laura mercier

Fear not the coral lipstick, for it knows not what it does. Some of them just don’t know that they can look a little too South Beach senior swingers for their own good, but add a dash of pink, a semi-matte finish and voilà! — the springy and fun Laura Mercier Sheer Lip Colour in Kissed Lips ($22).

Part of spring’s Lingerie collection, Kissed Lips excels at looking natural and fresh, but it’s not the lowest maintenance lippie on the block.

First, my lips need to be smoother than a porcelain doll’s because the texture’s pretty thick. Kissed Lips tends to catch on every flake, so it’s a no-go for me if/when my lips are extra dry.

Complicating matters, the formula seems fairly drying to me, which means having to start with a layer of something moisturizing first, like a really good lip balm.

After applying a balm and letting it settle in, I dab Kissed Lips lightly on my pucker for a light my-lips-but-better stain; for a more concentrated look, I bust out a lip brush, since the color tends to spread unevenly when I apply it directly from the tube.

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The scenario: weekend brunch with the girls. After a short stack of banana pancakes, three cups of coffee and two solid hours spent laughing, chatting and catching up, it’s time for a quick touch-up before heading out. If you happen to pull hot pink Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Dollface ($22) from your purse, what happens next could sound a lot like this…

BFF: “Ooh!”

You: “I know, right? It’s Laura Mercier’s Dollface lipstick.”

BFF: “LOVE the color, but I dunno… Do you think I could ever wear something that bright?”

You: “Oh, yes! For sure! It’s way more bark than bite. It looks super bright in the tube and goes on like a really sheer, shiny hot pink, but when it mellows out it looks like a lip stain.

“I like it… I don’t like having to reapply it every hour or so — that’s kind of a pain — but it’s very hydrating, and my lips are dry, so it’s great for that. Oh, and it tastes and smells a little like vanilla, which I like.

“Here, wanna try? I promise I don’t have cooties. 🙂 Wipe the tip on that napkin over there… And use my mirror.”

Next thing you know, grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s after brunch gets put on the back burner, and you and your girls are making a beeline for the nearest Laura counter so they can pick up Dollface, too.

Yes, I speak from experience.

Beyond its uncanny ability to inspire sudden changes in plans, Dollface also possesses the power to seduce wearers into thinking that it, and the rest of Laura’s Gel Lip Colours, are among the slickest, lightest weight, most comfortable lipsticks you and your lips have ever kissed.

Dollface doesn’t just feel smooth. It feels smoove…like that time you “accidentally” ate that bowl of buttercream frosting you were supposed to use for the cake you baked and then, as you licked the smooth, rich frosting from your lips, realized that — holy wow! — there was a ton of butter in that.

Again, I speak from experience. 🙂

And maybe I’ve watched way too much Masterpiece Theater lately, but I think there’s also something very Downton Abbey about Dollface, especially after about 20 minutes, when it settles down and the shine gives way to a soft, pink stain with a careless whisper — wait, did I just say “careless whisper?” — of sheen. I can totally see the Crawley girls wearing it whilst sipping tea, or perhaps while touring the gardens on a hazy spring day.

Seriously, does the sun ever come out on that show?

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