Dolce & Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss

When I ordered my Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipsticks, I decided to try a couple of lip glosses at the same time. I may have needed to spend a little more to get free shipping, and any gloss called "ultra-shine" would have drawn my attention. When I clicked on the link for the Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss ($29), I was faced with a spectacular array of shades - 24 in all. I settled in to read, and I was enchanted.

Sensual and tempting, Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss imparts a dewy glass look for the lips. The professional brush ensures perfect application. When paired with lipstick or liner, intensity abounds.

Dewy glass look? Sold! I decided to order Magic (#145) and Dahlia (#150), based on the little rectangular online swatches. I could have ordered any of the shades. They all looked beautiful. Charm, Baby, Innocence, and Tender were also calling my name. I expanded the swatch for Magic, and the photo at right is what I saw.

Here's where online shopping gets tricky. Although I really like both of the shades that arrived, neither is what I had expected. Maybe Dolce & Gabbana should add shade descriptions to the information online. In my photo at left, Magic is shown on the left, and Dahlia is shown on the right.

In my photo immediately below, Magic is shown at the top, with Dahlia below. Online, Magic appeared to me to be rose, and Dahlia appeared to be a brown-grape-rose hybrid.

The colors in the tube were close approximations to my descriptions above, and they look that way on my lips too. Imagine my surprise when I applied them to my arm for swatch photos. The colors on my blank-canvas arm are very different. Rosy lips make quite a difference! There's no way Magic is the color represented in the swatch photo above.

I'm not sure how Magic can appear to be a warm rose on my lips, but look so coral on my arm. Dahlia is also a color surprise. It appears to be very grape on my arm, but loses some of the purple and is a grape-toned rose on my lips. Does any of that make sense?

I like them both very much. I am not criticizing them, just pointing out the shade anomalies. I'm very happy that they are extremely pigmented, meaning I don't have to wear lipstick underneath. I can swipe and go.

Another surprise was the finish. I don't find them ultra-shiny. I'd call them subtly shiny. They shine, but not like a beacon. I took my swatch photos in full sun, and they had a chance to reflect the sun's rays. I hope you can see that they did, but not in the way YSL's Golden Gloss does.

The texture feels just a little heavy, but that's what gives them some staying power. That's always a trade-off. They don't feel sticky - just "there."

Will I purchase more of them? I'm not sure. I like them - I really do - but I would prefer to see them in person before I select additional shades. There's also my Passion Duo Gloss Fusion love affair. I want so many more of those, I'm not sure where to start. Maybe I'll purchase additional gloss shades once my passion for the duos subsides from a full boil to a simmer.

You can purchase Dolce & Gabbana color, brushes, and fragrance at Saks Fifth Avenue (online and select stores) or at Dolce & Gabbana's Web site. For a store locator, click here.

Photos at top courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue; other photos by Best Things in Beauty