Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 338 Mirage and 373 Rieuse

Holy *bleep* I've been on a crazy bender ever since the Nordstrom Beauty Trend show!  The online orders keep rolling in and every time I get into a conversation with an SA at a cosmetic counter I end up leaving with a crapload of random stuff that I hadn't planned on buying!

For the longest time I avoided department store cosmetic counters for fear of the hard sell.  I hated the way the SAs hovered around as if expecting me to shoplift or run off with the testers or something the minute they stopped breathing down my neck.  I always felt too nervous and self-conscious to comfortably browse.

Well, no more!  These days beauty counter SAs are practically my best friends!  They introduce me to gorgeous little things I never knew I needed.  They ply me with GWPs and offers of makeovers.  They oh-so-gently separate me and my hard-earned cash with the sweetest of smiles and sincerely wish to see me (ok, my wallet) again.  What's not to like?

(huh?  I thought this was about the Dior Addict Fluid Stick?)

Diorshow Fusion Mono Long Wear Professional Mirror Shine Eyeshadow in 821 Chimere

 Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 338 Mirage and 373 Rieuse ("she who laughs"?)

I barely even knew these existed when I saw them front and center at the Dior counter in Macy's.  The knobbed cap is good old familiar Dior Addict territory, but the lipstick-shaped container?  Soooo... was Maybelline copying on Dior, or....?  Anyways I only meant to gaze at the pretty colors for a moment but next thing you know the SA had me sitting down to try on a few shades.

She mentioned there were fifteen (I think? wasn't paying close attention) shades total at Macy's but only eight (I think?) shades in the permanent lineup.  Among the fifteen I had trouble finding a workaday neutral as they seemed like mostly brights or nudes that were way too light for me (see: purple-tinged fish lips).  So first I tried 479 Magique which was a freaking beautiful super bright pink.

I wasn't paying much attention to the color at that point, as the sensation of that smooth luscious gloss meeting my lips was just too distracting.  The formula felt incredible going on and was so, so opaque.  Hallelujah!  Those of you with dry lips will understand about the quest for a hydrating gloss that's also pigmented -- usually it's a tradeoff but lately with all these hybrid formulas coming out there's hope for us chappies after all!

I just love the applicator size and shape -- flat little bowl shape to really hug my lips and apply the gloss evenly in quick swipes, but also small enough (thinking of Lancome's La Laque Fever Gloss here) for detail work and accuracy.

Oh yeah so back to the colors.  Magique was practically neon and since I'm no longer a teenager the SA found me something still bright pink but less neon, 373 Rieuse.  There didn't really seem to be anything neutral (except the too-light nudes) so I tried on 338 Mirage which was a very pretty coral.  Another bonus:  no glitter or shimmer in either one.  Cha-ching!

Short-term impression:  Holy Hybrid Lipgloss, Batman!  I like, totally love this formula.  My most favorite hydrating gloss is (was?) Smashbox's Lip Enhancing Gloss but even the True Color ones barely have any pigmentation.  Still it's a great non-sticky lightweight gloss and is one of the few products I can use all day without peeling like crazy or feeling parched like a desert by the end.  This felt a lot like that except it was waaaaaaay more pigmented and had such a fun, bright color selection.  Oh and Rieuse at least seems to stain pretty good.  When removing the swatches with my Lancome Eau Fraiche Douceur micellar water, I really had to scrub hard and even then I could see a faint impression of the swatch.

About my lips:  Dry, chapped, purple-tinged, please just cover them up with something!

My lippie requirements:  Hydration, pigmentation, prefer no shimmer, and definitely no glitter.

  

Day-long wear test:  Pass!  This lipgloss feels different from normal gloss when applied...more of a gel feeling than anything else.  It "sets" a little bit.  On me (since my lips are so chapped) I'm guessing the moisture gets absorbed more quickly than on normal lips, but as far as glosses go it's definitely nicely moisturizing.  The lasting power of the color probably depends on which color you get.  For me, Rieuse was much more noticeable after a couple hours than Mirage was but both of them seem to have a bit of staining effect which is great.  However with Rieuse after several hours and a couple of re-applications I really wished I had a lip liner on me as the gloss migrated a bit over my lip lines and looked a bit disheveled.