I’ve been meaning to write about Chanel’s Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons for a while, but the arrival of what could potentially be my all-time perfect lipstick shade (“Discretion” from the AW18 collection) suddenly made this review a bit more urgent. Because the new colour is just sublime; a pale peachy-nude that manages to look creamy and plump despite the matte finish.
Chanel’s Jumbo Lip Crayons are a triumph anyway, in terms of texture and ease of application – they glide on almost without friction, feeling more like a liquid than a crayon, and have reasonably good longevity without the usual associated dryness. But where Chanel’s standard Jumbo Crayon has a sophisticated sheen, the matte version (from the aptly-named Le Mat de Chanel collection) has a very modern, understated flatness. Like a high-pigment lipstick that’s been blotted down. And paler shades can be so difficult to get right – if the texture of the lipstick is too sheer and juicy then your natural, darker lip colour tends to show through and it looks patchy. Too matte a finish and the lips look dead, or as though they’ve been plastered in chalky concealer. Too waxy a lipstick texture and the effect is almost grotesque – a thick, clay-like coating that looks like two plasticine sausages rather than human lips.
None of these problems with the new Rouge Crayon de Couleur Mat (sounds excellent in French); it glides on and seems to gently rest on...