Review: Clarins Rouge Eclat Age Defying Lipstick

Rouge Eclat is the latest lipstick to be added to Clarins' already pretty comprehensive lineup, and it claims to be the first "age defying" lipstick from Clarins.  Apparently the age-defying moniker comes from the inclusion of "Nutri-Youth Complex" which protects lips from dehydration and boosts collagen.  I don't know about you, but I wear lipstick for colour, not for any skincare benefit, and I also swap lipstick so often I doubt I could get any anti-aging benefit from these; you have to wear them regularly to get the full effect.

Anyway, anti-aging claims aside, these lipsticks are your typical Clarins production - luxe, shiny golden packaging, lovely texture, and a great array of shades from subtle to POW.  The gold and plastic casing feels reasonably heavy in the hand, and catches the light prettily - there's no doubt that these are a luxurious bit of kit.

Juicy Clementine, Passion Red, Nude Rose, Pink Berry

I particularly like that the bullet has a flat top which fills the casing perfectly.  The shape of the bullet isn't the most convenient to apply colour to the lips, but it does look very pretty in the tube.

The texture is lovely - as you might expect, the lipsticks are buttery soft and hydrating, adding moisture and a soft sheen to your pout.  Unlike some hydrating lipsticks, they're not at all slippy, but rather a little more waxy once set, which definitely makes me feel like the colour is going to cling onto my lips.  And cling it does - last week I wore Pink Berry and Nude Rose rather a lot, and I only reapplied once the whole day.  I got around six hours of wear from each application, and whilst the colours did fade, they did so evenly.  They also remained pretty comfortable right the way through the wear time, which is no mean feat.

Juicy Clementine

Passion Red

Nude Rose

Pink Berry

Of the shades above, Pink Berry and Passion Red are my favourites, although I have found myself wearing Nude Rose rather a lot, as it's almost exactly the same colour as my lips (minus the blue outline) and goes with a heavier eye look.  Pink Berry isn't really too berry - it reads more like a soft reddish pink on me, and whilst it's quite a strong colour, it doesn't overwhelm my face.

Overall I'm very impressed with these.  They provide great colour, great wear, great texture - and I'm sure that the hydration they bring to the lips makes my mouth look fuller and more lush.  If I'd not been feeling a similar love for the much cheaper Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks I've recently discovered, I'd declare these my new favourite lipsticks.  As it is, though, they definitely come joint top of my favourite lip products of this year.

Find them at Clarins counters and concessions, and online at Clarins' website, where they'll cost you £18.50 each.

Disclosure: PR sample