Mona Lisa…My Sunday Riley Lip Color Choice!

After viewing the veritable rainbow of colors offered in the recently released  Sunday Riley Modern Lip Color line, I decided that I would purchase #106, “Mona Lisa,” a very unique pale pink cream with salmon undertones.  As demonstrated by some earlier swatches (found here), many of the colors in the line are rich and vibrant but tend to lean towards the darker end of the color spectrum.  I unequivocally prefer lighter nude and pink lip color (as reflected by this post) and this shade definitely meets my criteria.

Housed in a classic square gold case with the Sunday Riley interlocking “S and R” on top, this lip color is classy and covetable.

The formula of Mona Lisa is smooth and creamy and features a bevy of healthy ingredients including shea butter and bergamot extract to enhance the smoothness and overall condition of lips.  I find that I can get about four hours of wear out of a single application (2-3 swipes).  The lipstick has a very light scent (a little elusive but a bit like fresh lemons) that disappears quickly.  
                 
Unlike other lipsticks currently on the market that have a ton of “slip” due to silicons, the SR Modern Lip Color doesn’t glide on as smoothly but definitely stays put, avoiding the tendency to migrate outside of the lip line.  
                  
Due to its light tone, I sometimes enjoy wearing Mona Lisa with lipliner (Smashbox liner in “Fair” is a complementary option) but often wear it alone (as I am in the image below), adding a touch of gloss over it as the day goes on (By Terry in “Honeymoon Kiss”–to be reviewed soon–is a nice pairing).
                                     
Mona Lisa has become a staple in my purse and I am beyond pleased with my selection…it is difficult to find a pale lipstick that is not packed with shimmer (there is no perceptible shimmer in Mona Lisa), does not wash you out and provides enough color to be flattering.  I can even use it to lighten up or add a more creamy effect to slightly darker lipsticks!
                         
Above: Mona Lisa by itself
Some lipsticks that are in the same family as Mona Lisa include LORAC “Babydoll” (though I like the moisturizing properties and color of the SR formulation more), Chanel Desinvolte (similar in tone but Desinvolte ends up much darker) and Rouge D’Armani #515 (similar in depth, though #515 is more pink than pale salmon).  The next two images provide some concrete swatch comparisons for lip color in the pale pink-peach family:
**Above and below in direct sunlight and shade: (1) Sunday Riley’s Mona Lisa, (2) Burberry’s Cameo, (3) LORAC’s Babydoll, (4) Dolce and Gabbana’s Baby Darling, (5) Chanel’s Desinvolte and (6) Yves Saint Laurent’s Blonde Ingenue

While as of post date, this product is not yet available on Barneys.com, it can be purchased in person (the lip color retails for $32) at the Sunday Riley counters located at most Barneys.  If you are interested in placing a mail order with the store, Merrady and Suzi at the Sunday Riley counter at Barneys Beverly Hills can be reached at (310) 276-7664 and are an excellent place to start!

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Comments (3)

  • dontcallmejessie Reply

    God, I cannot WAIT to get my hands on this! That is definitely my kind of shade! Thanks for the lovely swatches and comparisons. Do you have any idea when these will hit Barneys.com? I've been checking kind of obsessively! >_<

    April 8, 2012 at 8:07 am
    • dontcallmejessie Reply

      Somehow I missed the end blurb in your post – I may just have to call and order it from the store! Thanks for the info! <3

      April 8, 2012 at 8:09 am
  • The Beauty Professor Reply

    Judging by the lipstick swatches on your blog, this belongs in your collection indeed. Glad you liked the comparisons…I always find it helpful to see how light lipsticks look in conjunction to other light lipsticks : ) If you decide you have to have Mona Lisa sooner rather than later, I suggest calling Barneys and asking for one of the girls…they are super helpful and if you think of it, tell them the Beauty Professor sent you!

    Happy Easter and thanks for reading!

    April 8, 2012 at 7:32 pm

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