Luxury Chapstick Review: Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume
What are some of the beauty essentials you keep on hand? For me, it's chapstick. I can't live without the stuff, especially during the cold, dry New England winters. I've mentioned this in a previous blog post but I absolutely cannot live without Fresh's Advance Therapy Lip Balm. On average I go through about 3 tubes a year and I've had this habit since 2019. Right now, Fresh's Advanced Therapy Lip Balm retails for $28 although I've noticed that the cost fluctuates on Amazon depending on supply.
For many, $28 is far too much to spend on chapstick but frankly, this isn't my problem. My favorite lipstick at the moment is from Maybelline, I'm no luxury beauty girly. I'm prone to dryness, itching, and chapping, I just need good chapstick.
Today I'm going to be reviewing Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume. How does it stack against my favorite Fresh lip balm? Let's find out.
First Criterion | Presentation
I like how Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume is packaged to look just like a tube of lipstick. This novelty is what drew me to the product. I really like Chanel's sleek design, but you can tell that this is a high-end product when it's in your hands. I compared how Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume felt in the hand compared to my favorite Maybelline lipstick, just to see if it felt different and it definitely does. The plastic of the Chanel tube feels more substantial and sturdier than drugstore lipstick. The Chanel logo is embedded on the lid of the tube in white, announcing that THIS IS CHANEL, BITCHES. This chapstick makes a statement but it's discreet enough.
Taking off the lid, it looks like white lipstick. Nice. I smell the product: there is a very light rose floral scent, and there is almost a light sweetness to the scent. Personally, I quite like it. The smell reminds me of the mysterious elixirs I remember wafting from my mother as she was doing her night-time skincare routine.
The tip of the lipstick is slanted for precision application, just like a tube of lipstick though I will say that the girth of the product is a bit slimmer than I expected.
When it comes to the presentation, I'll give this product 4.5/5 stars. This lipstick has a classy look and smell, I'm just docking half a point for the amount of product that is in the tube. I expected it to be the same amount of product as the Chanel lipsticks I've had in the past.
Second Criterion | Application
I like how this product applies to the lips. The slanted tip makes the application simple and precise. This lip balm is very rich, smooth, and buttery. I'd go as far as saying it applies more smoothly than Fresh's. It feels dense and luxurious on the lips. Some chapsticks feel a little waxy and it can feel like not very much product transfers to the lips. This is definitely not the case with the Coco Baume, my lips feel nicely coated.
The rose scent, though subtle when I was just smelling the product, is a bit too strong for me. Although it might be psychosomatic, I feel like I can taste the rose scent and this is not appealing to me. It's a bit too perfumy.
When it comes to application, I give this product 3/5 stars. I like the smoothness of the product and how thick it feels on the lips but the strong scent is really bothersome for me.
Third Criterion | Affect and Effect
This is definitely a hydrating product that'll moisturize your lips. This lip balm provides a lot of high-level hydration, what I expect from a luxury lip balm product. The finish of this product is somewhere between satin and glossy which I don't mind. This product leaves my lips feeling plump and juicy and feels really nice on the lips.
However, what I noticed throughout the evening is that this product is not very long-lasting. I found myself reapplying the product again and again throughout the evening. Other reviewers of this product mentioned that they had the same issue with the lack of longevity of the product.
When it comes to affect and effect, I give this product 3/5 stars. I can tell that this is a really nice product and your lips will definitely stay hydrated with regular use. However, what I do not like is that your lips do not feel coated for very long. Due to the pricepoint of this lip balm, it's very annoying to have to continually apply it and as I mentioned earlier, it's not very much product.
Final Review
It's a 2.5/5 for me. Will this product replace my favorite Fresh Advance Therapy? Nope. I don't like the scent and I don't like that it does not last very long. Full disclosure, I applied this product onto my lips after using Fresh's Advance Therapy Lip Primer which normally ensures that I'm reaching for the balm far less. With Chanel's Coco Rougue Baume, it was as if I hadn't used the primer so I bet it lasts even less for those who don't use a lip primer prior to application.
It was also disappointing that the rose scent was so strong when applied because it didn't smell like it would be so overwhelming. I'm not against scented lip balms, I just don't want to taste rose with whatever I might be eating or drinking.
So is this product worth it's hefty pricepoint? It's going to have to be a no for me, unfortunately.
This is a decent product though, it provides lots of good hydration and feels good on the lips. Despite the negative criticisms I had about it, I would say that I prefer this product to other high-end lip balms that I have used in the past. It's just not my favorite. As you can see, I'm almost out of my Sugar and I'm glad I have this one in my arsenal since I'll definitely be using it as my main lip balm afterward.
This product isn't Chanel's only lip balm, they have a few others available on their website although I might try another luxury brand like Dior or Gucci before I circle back to try the others Chanel has to offer. I want to review luxury, high-end lip balms as a regular column on my blog but at a much slower pace than the beauty influencers you see online. I plan on reviewing these products as the need arises so don't expect the next review for a while.
Is there a specific high-end, luxury lip balm you want me to try next? Go ahead and shoot me and email with your recommendation. I'm open to anything.