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| Above: All shades of the Le Metier de Beaute Hydra Creme Lip Color. |
The Le Metier de Beaute line never ceases to amaze me with its new releases. Case in point: the Hydra Creme Lip Color formula, which is endlessly lovely. From its lush, moisturizing texture to its impressive pigmentation, this new lipstick incarnation is yet another asset to the already formidable Le Metier brand.
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| Above: The chic Hydra Creme lipstick case. |
Retailing for $25, the Hydra Creme Lip Color is markedly different in texture from the Color Core Moisture Stain Lip Color. Housed in a sleek riveted silver case, this formula is decidedly more buttery and emollient than the Color Core version, which is more like a moisturizing stain. The Hydra Creme feels cushiony and intensely hydrating (which is not to say the Color Core is not moisturizing as well…it is, indeed. It just doesn’t feel as rich when first applied). In my experience, one coat of Hydra Creme translates as relatively sheer, but by the luxuriously plush second or third coat, the lip color has effortlessly reached medium to full opacity. Brilliant!
Kindly scroll on for images, swatches and a video review of Sahara, Cashmere and Butterfield 8!
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| Above: Sahara in natural outdoor lighting. |
Upon discovering that these gems had arrived at my local Neiman Marcus, I quickly deliberated about which shade to initially choose. Of course, my eyes scanned for the palest pinky nude shades in existence…this typical search led me straight to Sahara, which, in my experience, is a pinky, peach-leaning nude. One swatch and I knew that it was to be my first of this formula…I even picked one up for my mom.
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| Above: Cashmere in natural outdoor lighting. |
After a couple of days of supremely hydrating wear with Sahara, I came to the distinct conclusion that there was definitely room in my collection for other shades in this formula. In turn, my next trip to Neiman’s yielded Cashmere and Butterfield 8. Cashmere is a pinky nude beige that lacks the sandy peach undertones so prominent in Sahara. That distinct quality alone cinched the deal.
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| Above: Butterfield 8 in natural outdoor lighting. |
Butterfield 8, in contrast, is a bold departure from nude territory…this glimmering soft coral adds in instant pop of color, confirming its place as the most immediately pigmented shade of the three I own. This lush vibrance, coupled with the fact that its name is undeniably reminiscent of a devastatingly beautiful yet tragic Elizabeth Taylor film. In fact, the shade itself is delightfully anachronistic, comfortably at place in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in hue and finish. Love.
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| Above: Swatches of my three selections…Sahara, Cashmere and Butterfield 8. |
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| Above: The Hydra Creme ingredients list. |
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| Above: Swatches of the pinky, peachy nude Hydra Cremes in bright indoor lighting. |
Above and below: Swatches of the peach, pink, nude Hydra Cremes upon which I deliberated…these images were taken in indoor lighting, but are quite true to life in terms of color and tone. Though indisputably lovely, I ruled out Bellini as too pale (!) and Bottecelli Angel as too dark and bright for my personal taste.
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| Above: Swatches of the pinky, peachy nude Hydra Cremes in darker indoor lighting. |
The Shade List (with official shade descriptions from LMdB):
- SIGNATURE RED — MATTE GARNET RED
- BUTTERFIELD 8 — CORAL CHAMPAGNE
- THINK PINK — BOLD PINK
- MARASCHINO — CHERRY RED
- ROSE GARNET — FROSTED MAGENTA
- MOROCCO — BROWNISH RED
- BOTTICELLI ANGEL — WARM PEACH ROSE
- TEA ROSE — RASPBERRY PINK
- SAHARA — SANDY CORAL NUDE
- MONDRIAN — VIVID TANGERINE CORAL
- GRENADINE — RICH PLUM
- CASHMERE — BEIGE ROSE
- BREATHLESS — NEUTRAL WARM PINK
- ONE & ONLY — NEUTRAL BROWN PINK
- BELLINI — TRUE NUDE BEIGE
- ICON — TRUE RED
VIDEO!
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| Above: Wearing a combination of Butterfield 8 and Cashmere on the lips. |
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| Above: Wearing Sahara on the lips. |
Bottom Line: The Le Metier de Beaute Hydra Creme Lip Color is incredible. The buttery smooth texture, lush pigmentation and immense hydration properties make this a lipstick option that is both physically and aesthetically pleasing. My perennially dry lips are in Hydra Creme heaven…heartily recommended!
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Comments (12)
Hi friend!
