30 Days of Lipstick, Day 28: Paul & Joe Lipstick CS N in #201 Amise Bouche

On Day 28 my lipstick of choice was one from a brand with beautiful, sophisticated packaging and a pretty, floral shade to match- Paul & Joe Lipstick CS N in #201 Amise Bouche. Paul & Joe is a French line of cosmetics launched in 2002 by the head designer behind the flirty and feminine Paul & Joe fashion line. Their cosmetics are a bit difficult to find in Canadian stores, but they you can check them out at http://www.beautyhabit.com/ and http://www.strawberrynet.com/, and of course at http://www.paul-joe-beaute.com/.

Each season, the design and pattern of their limited edition lipstick tubes mirror the fabrics recently featured in the Paul & Joe runway shows. A neat and chic idea! Here's what mine looks like:

Paul & Joe Lipstick CS N- Beautiful packaging!

And here's what Lipstick CS N #201 looks like in the tube:

Paul & Joe Lipstick CS N #201

And here is a picture of it swatched on my arm (on the left):

(L) Paul & Joe #201, (M) Mac Ladybug, and (R) Chanel Zanzibar 

As you can see, #201 is a mid- to deep-toned berry grape shade. It has a moisturizing, slightly shiny finish and sheer to moderate colour coverage. Paul & Joe claims that their CS N lipsticks offer "brilliant colour", a "sheer... creamy texture", a "long lasting" and "comfortable" formula, and the power to make "your lips more glamorous". Phew! A long list of claims, but a fairly accurate one! I've never asked my lips just how glamorous this lipstick makes them feel, but I feel pretty alluring when I have it on :)

Here are a few pictures of me wearing it:

Me wearing Paul & Joe Lipstick CS N #201 Amise Bouche

Under artificial light (dorky face :)

With flash

The Verdict:

Pros:

• A purple-toned shade that doesn't wash out my fair, neutral-warm skin tone!
• Unique and feminine packaging
• Does not dry out my lips (which is a must for winter!)
• Sheer formula, so the colour isn't too overpowering

Cons:

• This lipstick is difficult to find in stores, so may be hard to track down (especially if you do not prefer online shopping; I got mine in a makeup swap)
• This shade might be slightly too purple-toned for those with very fair or very warm/golden-toned skin

Overall, this lipstick is a great choice if you're looking for a grape-toned hue that isn't too matte or opaque. Plus the sheer, moist formula is fantastic for winter- and the packaging is fun to show off! If you're a sucker for cosmetics that are beautiful to look at (in addition to being functional), check out Paul & Joe Cosmetics!