Lips Coral Comparison, Part 2 of 4: Etude House's Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in POR202

The product being reviewed in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated further are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brands featured in this post. 

***Click here to see Lips Coral Comparison, Part 1 of 4!***

Hi guys! Hope you're as excited about this week ending as I am. I really just want to sink into the bathtub in blistering hot water to make my leg muscles stop aching, but I can't, as I'm paranoid for my pilonidal incision when it comes to sitting in still water. Boo.

Anyway, continuing my four-post Coral Comparison review is Etude House's Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in POR202. After finally settling on a Korean BB Cream that I loved the results of some weeks ago, I placed an order on Pretty & Cute, to which I added a skin toner and this particular lipstick for the sake of reaching free shipping. I've heard a lot about Etude House via YouTube videos, and I thought the packaging was adorable for the price (other lipsticks on the site with even cuter packaging were more expensive), so I figured I'd buy it, especially since I don't care to purchase makeup frequently online.

And I'm going to say it now: I'm really happy with my purchase!




THE CLAIMS

I'm honestly tired of paraphrasing claims, not because I'm lazy, but because I feel like most of the descriptive words need to be left as they are so that if the product doesn't live up to them, we can say the company is full of shit with certainty. So, from the Pretty & Cute website:

"Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips is a smooth and creamy lipstick that delivers a surge of moisture and a soft shimmering pigment, giving your lips a gorgeous, healthy look. These glossy lipsticks provide lips with a luminous and softened finish with its pearl based formula and added French Royal Jelly extracts. Become a Real Princess with Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips!"

It also outlines the five following benefits: smooth, creamy, pigmented, softens, radiates.

Between the key advertising phrase of "become a real princess" and the inclusion of "French Royal Jelly extracts" (which mean nothing to me because I've never heard of them before this lipstick), this lipstick has a princess-y theme all over it - one which continues into the product's packaging, as you will see in a bit.


THE BASICS

Name: POR202
Net Wt.: 0.11 oz./ 3.4 g.
Price: $14.99
Finish: Glossy

Etude House definitely ranks the highest, hands down, in the category of 'cute packaging' when it comes to my lipstick collection. I don't consider myself a girly girl, but I'll admit that half of the reason why I settled on this lipstick was the adorable, unique packaging.

I had to take pictures of the exterior packaging itself, because even that was really cute, so I may as well share them on here while I'm reviewing the lipstick. It's pretty much a powder pink box with reflective decoration on all sides of the box.

LEFT: Front of the exterior packaging.
RIGHT: Back of the exterior packaging.

A closeup of the side of the box, where the product description/application directions are.

The other side of the exterior packaging, with more princess-y phrases.

LEFT: The top of the exterior packaging.
RIGHT: The bottom of the exterior packaging.

The lipstick tube itself comes in the same powder pink color and has a slight 'hourglass' curve to it, as well as very unique rose-gold detailing both at the middle of the tube where the cap snaps on and on the cap itself. I believe "Etoinette" is a collection by Etude House, so the detailing at the center of the tube is actually the label of the collection (an 'E' in elegant, princess-like font). The detailing at the top of the cap - a small knob - gives this lipstick the overall resemblance to a jewelry box fit for a princess. I won't bore you with more useless descriptions, though. Take a look:

The lipstick tube.

Closeup of the rose-gold detailing.
LEFT: The collection label at the center of the tube.
RIGHT: The knob at the top of the cap.

The bottom of the tube, like nearly all other lipsticks, has an information sticker on it, although unlike most lipsticks it includes the manufacturing date (which I think is characteristic of Korean cosmetics).

The only disconnect in the packaging is the weight of it. It feels light, almost bordering on cheap, when it looks like it would feel a bit heavier. For comparison, it feels a bit heavier than the L'Oreal Colour Riche lipsticks, but nowhere close to as heavy as, say, MAC lipsticks, which retail for the same price. With that being said, I honestly don't know if Etude House is a  'drugstore' brand in Korea that retails for $14.99 because it's imported, or if it is an actual higher end brand in Korea that has cheaper-feeling packaging, much like my holy grail Eve Pearl lipstick.

This lipstick has a subtle rose/flower scent to it.


COLOR/SWATCH

As indicated by the color name, POR202, this lipstick is part of the orange family (hence the OR). Other lipsticks in the collection are named similarly, with those from the pink family beginning with PPK, those from the beige family beginning with PEB, and those from the red family beginning with PRD.

