L'Oreal Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve

This is another of those products that I've had for awhile and keep thinking I've already talked about here... but haven't. Mystic Mauve is actually my second L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss; the first I bought was Naturally Nude, which is clear. It is my clear-gloss-of-choice to layer over other lip products, since it adds a lot of glossiness, and is creamy (in texture; it's definitely crystal clear and completely colorless) enough that it doesn't upset the product beneath it when gently layered on top. In fact, it's what I'm wearing on top of Train Bleu when I show it worn with clear gloss in this post. I was impressed enough by the formula that I filed it away as a gloss to keep my eyes on, and when I found myself at Rite-Aid during a BOGO sale on L'Oreal lip products and with a $1 off L'Oreal coupon, I made sure that a Le Gloss was one of my picks. I ended up walking away with Mystic Mauve, which looked to me like a kind of Berry-rose color in the tube. I'll get some of the basics out of the way before I start gushing about this color!

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss glosses come in a squeezable tube with an angled applicator built in; I really prefer tubes with wands (and doe-feet applicators, not brushes!), but the design of this works well enough to avoid some of the things I dislike about squeezy tubes. The angled applicator cuts down on messy application, and the hole through which product is dispensed is a good size; not so small that you squeeze and squeeze until a glob jets out, and not so large that you invariably end up with way more product than you need.  There is a very faint vanilla scent, but it is not overly sweet, nor does it last; unless you are incredibly sensitive or allergic to scents, I don't think it would bother you, and this is coming from someone with a notorious hatred of synthetic vanilla scented products. The gloss itself is "cushiony"; it's not a thin one that spreads out really thinly, or feels watery on. It has a nice squish to it, and smooths over lip lines and dryness, de-emphasizing both. You end up with an incredibly gloss, incredibly smooth surface, making lips look very full and lush. That being said, I've never tried a shade with glitter or shimmer, only cremes, so I can't speak to the texture of other finishes. Despite being a really shiny gloss, it isn't sticky at all; it's actually a really great texture.  I also find it to be reasonably moisturizing; it's not a replacement for a hydrating balm, but I've slapped on a layer of this to help moisturize my dry lips in a pinch, and it definitely helps. Like many non-sticky glosses, this won't stay put all day. I find it wears off on me in 2-3 hours, soaking in to leave a more satin finish after the glossiness fades. The tube contains .4 ounces of product, and the suggested retail price is $7.95, according to L'Oreal's website, but if you watch sales or shop around, you can easily find them for less; for instance, Target's website has these listed for $5.99.

Here is the gloss itself; the tube is nothing special, but it does feature L'Oreal's signature golden accents. It's a longer and narrower tube as opposed to some of the shorter, squatter designs out there. This is definitely a more "grown up" squeezy tube.

Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve

 And here is the applicator tip I was telling you about earlier; not my favorite gloss delivery system, but this is definitely the best-engineered version of these that I've encountered.

le Gloss' applicator tip 

And here's a swatch! You can see how pigmented the gloss is, although it is definitely not opaque when blended out to the thickness you'd wear it on your lips.

Swatch of L'Oreal Mystic Mauve Gloss 

 And here it is on my lips! I really love this color; it's subtle, but very pretty. Definitely falls into the "My Lips But Better" category!

Wearing L'Oreal Colour Riche le Gloss in Mystic Mauve

L'Oreal Mystic Mauve gloss 

Summary: This is a really great gloss formula; it has a nice balance of glossiness, pleasant texture, and moisturizing properties. Mystic Mauve in particular is a beautiful shade that brightens up my face and makes my lips look really full and luscious, without pulling attention away from other colors I might be using on my face. It has a nice level of pigmentation for a gloss; it adds a noticeable but still subtle wash of color. Although I wish this came with a doe-foot wand applicator rather than in a squeeze tube, I haven't had any issues with the applicator, and have been able to get a precise application without wasting product. I think if you're in the market for a moisturizing, non-sticky, shiny drugstore gloss, this is a reasonably priced line worth checking out with a formula that can definitely rival higher-end formulas like Urban Decay's Lip Junkie or Pocket Rocket glosses and NARS' lip gloss formula, and that I actually prefer to Sephora's house brand and MAC's stickier formulas. It's texture also makes it great for layering over other products without upsetting your base layer of color (no pilling, smearing, etc...). If you are a gloss connoisseur and haven't tried L'Oreal's Colour Riche le Gloss yet, I think it's worth a try, especially if you can find it on sale!

Have you guys tried out le Gloss yet? What do you think of it? This formula hits on a lot of key points of things I like to see in a gloss; I only wish it had a wand applicator instead of a squeeze tube!