Tender Lips is a sheer lipstick, so it does not apply opaque but has enough color saturation to show itself on one's lips. It is very comfortable to wear, except for the usual obnoxious smell of LM's sheer lipsticks (and stickglosses). However, the color of Tender Lips is so good that I am ready to forgive. Well, this is the most attractive looking plum-brown-reddish lipstick I've ever worn, so I am a little bit biased here.

Pros: I LOVE the formula of this lipcolor. It's called a lip sheer but it actually contains quite a bit of pigment. It's a brown-based red color. The packaging is elegant and sturdy, and I guess it says something that I have already ordered the other color in this called Baby Lips.
Cons: With my yellow undertones (NC20), Tender Lips is just a tad too brown for me and it really makes my teeth look yellow (yuck), but I can make it work because I love the formula so much. Because the formula is so comfortable and moist, this has no staying power. It lasts about 1 - 2 hours. I also think that despite the moist formula, over time it seems to be causing my lips to need more lip balm. It's drying them out. I'm interested to see how Baby Lips works out for me. I would recommend this as I know most people are OK with a brown base for their red lippie, but I doubt I would ever repurchase for myself.

I had been looking for a sheer lipstick which was close to my natural lip color but then some. On me this is a rosy pink which initially appears a bit too dark but it mellows quickly to a lovely natural shade. I think this color would suit a lot of skin colorings if you want to kick up your lip color a bit but don't want to go too pale and don't want a gloss look or lipstick. The only slightly negative is that I have to re-apply it fairly often if I want color on my lips but as I find it somewhat hydrating that isn't really a problem. Overall a lovely color in the Mercier line of sheer colors, most of which I love - only one is too pale for me.

Just gorgeous. This is one of my first forays into the land of the nude, which I'd even just recently sworn I'd never visit. To those used to nude colours, this will appear much more colourful than the typical YLBB shade. But to me, this is very subtle. This is a shade that straddles the pretty/sexy line with aplomb, never losing its balance. It is sheer, soft, rosey brown on my lips, intensifying in reddishness only when piled on. It is very flattering on my NW15 skin, but I imagine it would work equally well on a warmer skin. It straddles that line, too. Superb. My first LM lipstick; definitely not my last!

Agree with previous reviewer about the amount of pigment in this sheer lipstick; good for when I want a more dramatic look. Have this in Bare Lips too for less intense color. I find that the formula is pretty moist; enough so that I need to use a lip liner to prevent bleeding (YMMV though), but then I almost always use lip liner. When I first wore it, I thought I was smelling the baking I did, due to the vanilla scent wafting up. No taste to me however. Now that I've worn it a while, it's very slight and quite pleasant (overcomes the odors at works; rather smell vanilla than the office odors or everyone else's lunch from the microwave).
1 lippie off for combination of cost (not most expensive, but nearly so) and packing (not worst but for the price, could have been prettier).

New formuation
This lip sheer had more pigment than I was expecting, but it's still on the sheer side and lovely. A wonderful MLBB. It's definitely a neutral sheer reddish tone. The new formulation is quite nice! It goes on smoothly and smells good...I kept trying to figure it out on the way home...it smells like Creme Brulee, but it's not overly sweet or cloying. It's great! An aside, this is redder and has more pigment than Bobbi Brown Sheer Plum. The feel is moisturizing with a subtle sheen...soooo much better than the old, waxy, awful smelling formulation!! continued >>

I saw this on the pic for the laura mercier spring 2008 dreamy collection. Her makeup was so gorgeous I had to have everything! Seriously I bought like everything the model was wearing. It's not a color I would have chosen by myself, but it's so pretty. It's a sheer red color, it doesn't have any pink or cool tones. It's not as glossy and sheer as the pic but I just add a little my lip stuff lip balm over it and voila! Just like the model! Love it!

