Lancôme has been releasing so many new products in the past year that it's been hard for me to keep up with my favorite brand! So it took me a few months, but finally here's my review of the new L'Absolu Lacquer Lip Gloss in the two shades I have: nude 236 Pour Toujours and bold pink 378 Be Unique. Keep reading for swatches and pics!


Lancôme describes L'Absolu Lacquer as a "buildable longwear, high shine lipcolor that feels ultra lightweight and hydrating on lips". The brand promises up to 6 hours of wear time with a thin formula that has "the shine of a gloss, the pigment of a lipstick and the lasting power of a stain" and that you can layer to build color and shine for a custom finish.


The packaging is a very pretty long and thin tube that goes from square at the bottom to round at the top, with a golden plate bearing Lancôme's rose logo on the cap. It has a beautiful ombré effect so you see the color of the Lacquer at the bottom, but it fades into black. The applicator has the perfect shape and texture, I think that the brand really nailed it! It's long and curved with a pointy tip, and the material is soft without being too fuzzy. The tube is similar to the recently released L'Absolu Gloss that I will show you soon!


The texture of the L'Absolu Lacquer is lightweight as promised, but there's a creaminess to it that gives nice and smooth coverage in one swipe. It glides on the lips easily and doesn't bleed or feather outside my lip line at all. Lancôme's description of a product with the pigment of a lipstick but at the same time buildable for more color is a little confusing. Is it pigmented or not? I find it quite pigmented in just one swipe, which is usually enough for me, but it is buildable to completely opaque coverage. The color payoff is rich and vibrant, both for the nude Pour Toujours and the fuchsia Be Unique.

Lancome L'Absolu Lacquer Swatches: 378 Be Unique on top, a bold fuchsia (more pink in person) 236 Pour Toujours at the bottom, a peachy nude

Lancôme says that you can use one coat for sheer lips, two coats for bold lips and three coats for intense lips. I really wouldn't describe the result I get with one layer as "sheer". That ain't no sheer gloss in any way! As far as the layering process goes, I find that it works well with the pink Be Unique. I do get more intensity with a second coat and a super bold lip with a third coat. However it didn't work at all with nude shade Pour Toujours. With that one trying to add a second coat lifted the initial layer and I ended up with a patchy, uneven mess. I love Pour Toujours in one coat and I think it's way pigmented and shiny enough, but I'm unable to layer it.

I find the L'Absolu Lacquer to be just slightly tacky, but nothing too annoying. It is very comfortable throughout the wear, as I feel like it really adds moisture to my perpetually dry lips. While it does transfer a bit, the wear time is very impressive: it simply won't budge as long as I don't eat, and most of it will still survive a meal. It's not just the color that remains, the shine is still there too! Below is a pic of me wearing Be Unique, after 5 hours, 2 fish tacos, 1 beer and 1 passion fruit cupcake (no, that's not what most of my dinners are like, lol!). Lancôme promises 6 hours of wear but I'd say it performs even better than that!

Wearing Lancome L'Absolu Lacquer in Be Unique: after 5+ hours and a meal of tacos and cupcake!

Do you remember the recent Dior Addict Lacquer Plump debacle? Well, the Lancôme L'Absolu Lacquer is exactly what I wanted the Dior version to be: super glossy, intense and vibrant, comfortable to wear and very long lasting. I find it interesting that Dior completely missed the mark with theirs while Lancôme did a fantastic job formulating a lippie that delivers on all the claims, all for $10 less! The L'Absolu Lacquer is also comparable to the YSL Vinyl Cream, but I find it glossier and I like its applicator shape a lot more.

Wearing Lancome L'Absolu Lacquer in Pour Toujours

If you're on the market for an intensely pigmented, glossy lip color that wears like iron, I definitely recommend Lancôme's L'Absolu Lacquer! It looks beautiful and smooth on the lips and feels hydrating throughout the 6+ hours it lasts.




Some of the products featured in this review were purchased by me while others were provided by PR for consideration (shade 378 Be Unique was sent by Influenster). I received no compensation other than a free sample to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you shop through those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!