(pictured from top: L’Oréal Glam Shine Fresh in 600 Aqua Curaçao,
YSL Gloss Pur in 11 Icy Effect,
Paul & Joe Lip Gloss B in 001 L’Horizon Bleu)
If you think this photo looks a little familiar, then you may be one of my regular readers!
Back in 2007 (how time flies…), I posted about why I loved blue lip glosses (and why you should try them). I am happy that, over the years, many of you have told me that you also love how they add depth, dimension and transparency to your lips. Now, I bring you the summer 2011 additions of blue lip glosses.
– L’Oréal Glam Shine Fresh in 600 Aqua Curaçao
Among L’Oréal‘s numerous ranges of lip glosses, Glam Shine Fresh is one of the latest. 600 Aqua Curaçao is one of the seven shades available. I love how the color looks in the tube. It looks like warm sparkling ocean under the beaming tropical sun.
Its finish is the most natural among the three. One layer creates a natural sheen for the lips, and it takes a few more layers to build up a slightly glossier finish. (It doesn’t contain any shimmer.) This is suitable for those who want a very subtle gloss for the lips. (It has a heart-shaped sponge applicator.)
– Paul & Joe Lip Gloss B in 001 L’Horizon Bleu
From Paul & Joe’s L’Horizon Bleu summer 2011 makeup collection, Lip Gloss B in 001 L’Horizon Bleu is one of the three limited-edition lip glosses in the collection. (I also like the pink-toned 002 Swept Away.)
It looks light-blue in the tube, with pearly-white swirls and sparse blue and green flecks. (It has a brush applicator.) I am glad that the white pearlescence in the tube doesn’t really show up on the lips and that it certainly doesn’t create a frosty look. Similar to Aqua Curaçao, the finish is more of a subtle wet gloss than a full-on vinyl shine. The blue and green flecks glimmer nicely on the lips.
– YSL Gloss Pur in 11 Icy Effect
YSL’s Golden Gloss in 03 Golden Pink is one of my favorite lip glosses, so I had high hopes for Gloss Pur, which is a shimmer-less range of lip glosses. (Both ranges use brush applicators, which I prefer to sponge applicators.) From YSL’s summer 2011 Summer Night in Paris makeup collection, Gloss Pur in 11 Icy Effect turns out to be my favorite of the three.
Compared with the two above, Icy Effect has a slight teal tone. When I first saw it at the counter, I actually thought the color looked a little disappointingly muted. (I did buy it right then.) But the look of the shade in the tube has grown on me immensely, and it looks particularly pretty under sunlight. I also like the striking contrast between the blue and the classic YSL gold packaging.
I love its ultra-glossy finish, which only takes a couple of layers to create. It is a high-impact mirror-like gloss that makes the lips look juicy and dewy. Very satisfying……
(All of the three lip glosses are very sheer, so no Avatar-esque blue lips!)
Summer 2011 is quite a colorful season for makeup, and it is great to see more blue for the lips. Have you tried any blue lip gloss recently?
(L’Oréal Glam Shine Fresh in 600 Aqua Curaçao is provided by L’Oréal. Paul & Joe Lip Gloss B in 001 L’Horizon Bleu and YSL Gloss Pur in 11 Icy Effect are my own purchases.)
Related posts (more blue lip glosses):
Thierry Mugler Blue Effect Plexigloss Lip Lacker
From My Treasure Chest (3): Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in 387 Wish
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello PJ,
I’ve been a long time reader of your blog and have emailed you once in a while to ask about random products. I remember your site was the first beauty blog I ever read (and followed almost daily for more than 4 years) when I was researching about Japanese cosmetics. I still remember that wonderful feeling of discovering a kindred spirit. It was back then when beauty blogs didn’t abound the internet. How I looked forward to your posts – you were like my secret friend!
Suffice it to say that I recognize your 2007 post on blue lip glosses all too well. It seems only yesterday when I was reading about it : )
Thank you for this post; it has opened my mind on cosmetic choices, particularly because I am on the lookout for a new clear lip gloss, I might as well give blue ones a try.
Hi Strawbit,
First of all, I’d just like to thank you for being such a long-termed and frequent reader of my blog and for such a lovely comment. I am truly touched! I am happy and thankful that you have found my blog to be worth your time over the last few years. (Yes, I think I know who you are from the e-mail conversations we had.)
I know…it is hard to believe that the post was from 2007. My blog was only about 6 months old at the time……
You are very welcome! I do think blue-tinted lip glosses could be really good options if you are looking for clear glosses. I think L’Oréal’s Aqua Curaçao, which looks the most natural, is definitely worth looking into. Do let me know what you think if you decide to try any blue lip gloss.
Thank you for posting your comment and for letting me know about your blog. I will be following your posts! :)
I thought of your older post when all those blue glosses popped up this season. YSL is out of my budget and I don’t feel like buying P&J online, so maybe I will buy the L’Oreal one to try, although I don’t usually buy L’Oreal products-
Thanks for this article!
Hi Julia,
You are welcome! :)
YSL’s Icy Effect is indeed the most expensive of the three (it is also more expensive than the Golden Gloss I got a few years ago), but, for me (and for my obsession with blue lip glosses), it is worth the money. It is now among my favorite lip glosses. But if you would like to see how blue lip glosses can work for you, Aqua Curaçao could be a good choice.
Thank you for stopping by again! :)
What a timely post, even though I do own two of them. I was actually going to ask for an update on the blue glosses as, for some reason, they always seem to be limited edition and those in your first post weren’t available.
I know Benefit has California Kissin’ (just about the only one that isn’t limited) but I’m kinda picky about packaging and for that money, I want better packaging and something pretty.
Anyway, enjoying your posts, as always. Hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Leila,
I am glad you enjoyed this post! Hope you had a good weekend too.
Yes, blue lip glosses are usually limited editions, and I certainly hope that this post will be helpful to those who are thinking about trying blue lip glosses.
I am with you on California Kissin’. Even though I like how the blue looks in the tube, personally I am not really a fan of Benefit’s style of packaging. (Otherwise, I think I would have got it a long time ago.) But who knows…maybe someday I will go for it to add it to my collection……)
Thank you for your comment again! :)
Blue toned anything looks awful on me, but that’s probably because I’m so yellow!
Hi Jamilla,
I see! I do generally think blue lip glosses are variations of clear lip glosses (better variations, in my view) and that they should suit most people, but I suppose there are still degrees of suitability from person to person.
Thank you for commenting again! :)
The YSL looks lovely, but if I were to invest in any I would require, nay, demand, more pigmentation!
I have enough glosses (mainly from gift with purchases), I want something to blend with lip colour to give it a different effect, like the blue OCC lip tar. Clearly I’m not the target audience here. But for those who enjoy a more natural look, these seem a fun addition to one’s collection.
Hi Christy,
I had a quick look at the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars, and I do find the rich colors and the idea of mixing colors very interesting. (I would be quite tempted to try the blue, the yellow, and the purple-toned shades.) But generally I tend to wear semi-sheer lipsticks and lip glosses. I find that blue lip glosses, with their natural sheerness and pleasing hues in the tubes to look at, really appeal to me.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts again! :)
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