To me, this is definitely more of a coral than a pure orange. In fact, I feel it leans more towards the pink end of coral - moreso than the Inglot lipstick I reviewed here in my first part of this Coral Comparison. This may be a result of formula differences as well, however, as the formula on the Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips lipstick is sheer/buildable ("soft," as the description claims). You can get a better idea of this formula in the following picture, where I swatch it on my hand:

On my hand, POR202 is definitely a pinker coral - even pinker than in the tube - with a hint of translucency to it. You can also tell in my swatch that this product contains the dreaded glitter, though I will say the glitter here isn't as frustrating as other lipsticks I've tried. I'll go more into that when I discuss how the formula feels/wears. But first, before I move forward, look at the adorable Etoinette "E" labeling on the lipstick bullet itself!:

While we're here, you can see how much more orange it looks in the tube in this closeup of the bullet.

WEAR (WITH LIP SWATCHES)

POR202 is sheer when applied to my lips, though it never applies clear (I will add, though, that my lips aren't very pigmented, nor do I ever have much trouble to get colors to show up on me). To get the stronger, less translucent version of the pink-coral on my lips in the following pictures, I layered the color with a few swipes (which, honestly, I always apply my lipsticks in multiple swipes, regardless of how opaque they start off).

I LOVE how this color looks on my lips. It's an almost milky pink-coral and, even though the color settles into my lip lines like most other lipsticks, it doesn't scream that it does like the Inglot lipstick. In fact, my lips look quite smooth with this lipstick.

The formula of this lipstick is a bit thinner/slicker than other lipsticks I own, though more cushion-y than, for example, the Maybelline Color Whispers. My lips definitely feel soft and moisturized, both while wearing this product and after it's been removed. I also feel that this product gives my lips a luminous appearance thanks to the glossy, smooth finish.

My only problem with this formula is the stupid glitter. Of course glitter was included - because what shouts "princess" more than glitter? - but I really, really wish it wasn't. I don't know if other colors contain glitter (though they might, considering the product description mentions "soft shimmering pigment"), so I can't say much about that. What I can say, though, is that while the glitter does not feel gross on the lips, it does have a tendency to form little 'pigment crumbs' with the lipstick itself during application. Or maybe that's just my lips not being immaculately smooth since I don't exfoliate them...ever (they feel soft and smooth enough to me on a daily basis). But, even if that were the case, I can say that the glitter does nothing for the finished look of this product. It doesn't apply evenly enough to have impact.

Please, cosmetic companies, if you're going to use glitter in lipsticks, give it purpose - or, better yet, don't use it at all!

Anyway, here is a full-face picture of me wearing this lipstick, so you can see how it fares against my complexion.

On my face: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in 23 and Etude House's Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in POR202.

I find this lipstick wears comfortably on my lips, with barely any fading, for up to 3 hours without eating. When it does fade, it does leave that line around my lips, like all orange lip products I've tried, but it doesn't look terrible at all, and can be fixed instantly with another layer of product (since the thinner formula doesn't cake up like thicker ones). By the third hour mark, the gloss is the only thing that begins to fade a bit, though it is still visible. It doesn't claim to be longlasting, but I think that's pretty longlasting for such a moisturizing product!

OVERALL

I think Etude House's Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips lives up to all of its claims, and I love the color POR202, though it is definitely a pinker coral than an orange. This lipstick is moisturizing, builds in pigmentation beautifully, illuminates the face, and feels creamy and comfortable on my lips. It comes in adorable packaging, even if it is on the lighter side, and isn't too pricey, though it exceeds the drugstore price range. My only problem with it is the glitter.

I would purchase this product in other colors, as well as repurchase this color, in a heartbeat if not for the glitter. For $14.99, though, I need to really love everything about a lipstick, so while I can't say I wouldn't repurchase this product, I can't say I would with certainty, either.

I would recommend this product to those who love moisturizing, light lip products that have a sheer, juicy look to them. I would not recommend this product to those who prefer one-swipe opacity, or those who have a lot of pigment in their lips (unless you prefer tinted lip products - though there are plenty other options for less money).

I hope this review was helpful! Stay tuned for parts 3 and 4 of my Coral Comparison review. 'Til next time! ('<>')>

~nikki

***Missed my first post of this 4-post Coral Comparison review? Click here!***

Can you guess what lipstick I'll be reviewing in part 3? =P Here's a hint: it falls in the same price range as both the Inglot lipstick from part 1 and this post's featured lipstick!

The product in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brands featured in this post.