Sunday Swatches: L'Oreal Paris Les Chocolats Liquid Lipsticks

So apparently yesterday was World Chocolate Day but today is my Sunday Swatches day so I decided to post this Chocolate swatches related blog post today obvs!
Ever since I saw the preview of these Les Chocolats liquid lipsticks on L'Oreal's instagram (here), I knew I had to find out when they would be releasing here in the UK and thankfully was invited to the launch event at none other than Saint Aymes (which has been on my "to-hit up" list for a while now!).
It was a lovely intimate event with tons of chocolate and despite the heatwave we're having, the chocolates didn't actually melt (just like L'Oreal say their lipsticks don't) and I managed to enjoy an iced version of their unicorn latte which wasn't too sweet and perfect.
Anyway the actual lipsticks smell absolutely divine - especially if you're a chocoholic like me! I was blown away at how strong it smelled of chocolate that I actually expected it to taste like it if I licked my lips but alas, the chocolateyness stops there. 
FYI I have however (unintentionally) tasted chocolate when applying Too Faced Chocolate Soleil as it contains real cocoa powder.. some of the powder somehow flew into my mouth once when applying with a brush and I was pleasantly surprised lol.
The lipsticks have a great selection of "chocolatey" nudes which personally I think is great for WOC/those with pigmented lips, however some are a bit light which would be better suited to fairer skintones/lip tones.
I've had ample time testing these out since the event and even filmed a swatch video so read on to see what I think and to check out the video!

Video Swatches

Review Packaging:  There's no outer cardboard packaging but the tube packaging is a frosted plastic rounded rectangle format, with a short lid that holds the applicator. The frosted tube looks pretty but makes it hard to decipher what the shades look like and some look very similar in the tube from the outside so definitely check swatches before purchasing in store! The applicator is a slanted teardrop shape which makes it easier to define the cupids bow. I can't seem to find how many ml this liquid lipstick is here in the UK but the US one holds 6.3ml which is generous as most liquid lipsticks hold between 3-5ml.. but the US packaging is different to the UK one for some reason so we may have less. The suction area isn't the tightest but hasn't leaked any product out for me so far. I feel like I need to dip in twice as the formula is kind of thick to coat my lips but then they're not thin so that may be why I need more 😅

Colour/Shade: 

There are 12 "chocolatey" shades in various nudes and even a ruby red shade as apparently there are ruby cocoa beans that exist in the world that I've only recently discovered thanks to KitKat. I find that most of the shades do dry down slightly darker so if it seems too light on first swatch, wait a little and see once it's dry.

12 SHADES

As mentioned in my last lipstick review (Smashbox Always On Nudes), I rarely wear true brown lipsticks as there aren't usually many available in one brand alone, so the ones I try tend to be too dark or too light/cool toned.
My struggle with wearing browns is that my lips are dark and my complexion is medium olive warm, so if I wear a cool toned brown, it tends to wash me out, however most warm toned dark browns tend to make me look older and aren't my usual preference, but I know many who love a good brown lipstick so here's the shades available in this collection: 842 Candy Man - light cool pinky nude 844 Sweet Tooth - light peach/beige nude  848 Dose of Cocoa - light warm pinky nude 852 Box of Chocolates - neutral toned medium pinky-brown 854 Bitter Sweet - medium greigey brown 856 70% Yum - dark warm brown 858 Oh My Choc! - medium purply brown 860 Ginger Bomb - light ginger brown 862 Volupto Choco - rusty chocolatey brown 864 Tasty Ruby - ruby red  866 Truffa Mania - deeper rusty brown 868 Cacao Crush - dark purpley brown
Out of the 12 shades, my two most faves are Box of Chocolates and Volupto Choco, then I like Bitter Sweet and even Dose of Cocoa as its a warm pinky nude. 
Truffa Mania is a deeper version of Volupto Choco, so I think it would be perfect for those who like their rusty browns a bit darker/on darker complexions.
If darker shades flatter your complexion/are your shade preference, 70% Yum and Cacao Crush are the deepest shades.
Candy Man and Sweet Tooth are probably better suited to fair complexions/non pigmented lips but I could probably get away with wearing Sweet Tooth with a darker lip liner like MAC Spice.
Oh My Choc!, Bitter Sweet and Box of Chocolates look quite similar in the frosted tubes so it can be quite confusing at first glance, but they all have different tones so it's worth checking my descriptions above (and swatches) before buying.
Ginger Bomb is an unusual nude - it reminded me of the "Slay Tan" shade from the Smashbox nudes in that it maybe suits a certain skintone and liptone but it's still a good shade.
Pigmentation: Pigmentation is great as with most liquid lipsticks, but I did find the lighter shades Candy Man and Sweet Tooth to be a bit less pigmented maybe, as I could see darkness showing through from my pigmented top lip once set.
Formula: The formula sticky with medium thickness, not extremely thin and wet but not thick or dry; L'Oreal Paris say the formula is comfortable to wear and doesn't crack, crumble or flake. I do agree about these claims, however it can get patchy if too many layers are worn or if you press your lips too hard together, because the formula remains a bit sticky, some transfer occurs from one lip to the other.
They are however (surprisingly) transfer proof when not pressed together or rubbed too hard. At the event I even struggled to remove these with pure butter (the only oily thing to hand that could have helped remove the swatches!) They set like paint and don't budge even with oily makeup remover; I used Emma Hardie balm on a cotton bud to remove the lipsticks in between my swatches in the video and even then it took a makeup wipe too!
Finish:  Once these set, they still have a slight sheen to it I find and take quite a while to dry. I wouldn't say  comfortable matte for me/my lip texture. If I press my lips together there's an ever so slight stickiness to them but not to a point where my lips are left stuck together that I have to part them with force lol. They do dry darker than when first applied which is a good thing with the lighter nude brown shades in my opinion, but if you have lighter lips, do bear this in mind. I worried the Deep Thoughts shade would be too dark for me but if I use one swipe from the wand it looks like a perfect chocolatey brown with the slightestttt hint of a warm pinky undertone.
Scent:  These smell intensely like chocolate, almost like chocolate cake mix? Smells sooo good if you're a chocoholic like me, but if you're not into chocolate or fragranced makeup then this may not be for you! 
Longevity:  L'Oreal claim their lipsticks give 12 hours wear and I'd agree for the most part but of course that's if you're not eating super oily foods.
They're about 90% transfer proof (tested kissing the back of my hand once set and a little transfer occurred) but oily makeup remover is a must with these.
Price:  £8.99 each at Boots (currently on offer at Superdrug for £7.99)

Overall rating:  As I mention in all my reviews, my number one factor when giving an overall rating is longevity/transfer resistance as I can't afford to have my lipstick transfer on my sons face/clothing when hugging/kissing, but because this transfers a little I have to mark it down a bit. I give these lipsticks 3.5 lipsticks as the formula also remains sticky and not completely matte looking, however it definitely is comfortable and doesn't crack or feel drying.  I absolutely LOVE the scent of course so am sure I will find myself reaching to this for a chocolate fix 
I give them a 3.5 out of 5:

Have you smelled these lipsticks yet? What are your thoughts?

GIVEAWAY!

Safiyah's Les Chocolats Giveaway