A splurge on Guerlain Bal de Mai

When I was visiting my family a few weeks ago, I took advantage of Shoppers Drug Mart redeem your points day at a location that had makeup brands that I do not have in my city, namely, Guerlain.

I've always been intrigued by Guerlain - the gorgeous packaging, the luxury of the brand, the stellar reviews - but I always wondered if the price was worth it. Lucky for me, by redeeming my points, I was able to try the brand without the weight of the price tag.

From the start, I knew I wanted a Rouge Automatic. It had been so highly reviewed on Temptalia that I knew I wanted to give a shade a go. After swatching for a while, with the boyfriend sitting on a makeup chair, bored out of his mind (sorry!), I settled on the Bal de Mai 160.

I love the font of Guerlain. Gorgeous!

Bal de Mai is a gorgeous coral toned rosy, plummy color with a light golden shimmer. I found it to be quite moisturizing, and it wore for 4+ hours on me before needing reapplication.

On my lips.

 My apologies, this swatch is a bit dark, but it's probably also the most accurate.

From left to right: Dior Addict in Garconne, Dior Addict in Tailleur Bar, Clarins Joli Rouge in Rose Sorbet 702, Guerlain Bal de Mai 160, Lancome Rouge in Love in Rose Rendez-Vous, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne (now called Sparkling Pink), MAC Brave, MAC Hug Me.

In tone, I'd say Laura Mercier Pink Champagne is the closest to Bal de Mai - it is however much darker, more opaque and doesn't contain any shimmer. Dior Addict Garconne is also similar but much sheerer and a bit more coral.

Lineup of comparators.

All and all, Guerlain Bal de Mai is very unique. I'm in love with the light but opaque texture and the slight glossy effect of the lipstick. It barely has any scent and its packaging is gorgeous and sturdy. If I were the kind of person who keeps a lipstick in her bag, this would be a lipstick I wouldn't be shy of slathering on in public - the packaging needs showing off!

Now, for the price point - this lipstick is expensive. At $40 in Canada, this is the definition of a splurge. If you're on a tight budget, this lipstick isn't worth it. While it's very nice, and definitely a gorgeous lipstick, I'm sure there are more affordable versions out there. I don't think I would have purchased this lipstick if it wasn't for the Shoppers points option - the price is foolish. But at the same time, if you have the money, why not? Life is too short and Guerlain is stunning. The end.

Hope you're having a great weekend. I sun-burned my shoulders (yes, I wore 30 SPF sunscreen, which I applied twice, but I assume it must have rubbed off or something...) and have been slathering them with Aloe Vera.

What's your take on makeup splurges? Do you think high-end makeup is worth it sometimes? What's the highest you'd pay for a lipstick?