DHC Premium Lipstick GE

Japanese skincare brand DHC, famous for their cleansing oil, has a makeup line!  This is news to me, but apparently the brand has been producing colour products for ages, having started with cheek colours.  Anyway, part of that line is the simply named Premium Lipstick GE.  No ultra-long product names with multiple made up ingredients and multiple adjectives for DHC, oh no - this is lipstick, and it's their premium one.  Don't ask me what GE stands for.  Let's just gloss over that bit, okay?

First off, the packaging is absolutely gorgeous - the lipstick casings are two tone, with a simple shiny golden cap and a silver tube, prettily embossed with a floral motif.  They're not as heavy as you might think - they feel solid enough in the hand, and are neither overly heavy nor cheaply light.

The range contains six wearable shades ranging from soft pink to warm orange via rosy red.  There are no bright pops of colour in this collection - rather, it's made up of shades which are soft and neutral, easy to pair with heavier eye looks, or to wear as part of a natural and glowing look.

PK 102 - Petal Pink

RS 105 - First Blush

RS 107 - Rich Raspberry

RD 109 - Velvety Red

BE 111 - Rose Gold

OR 112 - Bold Persimmon

As you can see from the swatches above, the colours are well pigmented and rich without being particularly shouty or strong.  Most are fairly neutral in tone, with the exception of OR 112 (Bold Persimmon) and BE 111 (Rose Gold), which are a bit on the warm side.

Texture wise, these are very emollient lipsticks - they glide smoothly onto the lips and feel very comfortable and moisturising to wear. Given that texture, wear time isn't the longest I've ever encountered, and I've been reapplying every two to three hours to maintain the slightly glossy finish and the colour intensity.  When the colour does fade, though, it fades evenly, leaving a flush of colour on the lips.

One thing I find a little strange about DHC's Premium Lipstick is that whilst the outer cardboard packaging clearly states the shade code, the tube doesn't.  At all.  So if you find your perfect lipstick, run it down and want to repurchase, you'll need to keep a note of the shade number elsewhere.

For me, these lipsticks are nice, but nothing to write home about.  That might well be because I like my lipsticks strong, long wearing, and brightly coloured - almost the exact opposite of what these are.  If you like comfortable, soft colour, though, they might well be right up your street.  Find them on the DHC website, where they're currently on sale for £11 each (usually £13).

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.