I’ve been meaning to write about Chanel’s Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons for a while, but the arrival of what may potentially be my all-time perfect lipstick shade (“Discretion” from the AW18 collection) suddenly made this review a bit more urgent. Because the new colour is simply sublime; a pale peachy-nude that seems to look creamy and plump regardless of the matte finish.
Chanel’s Jumbo Lip Crayons really are a triumph anyway, in terms of texture and ease of application – they glide on almost without friction, feeling more like a liquid than a crayon, and have reasonably good longevity without the usual associated dryness. But where Chanel’s standard Jumbo Crayon has a sophisticated sheen, the matte version (in the aptly-named Le Mat de Chanel collection) has a very modern, understated flatness. Just like a high-pigment lipstick that’s been blotted down.
And paler shades is really so difficult to get right – if the texture of the lipstick is too sheer and juicy your natural, darker lip colour tends to show through and it looks patchy. Too matte a finish and the lips look dead, or as though they’ve been plastered in chalky concealer. Too waxy a lipstick texture and also the effect is almost grotesque – a thick, clay-like coating that appears like two plasticine sausages rather than human lips.
None of these problems with the new Rouge Crayon de Couleur Mat (sounds excellent in French); it glides on and appears to gently rest on the skin like a silky veil. Just fine, concentrated colour.
One of the greatest appeals of this Jumbo Crayon is I can use it as liner and lipstick – I’m always forgetting to throw a lip liner into my makeup bag after i leave the house and so this dual function just makes my entire life a tiny bit easier.
(I allow it to be sound as though I throw things into my makeup bag frequently, like one of those power players in the movies who rushes about in stilettos shouting at the children to eat their cereal because she needs to be at the White House press briefing in minus three minutes. Actually I don’t leave the house whatsoever more than about four times per week, and that’s only if I’ve run out of crumpets, but I like to imagine.)
The only snag with this particular luxury lip wonder? The Jumbo Crayon doesn’t seem to ever fully set. It doesn’t smear around like sauce with an uncooked pizza base, but neither does it hold fast like among those 24-hour stay-put jobs that need a blowtorch to get rid of them. Personally, I never want for such levels of indestructibility so the slight movement in this one isn’t an issue, but those looking for semi-permanence may wish to look elsewhere.
You can find the brand new Chanel Jumbo Longwear Matte Lip Crayon online at Feelunique here* and Selfridges here* – it’s lb31. Along with the nudey Discretion I love the shade Provocation – a warm orange-red that looks amazing against sunkissed skin.
