Paul & Joe Lipstick C #75 Sex Kitten and #77 Catwalk

Paul & Joe is usually one of my favourite brands for lipsticks as they usually come in flattering, easy-to-wear shades that feel creamy and moisturising. Every spring and fall, they also release Collection Sparkles lipsticks in limited edition packaging featuring prints from their fashion collections. (See the Collection Sparkles Archive here.) However, their lipsticks do tend to vary in terms of colour payoff and texture, and it's difficult to predict how a shade will look on the lips until one actually tries it out.

From the Meow Collection for spring, I picked up Lipstick C #75 Sex Kitten and #77 Catwalk (yellow print) which feature gorgeous floral prints. I skipped #76 Meow! which has a strange looking woman's face against a red background. To commemorate Paul & Joe Beaute's 10th anniversary, each lipstick is embossed with ten tiny cat paw prints instead of the usual chrysanthemum flower motif.

The cardboard packaging may appear flimsy but it actually holds its own pretty well, as long as you take the appropriate care with it. I've kept these in the pockets of my bags without any visible signs of wear. The lipstick cartridge can be easily removed and replaced with any lipstick from the permanent range.

Compared to Lipstick C #74 Lower East Side (extreme left in the pic below) from the Manhattan collection of last fall, Sex Kitten and Catwalk both fell short of my expectations. They were much more sheer with a somewhat dry texture that does not apply smoothly on my lips. They tended to accentuate every single flake on my lips and looked slightly patchy. Using a lip balm to prime the lips beforehand helps to achieve a more even application, but that's an extra step that should not be required with a quality brand.


The pic above was taken under indoor lighting while the pic below was taken near the window with natural light. These swatches were 3 to 4 passes each, as the colours would barely show up on my skin with just one layer. The shades look quite pretty when swatched on my arm but on my lips, both Sex Kitten and Catwalk turned out to be slightly too pale and tended to make me look washed out. They are alright for day wear but unlike the packaging, the shades are just not that exceptional or special. Unless you are a collector, I think these are passable. Or you can wait to see if they eventually go on sale on ASOS.com.

Lip swatch of #75 Sex Kitten.

And #77 Catwalk.

List of ingredients.