Best. Lipstick. Ever.

I'd never even heard of this company when I read about this new lip product on my favorite beauty blog of all time, The Non-Blonde. This is what she had to say:

This Cle de Peau lipstick is one of the softest, smoothest lipsticks I've tried. It's almost like a balm, but with great coverage and excellent pigment (though some of the lighter shades are a bit more sheer). The staying power isn't as amazing as the regular lipsticks, but there's only so much you can expect from a super moisturizing lip color. I chose no. 117, which as you can see is a reddish plum, but I already see a couple of others in my future.

My lips were cracked and miserable, so I headed out to Neiman-Marcus, the only place in San Francisco with a Cle de Peau beauty counter. I took vl_redreign with me, and they did a complete skincare and makeup makeover on me -- and it was lots of fun! I like all the products I've tried so far, but this lipstick is truly the softest, silkiest, most balm-like lip color I've ever used, including some of the best "natural" and some of the most expensive designer brands on the market.

I, too, am a non-blonde, and I ended up with 117, the same color in the photo above. I also bought 114, which was basically the same color as my natural lips, to use mostly as a lip balm. It works better than my actual lip balm! There's a new color, 123, which I haven't tried yet, but looks nice in the sample colors on the website.

Now, the big drawback: The cost. I'm used to forking over $30 for Chanel lipstick, which dries out my lips if I don't slather balm over and under it. This stuff is FIFTY BUCKS, yo. But honestly, it's just that good.

I have now purchased Cle de Peau products three ways: In the store (fun but not convenient for me), on the N-M website, and by simply phoning the local beauty counter directly. Everyone's been very helpful, sends or gives me buckets of free samples, and seems to bend over backwards to let me try things and then exchange them if they don't work out. I'll write about their skin care line later, but for now, my verdict on the Extra Silky Lipstick is: worth the price and then some.