Why You Should Try Song Hye Kyo's Fave Lipstick

In a lot of ways, Korean dramas are kind of like the best commercials ever: After all, all of the biggest stars have contracts with high-profile brands — Jun Ji Hyun has Hera, Lee Min Ho has Innisfree, Park Shin Hye has Mamonde, and last but not least, Song Hye Kyo has Laneige (a brand that's actually starting to get a lot of traction here in the U.S. — they sell it at Target now!). At any rate, Song's most popular drama, That Winter, The Wind Blows judiciously showed her using her lipstick of choice (a.k.a the Laneige Silk Intense Lipstick) — and as a result, they were fairly flying off of the shelves.

The drama featured a few different shades — throughout the season, Oh Young wore the lipstick in Beige Chiffon (a lovely nude), Pink Garden (a subdued blue-based shade), Blonde Coral (a natural warm pink), and Glam Pink (a mauve with a kick). All four, of course, quickly became the most popular shades in the line — and the lipstick itself became such a phenomenon that Laneige decided to add several new colors to the collection.

The hype has died down somewhat since the drama's debut back in early 2013, but the lipstick's still a keeper — I mean, check out how fab it is:

It's just so ladylike, delicate, and darn pretty (as is Ms. Song, of course). As soon as I saw it, I knew it was a must-have — I headed straight out to the Amore Pacific boutique out in Koreatown, spent a few minutes swatching shades, and promptly walked out of the store wearing my newly-purchased Laneige Silk Intense Lipstick in Glam Pink.

It was a little more than I usually spend on my lip products (it ran me up about $27, though prices vary depending where you buy), but it was well-worth it: Not only was the color every bit as pretty as it looked on TV, it also boasted an excellent formula. If you look closely at the lipstick bullet, you'll notice some shimmers, which actually gives the lipstick a subtly glossy look (as opposed to the sparkly finish you might expect, which can be hit or miss). That, combined with the moisturizing formula lends your lips a nice, almost incandescent sheen — it's got one of the prettiest finishes I've ever seen on a lipstick.

Plus, it's fairly long-lasting (even though I purchased it in one of the lighter shades), and it wears really well — no awkward clinging to flakes, no gross patchy look at the end of the day (you know the drill). All in all, I'd definitely call it one of my HG lippies (it's right up there with Dior Rouge Baume and Revlon's Balm Stains) — and strangely enough, I've got the charmingly melodramatic stylings of That Winter, The Wind Blows to thank.

Images: That Winter, The Wind Blows/DramaFever; Rosie Narasaki