Review: Gold lipstick that fails to shine

When Christmas party season comes around I like to seize any opportunity to add extra sparkle to a look.

The lipsticks of L’Oreal Paris’s new Gold Obsession collection drew me in like a magpie to the sparkle. The special collection of the Color Riche lipstick range looked like a dream product – a two-step way to make my lips multidimensional and glitzy.

The metallic lipsticks are infused with 24-carat gold pigments. That really brings metallic lips to the next level, doesn’t it!

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Gold Obsession Lipstick

I bought three shades – Rose Gold, Plum Gold, and Pure Gold. The Pure Gold lipstick seemed like a necessity that I could add on top of the base colours to design the statement ombre effect.

Pa rum pum pum Plum

Berry lips are my favourite thing about winter makeup – the ability to add a dark lip to a minimal look makes it seem like I made some effort, and I get to skip the heavy eye makeup.

I was most excited about the Plum Gold, but found the pigment just a little too light for a shade that should have been dramatic. The colour is more purple than plum too, but is a wearable shade for day or night.

As for moisture, the Plum Gold is very oily. It should have been a plus because it doesn’t dry out your lips, but it also never stays put! My coffee cups were forever stained with lip outlines and I have had to reapply it a few times on the days I wore it.

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Gold Obsession Lipstick

Rosy sheen

The Rose Gold is a pretty candy pink colour. But once again, the light pigment meant that I needed to apply a few layers before seeing the true colour. It’s a nude shade with extra gloss – so the finish is like having a lip gloss on without the stickiness.

On the nights I’ve worn Rose Gold I found it really drying. I gave it another chance during the daytime, but it just clumped, dried and disappeared throughout the day.

Going for Gold

Pure Gold is supposed to be the wild child of the range, designed to amp up the looks. The adventurous few could apply this colour on its own to have a completely metallic lip.

In reality, it’s a very yellow gold colour and very opaque. The creamy formula went right into my lip creases, and the glitter gradually spread everywhere. This wasn’t the flawless futuristic metallic finish I was expecting – it looked like I tried to apply cheap gold eyeshadow to my lips.  

This wasn’t the flawless futuristic metallic finish I was expecting – it looked like I had tried to apply cheap gold eyeshadow to my lips.  

On another trial, I added Pure Gold to the centre of my lips on top of the Plum Gold. But since the plum base refuses to dry, all that happened was that the product transferred onto the gold stick and ruined it.

The little bit of gold that did apply to my lips was interesting at first, but somehow the glitter spread everywhere. I had glitter on random parts of my face by the end of the night, and a glittery nose is only something that might suit Rudolf the Reindeer.

Faded grandeur

My grand dream of having a lovely two-toned lip effect with this collection was dashed. At a cost of €9.99 each in Boots, these lipsticks work out quite pricey if you want to get the gold effect since you have to buy at least two products.

The packaging looked quite high-end, with an ombre black and gold outer coat. This wears almost right away, and started to fade and scratch after a few days in my handbag.

Of course what matters is what’s on the inside. But it’s disappointing that there’s no real gem within.

Did you try L’Oreal Gold Obsession lipsticks? Did you have a different experience? Let us know!