I Love the Press-to-Release Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick's Packaging

I love clever designs. I love designs that serve a purpose but I also love designs that serve no particular helpful or safety purpose.

I can’t think of what safety features the Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick's packaging fulfil except maybe to prevent accidentally having your lipstick's cap come off in your bag and the lipstick winds itself out and smears your bag with colour. OK, I’ve never had my lipsticks do that but it could happen… I guess.

Regardless, I love the design.

The Golden Rose

In all appearance it looks just like any other lipsticks. The top bears the embossed Lancôme rose in golden metal-like plastic. There’s a golden Lancôme print at the base. The outer shell looks and feels like any other lipstick shell except it covers the whole length of the lipstick up to about a millimetre off the base, where you’ll see the inner packaging showing its golden self.

With most lipsticks you pull the top half of the lipstick, which is the cap, but with the Lancôme L’Absolu you push the flat top down and the lipstick will stick out [pun intended]. It comes out at the bottom. But don't just take my word for it, see for yourself in this short video I've made by clicking this link or the 'play' button below at the end of this article.

Anyway, after the release there’s a bit of a ‘grab’ so the lipstick won’t fall off even if you hold it vertically. Even if you shake it, it won’t simply slide off until you give it a slight pull. But please don’t shake it too hard; I can’t guarantee it won’t come off or you won’t lose your lipstick altogether.

I don’t know the mechanism of the packaging; I think there’s a spring release inside. In any case, it appeals to the detective/spy fantasy in me, except it doesn’t spring out secret compartment or clever device to save your life - unless beautifying your lips could save your life, of course.

Before

After

The one I have is numbered 06, the Rose Nu. It’s a dull pink with fine glitter that appears as really glossy or shimmery on the lips.

06 is my number, Rose Nu is my name.

As per Lancôme’s website, there are four variations of the L’Absolu Rouge lipsticks, not including the base. You have the option of a cream, matte, sheer or a drama matte finish.

Mine is the creamy version and it’s very, very creamy, and feels moisturising but not too heavy. It’s like putting on a lip balm, and your lips feel soft long after you have it removed - I’m talking about hours to days in my case. The staying power, like other creamy lipsticks, is not that great in my opinion. What I do to compensate for this is not to wear my lip balm right before the lipstick but to regularly moisturise my lips with a lip balm but remove it before putting the lipstick on. I also think it stays a bit longer if you have either a mattifying foundation or powder as base.

There is a distinct scent that is stronger than any other of my current lipsticks or previous ones as far as I can remember. It reminds me of lipsticks from the old days but less of a lab concoction and more like a perfume. I like it.

& Buy

- Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick [Sephora]
- Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Hydrating Shaping Lipcolor [Ulta]
- Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge [Amazon]
- Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte Lipstick [Harvey Nichols]

And if you must have a L’Absolu Rouge lipstick to match this 2019 Lunar New Year, take a look at these L’Absolu Rouge Lipsticks in limited edition packaging [Nordstrom].