Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD501 (Drama)

A reader's comment made me realize that I never got to show you all the swatches of Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD501 (Drama) and do a full review. I figured I better get on to it now, while I still have some Drama in my life, not to mention there are two other shades waiting to be featured (Savage and Portrait).

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD501 (Drama) is a cool-toned classic red that can look like an intense burgundy if over-applied. It's very rich in pigment and I've learned to use less product than usual. I also find the formula to apply better with a brush than with the built-in sponge applicator. I treat this Lacquer Rouge the same way as any other very dark red lipstick: prep lips, use a liner, use carefully and fix things around the lips with a liquid concealer.

Several similar products to Shiseido Lacquer Rouge were launched this season. The most notable ones are from Guerlain and Hourglass. I've been asked which one is my favorite and it's a bit hard to say. I'm a bit less enthused about Guerlain at the moment, but might be an issue I have with the shade I selected. Everything else performs beautifully and I like the new formulas offered. It'll be interesting to see if these liquid lipsticks, both from Shiseido and from the other brands, will work as well when the temperatures drop and my lips become extremely high maintenance. For now I manage to keep them in top shape which helps tremendously with the way the products end up looking.

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge ($25) is available from the counters, Sephora and shiseido.com.