By now, most of my readers have come to realize I have a weakness for red lipstick. There is something about the way red lips look and make me feel. Red lips exuded sensuality, confidence, and by-golly, the right red can brighten-up the sallowest of complexions. So when Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers ($25 US/ 6g) caught my eye, I knew the color Ruby Glow was the one for me.
The Pros/Color/Formula:
These lip lacquers/glosses are Estee Lauder’s version of a liquid lipstick. The promise of high shine, six hour comfortable wear, and intense pigment has all been blissfully fulfilled. The color of Ruby Glow is a straight up blood red. Estee Lauder Ruby Glow is what I wanted Ellis Faas L202 and Giorgio Armani Flash Lacquers (reviewed here) to be and were not. Brown based reds compliment my features and skintone perfectly and the added shine of Ruby Glow, makes my lips appear hydrated, full and down right sexy.
These glosses wear off amazingly well, after the three hour mark the “feel” of lipgloss starts to fade, however the shine and color are still very much apparent. I was able to get five hours of wear (full color) with Ruby Glow, with gradual fading thereafter . Ruby Glow is also flavor free. ♥ Ruby Glow has a slight play-doe smell, not offensive in the least.
Being that these glosses/lacquers are highly pigmented, they are also slightly sticky, but not offensively so. The viscous texture is what gives these lacquers their shine and longevity. The applicator was specially designed to fit the curves of the lips more comfortably. Be that as it may, I chose to err on the side of caution and apply a small amount of lacquer on my finger and then tap the color onto my lips, until I reach my desired intensity. Removal was easily achieved sans staining, annoy glitter particles or sticky residue.

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip lacquer in Ruby Glow swatch after 4 hours. Color and shine remained with slight feathering on the bottom lip.
The Cons:
Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lacquers are glosses, which by nature are prone to migrate outwardly and bleed/feather into fine lines around the lip area. A lipliner and/or a lip primer is a MUST with these lacquers if you want to keep feathering at bay. I turned to my trusty MAC Red Enriched Lipliner and my MAC Prep + Prime Lip for this important task. A very light hand during application would be highly recommended. As makeup artist Rae Morris says, “Too much on the mouth goes south.”
Ruby Glow did not layer well over my Daliia Herbal Lip Stain in My Best Friend’s Red (reviewed here). I suspect the ingredient Petrolatum (aka: mineral oil) caused the stain to break down and feather into my fine lines. Quite frankly, my stain was not even visible under Ruby Glow’s highly pigmented color.
Red Lipstick Comparisons:
- Dior Diorific Diorling: heavy perfume scent, beautiful satin finish, non-drying.
- Estee Lauder Ruby Glow: glossy, long lasting shine and color.
- Laura Mercier Sienna: reviewed here.
- Daliia Herbal Lip Stain My Best Friend’s Red: reviewed here.
- Ellis Faas L201: closest in color to Ruby Glow, not long-lasting, thin constancy, pesky applicator.
- Dior Rouge Podium: reviewed here.
Estee Lauder cosmetics can be found in almost every department store, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Belk, and Esteelauder.com, etc..
THE VERDICT: If makeup could talk what would it say?
Makeup would tell you if you seek a high shine, long-wearing, moisturizing, and truly beautiful lip gloss, look no further than Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lacquers. I have never been able to sustain a shine from a gloss like I have with these lacquers. Of course, if the vinyl look is not your thing, Estee Lauder does make accompanying lipstick shades (here) to go with each lacquer. The Estee Lauder Lip Lacquer range come in 12 shades to suit every taste, from the most conservative corporate mogul to the daring clubbing diva. Which will you be getting? Say it will be the red 🙂 Be well and stay safe.
-M-
*Ifmakeupcouldtalk.com is not affiliated with any brands mentioned, all products were purchased by me. Compensation is not given for any reviews. Click on each photo to enlarge. *Click on the rose highlighted words to take you to a direct link to each product. *All photos are property of Ifmakeupcouldtalk.com.