Review: Chanel Rouge Coco in 22 Paris

A few weeks back, I went shopping with a couple of girlfriends. One of them, Sarah, was on the prowl for a bright red lipstick. Prior to that trip, I’d coaxed her into looking at Chanel’s Rouge Coco ranges in an attempt to convert her into a fan – turns out my attempt succeeded, as the first lipstick counter she dragged us to was Chanel’s!

After swatching about ten different reds, she picked out Chanel Rouge Coco in 22 Paris, a gorgeous, creamy, deep bluish-red as depicted below:

Photo courtesy of Polyvore

Paris looked breathtaking on Sarah, bringing out her hazel eyes, pink-undertoned ultra-fair skin and dark tresses with finesse. She looked like a 1920s movie star. The look was completely sold on her and she purchased her first Chanel lipstick.

Last weekend, it was Sarah’s birthday. Ceremonially, a bunch of us girls got ready together at her place, and out of the blue, she picked up Paris and smiled at me.

“You should try this on, ksuan.”

I hesitated, my fear of bright red lips threatening to overcome me – but she smiled harder and said “Please?”. So I caved.

… and I am proud to say that after my Chanel Rouge Coco in 22 Paris experience, I am no longer petrified of red lips.

Chanel Rouge Coco is marketed as a hydrating creme lip colour containing Hydratendre like its more recent counterpart, Rouge Coco Shine. It is also supposed to last for ages. So did it live up to expectations?

Absolutely.

Firstly though, the brightness of this colour is unbelievable. The pigment is rich, creamy, smooth, just stunning . I applied this with a very light hand, and by the end of it my lips were fiery. I was so taken aback and not used to the look that I had to gently blot my lips with a piece of tissue paper twice in order to tone down the pigment, but once I’d done that, I found myself growing intensely fond of the look. Bright, clean, sophisticated, confident, just bold enough to make a statement but not so bright that my lips screamed “Look at me!”.

I thought that a bright red would completely wash me out, but surprisingly, Paris did not. I think the blue undertone is what made the vital difference here – where an orange-undertoned shade of red would have made me look pale, this blue-red softened my skintone and made me look luminously fair.

I ended up layering one light swipe of MAC Lustre in Sweetie over the blotted Rouge Coco 22 Paris in order to achieve that slightly glossed-over sheen that I am so fond of, and the final effect was utterly lovely. Rouge Coco, in itself very hydrating, was further protected by the MAC Lustre, preventing any feathering at all.

And oh man, did this lipstick last. Applied at 6pm, had dinner and multiple drinks, got home at an ungodly hour – Rouge Coco 22 Paris’s blue-red pigment still stained my lips as if freshly applied. I could hardly believe it.

Pour conclure, if you are after a lipstick with true staying power, hydrating qualities, and a touch of elegance and luxury, Rouge Coco’s your best bet. A Chanel Rouge Coco retails at SGD 44.00 at your nearest departmental store. Yes, they are not cheap – but sometimes, it’s worth forking out the extra dollar(s) for a quality, timeless product that will remain a staple in your makeup arsenal for a long time to come.