Rouge Dior Baume | Kew Gardens 258, Spring 468, Milly 640 and Escapade 740

Dior has released 15 shades of their new Rouge Dior Baume Lip Treatment ($35 each for 3.2g/0.11 oz). They are currently exclusive to Saks, Sephora and Dior.com but will available at all retailers later in November. The Rouge Dior Baumes have medium-pigment like a natural lipstick but with a moisturizing formula. The ones I swatched in store seemed to have sheer to medium coverage on the hands but applied better on the lips. There is a diverse range of pinks, peaches, reds and plums. I picked out four of the neutral shades from Saks in Kew Gardens 258, Spring 468, Milly 640 and Escapade 740.

Dior describes these as being “created for a modern woman who loves the intense pigment of a traditional lipstick as well as the ease and moisturizing properties of a balm.” They are indeed a blend of the two. I found these to have less shine and gloss compared to other balm-like or sheer lipsticks (such as Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine, Tom Ford Lip Color Shine). They do have a dewy semi-glossy finish, but it gives more of a natural look compared to the glossy finish many other lipsticks do.

Kew Gardens is a sheer sparkling transparent peach shimmer. Spring is a sheer but brighter peach. Milly is a neutral beige pink with a shimmery sheen. Escapade is the perfect neutral pink-brown. I’m in the middle of a move so I have most of my things packed in boxes, I don’t have easy access to other lipsticks to compare but I do feel that Milly is a more wearable version of Tom Ford Bare and Escapade is a warmer version of Tom Ford Nubile. Spring reminds me of Insidious without the shimmer and with a bit more pink.

I initially thought Milly would be too pale for my lips and skin tone based on the counter rep’s advice. Many thanks to one of my readers Jo who suggested I give it a try anyways stating it didn’t wash her out. She was right. It’s a lovely pale beige that gives perfect nude pink lips with a slight shimmery silver sheen but doesn’t wash out your face. Milly has enough color in the base to give the lip balm some life.

As a lover of natural-looking lip products, I’m smitten with these. I do wish I had picked up a pink or plum shade instead of the two peaches for variation, but I tend to gravitate towards peaches anyways. I love that these have no detectable scent (good for my sensitive nose). They do have a moisturizing feel on my lips, but I didn’t really notice extra hydration like I do with lip balms like By Terry or Malin + Goetz. I definitely think they are worth a look, especially if you want something less glossy compared to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and something less pricey compared to Tom Ford Lip Color Shines.

The new Rouge Dior Baumes currently retail for $35 each. They are exclusive to Saks, Sephora and Dior.com right now, but will available at other retailers later this season in November.