This is a very sophisticated, elegant sheer red that really pulls together a polished look. I found it to be a little too red for a very dark smokey eye, but if you are wearing a more subdued smokey eye this lipstick offers a very nice balance. The finish is sheer but not glossy, which is what I was originally excpecting. This is a semi-matte lipstick which means your lips must be very hydrated or your lips will become dryer and look dry as well. The model in the photo promotion has gloss on over the color, and personally I believe this is a nicer way to go. A nice thing about the semi-matte texture though is that it really contributes to the longevity of the lipstick which seems to be pretty solid. A nice color but I'm not sure yet if it is something I would buy again. I think I might want something a little less drying.

Gorgeous red MLBB on me. Very subdued, sort of neutral red. It looks like a natural red lip and doesn't show up pink on me at all. This is a perfect everyday lip color. If you have this in your bag, it's ok if you forget to bring whatever lipstick you're wearing that day. This will make you look polished and pulled together. I'm a bit surprised at how many people don't like her packaging. I think the brown is very chic. For reference: fair/medium w/ green undertones, dark brown hair, v. dark brown eyes.

I think this shade would probably be flattering to a lot of different skin tones. It definitely enhances your lip color. It's a bit too rosy/pink for my taste, but it looks ok if I use a light touch.

I got Tender Lips right after some Dior Ultra-Shines, and it didn't compare well. I also can't help comparing it to Vincent Longo Lipstains. Either of those is better than this line.
Still, Tender Lips isn't baaad. It's a nice color, sort of an odd deep nude neutral. So it makes my lips look just about the right depth of color, without the color being weird or unnatural in any way. Slightly brown, but not a deadening or ugly or greyed brown - a bit rosy. So that's good!
The lipstick smells a little bit obnoxious. Not as bad as Lauder lipsticks, which are the WORST! But unfortunately, a little bit like them.
I recommend Vincent Longo Lipstain in Genasei rather than this. But Tender Lips is definitely wearable.

After Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick, this is my HG lip product. Subtle, natural looking, moisturizing.

I do like this lipstick, like some other reviewer said, it deepens your lip pigment subtly but with a noticeable "bitten" look which I like. Some people complain about the packaging which I don't think is a big deal. It is slightly drying but the name "tender lips" totally justifies the product because that sums up the effect it gives your lip colour. A bit expensive of course but a good product nonetheless and I will buy again.

I'm on my third tube of this stuff. My first experience with Mercier's sheer lip colors was the Just Lips shade, but I found it a trifle too brown and not enough pink. Tender Lips is perfect on me - it deepens the color of my natural lip pigment. And although many have complained about the texture - which is certainly not creamy, moisturizing, or glossy - I've found that it perfectly mimics the finish of my real lips. Even my husband - who loathes lipstick - never has anything to say when I put this on.

A lovely shade for fall and winter. On me (NC15 dark brown eyes, average lip pigmentation) Tender lips is a medium berry shade with more red undertones than pink, but still subdued. The consistency is a tad bit drying, but the staying power is great, so I guess it't an okay trade off. :-)

This is the lipstick I reach for when I want a subtle, nude look.
It gives me that pouty full lip look, especially when topped with a hint of gloss.

This was the first of LM's sheer lippies that I tried, and I really wasn't all that impressed. I picked this one to try because I liked the description of it in the Blissout catalog...."warning - may attract all the shy guys". I figured with a decription like that, it must be worth it. Wrong...It did not seem very sheer at all - kind of a bright reddish-pink color. Didn't have very good staying power, either. I hope the others in this line are better!

I really like Tender Lips, but on me it is a browny red, rather than a rose.
I have quite yellow-toned skin, so anything with even the slightest hint of warmth in it looks brown on me and can make me look ashen.
However, Tender Lips has enough coolness in it to look good on me and allows me to stray away from my berries, blue reds and true roses.
The texture is nice and I can ignore the smell because the colour looks so good.

Of the LM sheer lippies, this is probably my favorite. I have purchased it twice, and keep one tube in my purse at all times as a no-fail every day color in case I forget to carry the lipstick I put on in the morning. It is a bit drying and the packaging is so drab--UPS brown is not a sleek and chic color--so I doubt that I would repurchase.

I really like this lipstick. It is def. "my lips, only better".