Back in August, I wrote an ode to my favorite Maybelline concealer, which I claimed (and still believe) is just as good as the expensive, cult-y, makeup-artist-favorite concealer from Japanese brand Clé de Peau. I pride myself on my ability to find such dupes — I use Garnier Micellar Water instead of Bioderma, and Burt’s Bees All Aglow Lip & Cheek Stick in place of Chanel Les Beiges — but I have not (and don’t think I ever will) find anything close to as good as my beloved Clé de Peau’s Beauté Lipstick.
Prior to my job at the Strategist, I worked in the beauty closet at InStyle magazine. I spent hours and hours sorting and categorizing the hundreds of beauty products that came across my team’s desk daily, which meant I literally touched (and often swatched) pretty much every sample sent to us. Our biggest collection by far was our lipstick samples: We had 15 different bins of color-coded tubes, and in order to properly sort them, I had to open every single one. In turn, I became fairly blasé when it came to lipstick. But when I tried on my first Clé de Peau, I was taken aback.
The curved head made for an unusually smooth application process — it molded to my lower lip, which meant I could apply it perfectly in a single swipe. And the color looked exactly as good on as it did in the tube — slightly matte and velvety. There are hundreds more things I love about this lipstick. It feels soft and powdery when you apply it, then, moments later, you don’t feel it at all. And though you don’t feel it, it is there. Like, seriously there. After the initial blot, the color looks good all day long, no matter how much you eat, or how much coffee you sip. I’ve eaten a burger in this lipstick and it still looked good afterward. And the burger didn’t have any lipstick on it somehow.
No matter how much I love this lipstick, it pains me to spend $65 on a single tube, as I imagine it would most people. Which is why I urge you to take advantage of the fact that it is currently 20 percent off, and test it for yourself. It’s worth it. Frankly, it’s worth it at full price.
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