Hello everyone!

While hopeless romantics eagerly anticipate the arrival of Valentine’s Day every February, shopaholics like myself look forward to sales as well as new releases that complement the special occasion. OFRA, a brand I’ve been keeping tabs on ever since purchasing my now all-time favourite liquid lipstick in Miami Fever, launched the Four Shades of Romance collection in January to give ladies ample time to prep for their Valentine’s date. Featuring four versatile and romantic shades, this Valentine’s Day-inspired collection includes one that is limited edition and exclusive to this set.

Housed in a dark purplish-pink drawstring mesh bag and cushioned from inevitable knocks during transit by shredded pink paper, the liquid lipsticks looked set for the celebration of love in a visibly smaller packaging – about 2 cm shorter than the regular-size ones – and a shiny silver cap instead of the usual matte black. The slimline design also makes it very handy to carry around in a clutch purse.

Among the four shades shown above, Santa Ana, Venice and Atlantic City are repackaged from the permanent line. Given that OFRA has been consistent in naming its liquid lipsticks – Miami Fever, Las Vegas, Dubai and other names of cities around the world (would love to see one named after an Asian city like Singapore though), it’s definitely not surprising to see that the shades picked out for this bundle are of two of the most romantic cities in the world. All of them have a matte finish.

(Pardon my ignorance but why Atlantic City and Santa Ana if not for the shade? Perhaps my American readers can enlighten me on this one!)

#1 Atlantic City

Vivid red lipsticks are a staple for the romantic season so it would be silly not to have one in this collection pack. This classic red has blue undertones which exudes sophistication and confidence on your first date with the guy you’ve been really interested in. The formula ensures full coverage to reduce the appearance of your lip lines and it also leaves a creamy and hydrating texture on the lips before drying down to a matte (but still moisturising) finish.

#2 Venice

If you’re bored of your classic red lipsticks already, try this bold orange-red for a change! Like Atlantic City, Venice goes on slick and evenly and coats the lips with intense pigment and high-impact colour payoff which guarantee to get you noticed among a crowd of other dolled up women (so singletons, take note!).  A little of this product goes a long way and one swipe is all you need to fill the lips. The texture, however, felt slightly tackier than other shades.

I couldn’t tell Venice and First Class apart because they looked too similar! Since ColourPop carries a more extensive range of shades, it won’t be difficult to find dupes at a fraction of OFRA’s price if you’re willing to compromise on the quality. 😉

#3 Santa Ana

Not fond of heavily saturated brights? Don’t worry, OFRA has got you covered! Santa Ana brings out the gentle side of you with its gorgeous berry rose colour – an ideal neutral shade for everyday wear which also gives the lips a healthier-looking flush. It has an apparent buttery texture with fairly good colour consistency because some areas appeared thinner on my lips and thus required reapplication. But I don’t really see it as an issue. I absolutely love Santa Ana because it blends so well with my natural lip colour! I can totally see myself wearing it to death.

I think I may even like it more than Bumble now.

#4 Paris Rendezvous

Following very closely behind Santa Ana on my colour charts is Paris Rendezvous, the limited edition coral pink shade that was specially created for this promotional bundle. It feels exceptionally comfortable and lightweight on the lips and does a satisfactory job in filling the lips entirely with its fairly opaque and somewhat streaky coverage. It is hydrating but does not dry down completely. Therefore, this shade isn’t transfer-proof and won’t be as long-lasting as the rest. But looking on the bright side, it doesn’t demand a lot of effort to be removed. Moreover, this shade is too pretty to be tossed aside, don’t you agree? 🙂

With only ColourPop’s Instigator bearing the closest similarity (but far from being a dupe) to Paris Rendezvous, it is essentially a unique shade on its own.

OFRA has undoubtedly become one of my go-to brands for liquid lipsticks because of its incredibly soothing and comfortable formula that does not dry out my already-chapped lips. They generally last for at least four hours before fading evenly all over the lips. This bundle is really value-for-money and I would certainly recommend anyone who’s still contemplating to try this brand to get it. I assure you that you will love their liquid lipsticks as much as I do!

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

OFRA Four Shades of Romance Collection is now available on OFRACosmetics.com. Quote “LIPLOVE” upon checkout for 30% off Storewide.