The two other shades Raspberry and Red Berry have a pink and red tint. The color is very sheer, almost transparent on my lips. In real life I can tell there’s a slight difference between the three, although I think the effect is almost identical – so if you’re looking for a lip treatment + color, these will barely have any color payoff in which case I would recommend you opt for the Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors (swatched here) or the Instant Light Lip Natural Lip Perfectors (new shades out now, review soon) or the Shimmer Shades for Summer (review soon).
I’ve mentioned in other posts I have high sensitivity to scented lip products, especially when it comes to added fruity or vanilla scents. Glossier Cherry is a no go for me although I do love the other options. Raspberry and Red Berry are noticeably sweeter than Honey. If you have a very sensitive nose and do not like berry scented lip products you may find them too strong. I personally found them both to be strong upon application but gave both a thorough test to see how the scent played out. Raspberry is the more wearable option scent-wise for me. The scent softens and fades shortly after application and about 5-10 minutes after I applied it I no longer noticed there was a scent. The scent of Red Berry seemed to linger a bit longer. I personally prefer the way Raspberry smells. With all three I didn’t detect any noticeable taste.
A closer look at the packaging and applicators. If you’re one who is concerned with oils and the possibility of them leaking – note these are very well packaged. The cap twists on tightly and in the time I had my original Honey I never had any leaking issues (I did with some of the YSL lip oils) – just make sure you twist on the cap all the way. That being said I would avoid putting these in the car or anywhere there will be a lot of heat. I’ve had sunscreen oils that are well packaged that I accidentally left in the car and the heat melted the oil to a consistency that it leaked through the tops.
As shown below, all three pretty much look the same on my bare lips. If you look closely you may be able to tell that Red Berry has more of a red tint than the others. All three have a really nice cushiony feel that hugs the lips nicely.
Thumbs up for the formula. If you’re looking for a no fuss lip treatment that you can easily carry with you and apply these are worth checking out as long as color payoff in a lip treatment isn’t important to you. You can definitely add these on top of lipstick for added shine however if you mix the applicators with your lipstick – they are bound to get messy and color transfer will happen in which case you may want to use a lip brush or fingers. Or sometimes I’ll apply a lip treatment first then take a clean finger and dab it into my lipstick then dab the lips for a bit of color/stain on top.
Since all three colors are sheer I wouldn’t call them a must to have all three. However if you like variety and love the formula there’s no harm in buying multiples of what you love to have one for your desk, one for your handbag etc.
You can find the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils at all Clarins counters now. They retail for $25 each. Online at Clarins, Nordstrom, Sephora, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Harrods and Selfridges.