Thanks for much for that excellent review and swatches. I definitely see a few of those in my future. The hard part will be narrowing it down. I think I am leaning toward Bellini and Cashmere. I also love the packaging, which reminds me of Clinique lipsticks, one of my first beauty purchases as a youngster.
Hope all is well, dear friend!
Xoxo,
Kate
Hello dear Kate!
It's my pleasure…I know there is a lack of swatches for this fabulous formula online and I was eager to post them! Hopefully, the red lip lovers don't feel left out I can't help but skew towards the nude shades ; )
Bellini is gorgeous and a totally "you" color…definitely next on my list as well!
It does have a Clinique vibe, but the cases feel a bit heavier (in a good way)…I totally know how reminiscent Clinique is to younger days…that was my first "fancy makeup" as well.
Have a beautiful weekend and talk soon…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Very timely review, as I was considering getting both of these in The Nakeds collection at The Beauty Vault. I couldn't find swatches online, but now that I've seen them, I'll probably be taking the plunge 🙂
Hello Lulubelle,
Thank you! I am so glad to hear that you've found the swatches to be helpful…enjoy and do let me know what you think of them when you get them!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
BP, thank you for a great review and swatches… They all look lovely on you:). I picked up Sahara and Cashmere last weekend as well, and can attest to their goodness, rich pigmentation and hydration qualities!
Hope you are having a great and relaxing weekend;).
-WQ
Hello WQ!
My pleasure…the swatching has become a favorite pastime ; )
Thanks for your sweet words; I am so excited that you picked up Sahara and Cashmere and know they will be gorgeous on you…nude lip lovers unite!!
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend and talk soon…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Helllllloooo dearest B.P,
How have you being?
It feels so good to be back in the land of the living again after a 3 week hiatus to finally finish my Masters thesis! Let me tell you it was incredibly difficult not to have my daily dose of beauty-know-how from my favorite beauty blogger, however the separation was a necessary evil, and one that has paid off as I can now catch up on your all your lovely posts! I am literally salivating as I look at all the glorious product reviews and videos that I have to catch up on, and I will definitely be letting you know my thoughts on these, even if they are somewhat belated.
I am wishing you a fantastic week dear B.P and will talk soon!
Cheers Karen
Hello Karen,
What a joy to hear from you! All is well with me…traveling a lot and working even more ; ) Welcome back to the land of the living and a hearty and sincere congratulations on finishing your Masters thesis!! That is a major accomplishment!
I hope your well-deserved respite after months (maybe even years?!) of writing is delightful and am glad that my blog is a little part of it.
Have a beautiful week and talk soon…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Hello lovely lady, thank you for you fantastic swatches. I love your colour selections, but what struck me most was your flawless complexion in your photos.
What foundation are you wearing?
I hope that you have had a lovely weekend.
Take care and talk to you soon
Julie xox
Hello Julie!
Thanks for the sweet comment…happy to provide swatches of this formula as I fear they are currently quite lacking online! In the first picture, I am wearing the By Terry Densaliss Foundation in #7 and in the second, the Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation in a #002/#003 mixture. I wish I could say that I was wearing nothing on my face (ha!) but that's what foundation is for, right? ; )
I hope your Sunday is blessed and lovely…xoxo and talk soon!
–The Beauty Professor
Hi BP, I need Butterfield 8 in my life! haha You look stunning in all 3 shades. I can see how hard it was to pick b/c each has it's own beautiful qualities and tones. I love a coral shade but currently the 1 have is a bit too bright unless its summer & I have a bit of selftan, so Butterfield would be great 4 me. I recieved the Omorovicsa (i probably killed the spelling). I really like it. It's just as you said, sort of like a gel but does seem to give glow. On my days off I've been just wearing that & enjoy the ease & great coverage. Also as some reviewers said, my skin feels great even after I take it off. On to the suqqu. What is the total u.s dollars? About 130.00 total? It's an amazing finish. Thanku for the swatches & your spot-on review of the Omorovicsa B.B. xoxo
Hello Lynn!
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Yes, you totally need Butterfield 8 in your life…it is wonderful…somehow pigmented and bright yet totally wearable. Thanks for your kind words about my pictures! I am thrilled to hear that you love the Omorovicza (I have to look up the word every time I type it!)…it is a truly unique product and definitely a must for foundation lovers looking to try something new. With regards to the Suqqu, I believe I spent @$143 per shade…expensive, yes, but it will last a very long time and I think you would only need shade 003 (002 would likely be too light!). I got mine at bobodave.com and am always pleased with the service. The finish is divine…matte yet very skinlike and the coverage is fabulous!
Have a fantastic week and talk soon…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor