Let's talk about a beauty brand I don't mention much here today for a change: Paul & Joe. Although it's generally thought of as being Japanese, the brand was actually created by a French designer, Sophie Mechaly, who started with a line of menswear in 1995. The beauty line was launched in 2002 in collaboration with the prestigious Japan-based brand Albion, source of the Japanese influence.

Paul & Joe is best known for their uber adorable packaging, sometimes bordering cuteness overload, such as their famous kitty lipsticks. Take a look at their spring collection to see what I'm talking about!

I have a few products from the brand and the one I want to show you today is a perfect lippie for spring, the Glossy Lip Color in shade 01 Savoir-Faire. "Savoir-faire" means know-how, craftsmanship in French (the expression has nothing to do with social skills in its original language, it's actually generally used for manual labor), and it's a warm nude pink with hints of peach and golden shimmer. Here are my thoughts about this lip color:



- The tube is pretty and typical of Paul & Joe, a light pink body and white cap with embossed flowers, but it doesn't reveal the color of the product inside. In fact the only indication of the shade it contains is on a sticker on the side of the tube. If you carry it around in your purse and the sticker gets scratched, there will be no way to identify the color! It's also annoying if you own several shades, making it difficult to find the one you're looking for in your stash.




- The applicator is unique and plain weird. It's a hybrid between a classic doe-foot applicator, a spoon, the moon and a jellyfish. It has a pointy crescent shape, with peach fuzz-like velvet only on the outer part, while the inner part of the crescent is soft plastic (probably silicone). When you pull it out of the tube a lot of lip color sits in that inner part, which kind of acts like a spoon. You have to dab some product on your lips from that "spoon" and then use the outer part of the crescent, with the velvet fuzz, to spread it out. Now you'd think that the pointed shape would make it a precise tool, but it's so flexible that it feels floppy and application is actually quite tricky. It doesn't matter too much with a nude-ish shade like Savoir-faire, but it must be a pain with the deeper colors.

- Luckily the texture is easy to work with. It glides well and coats the lips with an even layer of color. It's rather richly pigmented, earning its name of Glossy Lip Color and not just "gloss". I wouldn't say that it's a liquid lipstick though, it's not quite that intense, but it's not a sheer lipgloss either. It falls somewhere in between! There's a light fruity floral scent that doesn't linger after application.




- The finish is glossy, and with Savoir-Faire's golden shimmer it's lightly sparkly, reflecting the light in a beautiful way. The peachy pink is a great "my lips but better" kind of shade for people with warm undertones who want a shiny but subtle color.




- It feels comfortable and cushy on the lips with no stickiness at all. It's not as light as the most weightless lip products such as Lancôme's Juicy Shaker, I can tell I'm wearing something on my lips, but at least it's not tacky and I find it lightly hydrating.

- The wear time is better than you would expect from a glossy lippie. It stays put as long as I don't eat, and there's even quite a bit of color and shine left after a light meal.

Wearing Paul & Joe Glossy Lip Color in Savoir-Faire (and Tarte Star Power palette on eyes and cheeks)

Paul & Joe Glossy Lip Color is more pigmented and wears longer than your average gloss while being comfortable and non-sticky. I highly recommend Savoir-Faire if you're looking for a warm nude shade for spring!






The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.