L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge 10HR in Forever Fuchsia.

Happy Saturday and weekend everyone! I hope everyone's 2011 is seeming brighter every day. One of my resolutions this year was to keep up with more drugstore makeup. Last year, I discovered some really impressive products from Revlon. I don't believe that there is a big quality gap between drugstore and department store as their used to be. The amount of research, marketing, process and technology that goes into a drugstore product launch can completely outweigh many department store products. With large companies like L'Oreal and P&G, and the huge labs that come with them, there is bound to be a lot of science and testing that goes into drugstore products before they reach our shelves.

The L'Oreal lipsticks that I knew before I tried Infalliable Le Rouge 10HR never really got much love from me. I always thought that they were pretty in the tube, but that signature L'Oreal fragrance that they used on their products was literally invasive on my senses. I could smell, taste and almost feel the scent all over me. Needless to say, their old lipsticks did not spend a lot of time on my lips.

With that in mind, I was extremely reluctant to try L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge 10HR, but trying to keep an open mind, I decided to try one. I purchased Forever Fuchsia, a bold bright, blue-based, mid-toned fuchsia pink. My initial impression was a shock. No more fragrance! Dealing with the old fragrance again was a huge hurdle that I was dreading in my mind. You can imagine how revealed and almost excited I was when I opened the tubed and sniffed nothing! Hoorah! When I extended the lipstick, I liked the added touch of the L'Oreal logo on the tube. It's a nice touch that adds a bit of luxury.

The application was not what I expected. The texture on application is traditional lipstick, but the color adheres to your lips and bonds to them. It's not drying, but the finish is more semi-matte vs. completely satin. It feels more like it's sitting on top of your lips and creating a seal of color. This is probably to help add to the wear time of the lipstick. On my road tests, 1 application lasted about 5-6 hours, with eating, drinking, talking, being exposed to elements, etc. I don't think it's really realistic to expect a full 10 hours, as claimed, without reapplying.

Another added plus to this lipstick is that you can see the actual shade without opening the tube. The clear top lets you see inside. No more pre-tested lipsticks (by who knows who... gross!)!

The shade is visible from the tube. No more weird, inaccurate plastic swatches.

The display.

First applied.

After 5 hours, without re-application. This is post-coffee and lunch.

To Review:

L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge 10HR - Forever Fuchsia (138) is $9.99 at drugstores (prices may vary depending on location).

Pro: No fragrance! Seals nicely with lips without being overly drying. Pigmented. Large variety of shades. Lipstick is visible without opening the tube or breaking the seal.

Con: Doesn't live up to 10 hour claim. Slightly pricier than other drugstore lipsticks.

Overall Beautyburg Rating: B+

Do you like long-wearing lipsticks? How do you feel about scents in your lipsticks? Has scent ever driven you away from a product?