I have been using this type lipstick for at least 15 years, maybe longer and it remains one of the great consumer products of all time. You only apply it once most day unless you eat greasy food and wipe it off; it looks perfect after the two step application and is durable. I have had at least a dozen people over the years spontaneously comment on how great my lipstick looks which has never happened with any other product. I gave my SIL some many years ago and she told me the first time she wore it her friends commented on how good her lipstick looked. This particular color is fairly dark with a brown/rose/maroon cast; I often top it with a cocoa tone to get the perfect color. This type lipstick can also be mixed (I use an old credit card as a palette ) to get precisely the color you want. The clear top coat turns it from a bit dry to moist and luminous. You can refresh the top coat for softness during the day but I rarely have to refresh the base unless I am going out again in the evening.