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When Marc Jacobs debuted his beauty collection in 2013, it was clear that it wasn't a half-assed brand extension solely for the sake of having a stake in the multi-million dollar beauty industry. Instead, it was an expansive collection of innovative products that were as creative and exciting as the man himself. His first offering was such a success that he had me eagerly awaiting each new addition to his line, and he has yet to disappoint. This time around, Marc Jacobs is kicking off 2015 and easing us into spring with the new Le Marc Lip Crèmes.
We seem to be getting excited about lipsticks again, don't we? Thank god. If I get one more release about a pore refining powder or another BB cream, I might, and I mean this literally, die of boredom. From the release of the NARS Audacious Lipsticks last fall that had everyone geeked, to Tom Ford's incredibly fun and sexy (and limited edition, natch) "Lips & Boys" collection that dropped on Black Friday, it seems like all of our favorite beauty brands are putting lip color front and center.
The Le Marc Lip Crèmes are a velvety soft texture that glides on smoothly, leaving an intensely pigmented trail of color behind with a demi-matte finish. The lip crèmes are formulated with meranti and cocoa butters to be ultra-hydrating without feeling heavy, clinging to your lips all day while softening them and giving you up to ten hours of color payoff. That's ten hours more wear than I get out of an outfit, let alone a lipstick.
What initially struck me about the Le Marc Lip Crèmes was how, even when applied to full coverage and opacity, it didn't feel like I was wearing any lipstick at all. My lips felt hydrated, but they didn't feel like I had a thick layer of product sitting on top of them. Sometimes when I'm wearing a lip color, I feel hyper-aware how of it feels, how it's wearing, and whether or not I've smudged it the entire time I've got it on. With this lip crème, I was able to put it on and forget about it.
The Le Marc Lip Crèmes are available in a range of twenty vibrant shades of reds, pinks, mauves, and purples, all named after the women and men who have inspired Marc throughout his career. The shades I picked up were Oh Miley! (on principle) which is a bright, Ferrari red, and Scandal, the deepest purple of the bunch.
Admittedly, I'm not a red lipstick guy. I have learned that nothing red really works for me, from red beauty products to red clothing to redheaded men. However, Oh Miley! wore so well that it just about changed my mind. One pass of the color just about reached opacity. It stayed put all day, and the color jumped off my lips like few others have. This color was almost good enough to make me reconsider reds. Almost.
Where most purple lipsticks fail to go there, opting for a safer, middle of the road red-purple, Scandal really comes to party. It's a true, deep royal purple. I found that Scandal initially went on just a bit less opaque than the red shade did, allowing my lips to show through just a bit on the first swipe, making the color a little less of a shock against my skin. It builds to full coverage in just a couple more passes, giving you a killer purple lip that will last all night.
This should go without saying, but the packaging is chic as hell. The lipstick is housed in a black tube, with Marc's logo emblazoned across it. My favorite part is that it has a magnetized closure that comes together with a satisfying SNAP every time you put the cap back on. This helps ensure that you won't be digging around inside your purse, trying to find the lid after it's come off in the middle of the day, or chasing it around the floor of a bathroom when you were just trying to touch up your lip five minutes before last call.
Marc Jacobs is known for his colors, both in fashion and beauty. When I posted a photo of these lip colors on Instagram, my friend and fellow beauty enthusiast @lilgovernment immediately chimed in, saying "MARC HAS SUCH GOOD PIGMENTS." And she's right. These lipsticks are totally caps-lock-worthy.
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