisley counter, ask to see the new shades. Although they are pricey, like the La Prairie lip colors, they are beautiful.

Photo at top courtesy of Sisley Paris; other photos by Best Things in Beauty