Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine review and swatches.

Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine.

During my Chanel Le Blush Creme de Chanel shopping spree, I decided I needed (can you sense the urgency) to try a Rouge Coco Shine.  I was always hesitant to delve into this range, due to my high presumption they were just overpriced lip balms.  The lovely sales associate did explain the newer colors in the Fall 2013 Superstition Collection, were formulated with 33% more pigment than the original Coco Shines.  Well, that little tidbit of information was all it took for me to try the limited-edition Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine ($34 US/ 3g). Did I need to add another reddish lip color to my collection?  Sure I did….like a hole in the head.  *click on each photo to enlarge.

Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine lip swatch.

The Pros:

Esprit 88 is a raspberry/pink color with extremely fine pink micro-shimmers mixed throughout the formula. This is the perfect “red” for those who are not comfortable wearing a full on red, it comes off slightly lighter/brighter than what is shown in the bullet.  Some blogs say Esprit 88 was described as a burgundy in the press release, I have not been able to find the color description anywhere on Chanel’s website.  In fact, Chanel describes the newly formulated Coco Shines as:

The next chapter in the brilliant ROUGE COCO SHINE story: ROUGE COCO SHINE Hydrating Colour Lipshine, an innovative formula with intensified pigments to take colour and sheen to a new level of vibrancy. Sheer, shiny, colour-rich shades are effortlessly chic, infinitely wearable. Hydratendre Complex softens and plumps lips for a healthier, fuller appearance.

Chanel Esprit 88 does hydrate, provide shine and dimension to the lips.  I was able to wear Esprit on its own for four hours without any eating, drinking and minimal speaking (does saying, “Get Over Here” to my kids fifty times count as speaking?).  Esprit 88 wore even longer when layered over MAC Creamstick lip liner or Dior liner.  Granted, the color did change with the addition of the liner, but that was of no concern to me. This can easily be resolved by finding a lipliner closer in color to Esprit 88.

L-R:  MAC Red Enriched liner w/Chanel Esprit 88,  Dior Mythical Brown lipliner w/Chanel Esprit 88.

The micro-shimmers in this formula are so fine and undetectable, it really does feels like you are wearing lip balm.  When Esprit 88 is wiped off, shimmers are not left behind.  The modest fragrance dissipated in a matter of seconds.  The packaging is typical Chanel gold and black, but with a slimmer and sleeker casing. After careful examination of the ingredients, parabens do not seem to have been included on the list, but a host of other synthetic elements do exist 🙂

Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine swatch.

The Cons:

The original purpose of Chanel Rouge Coco Shines was to provide moisturizing effortless application without the fuss and muss of a mirror.  However, Esprit 88 is not one of those colors, I would not feel comfortable applying this color blindly.  In reality, I had to use a lip brush to apply the color in the below photo.  Oddly enough, Esprit 88 did not layer well over my Daliia My Best Friend’s Red lip stain (reviewed here), it caused the stain to break down and slightly bleed into my fine lines.

Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine lip swatch.

Chanel Cosmetics can be found in any fine department stores; Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Saks, Nordstrom, Bergdorf, and Chanel.com.

Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine ingredient list.

THE VERDICT:  If makeup could talk what would it say?

Makeup would tell you Chanel Esprit 88 Rouge Coco Shine is one of the more pigmented Coco Shines offered.  Esprit 88 provided moisture, shine and the pink micro-shimmers gave the color an attractive depth.  I still prefer my Dior Addicts (reviewed here) over Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, but there is no denying the gorgeousness of this color and it’s beautiful packaging.  If you have never tried a Chanel Coco Shine the newer pigmented formulations are worth a look.  For my part, I may have to take a break from buying any additional lipsticks, until I have finished a few products.  Sounds good?  Yeah, I don’t buy that malarkey either.  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 the rose highlighted words to take you to a direct link to each product. *All photos are property of Ifmakeupcouldtalk.com.