L'oreal infallible 24hr lipstick review

This beauty was one of the products I picked up from the recent 40% off sale at Priceline because who has $30 to spend on a lip product they've never tried, or even one they have! 
I've been looking for no-budge lip products because I just cannot stand transfer. It gives me the absolute shits and takes much of the fun out of wearing lipstick. Couple this with the worry that half your lipstick has suddenly migrated to your now filthy-looking glass, and its just a pain. 
Unfortunatley for cheap little me, this sort of lipstick is quite pricey so when I heard about this sale I felt like screaming 'Victory'! and rushed out a got 3 of this style of lipstick to try out. I will also be reviewing the other brand I got and will link it here once I have.

I got the L'oreal infallible in 213 Teaberry which is a dusty rose kind of colour. I wanted something neutral that I could wear everyday.
This lipstick is a two-step lipstick. It has a liquid lipstick on one end, and a lip balm on the other. 

The packaging of this product is probably some of the nicest I've seen on this style of lipstick. It is sleek and not gaudy like some of the others (hhh hhhhmm Rimmel hhhh huuu). I am old and simple so this is great for me. 
The lipstick end has a doe foot applicator which is quite large compared to others I have used and this made it a little difficult for me to stay 'in the lines'. Normally, this isn't an issue but when you have to use oil to remove the product it's a bit annoying. Having said that, I'm sure I'll get better with practice and it is also really super soft so it does feel really really nice on your lips. 
The balm end is a standard, solid lipbalm stick cut at an angle for easy application. It goes on easily and feels just like a normal lipbalm. It has a very subtle strawberry scent which is nice. 

This is after about 4 hours wear, and after eating and drinking both hot and cold drinks

This lipstick lasts very well, I'm not going to test it for the full 24 hours as I'm not going to sleep in any make-up for the sake of a test and, really how many normal people need 24 hrs of wear from a lipstick? I have eaten and drunk with it on and it does stay put on your lips. Unfortunately there is some very slight transfer onto cups/glasses and onto the lipbalm. It's not a lot, and is certainly negligable compared to normal lipsticks, but it is there. I think that, for a product that costs over $30 full price, I want zero transfer at all so I'm a little disappointed with that. 

This s a swatch before it dried so you can see the consistency.

I had heard that these sorts of products have a reputation for being quite drying. I haven't found this at all. I actually find it quite comfortable to wear and would have no problem wearing it all day (which you can without reapplying - Yay for laziness!). If it becomes uncomfortable at all, you just reapply the lipbalm and voila, problem solved. I'm fairly used to applying lipbalm throughout the day so it's no skin off my nose and is much easier to do without a mirror than lipstick (or is it just ham-fisted me?)

The other issue with this product, and I believe all comparable products, is that it wears off a little on the inside of your lips if you eat greasy food. This is not really surprising given that the way you remove it is with oil (any oil, I'm using my body oil at the moment). However, it does touch up nicely without getting cakey so as long as you carry it with you its really not an issue for me.

One thing I did find irritating is that, as it doesn't come in a box there are no instructions. I just used the same procedure on the box of the other brand I got but I did find this annoying for a 2-step product. I feel there should have been some form of instruction but I guess that would ruin the look of a packaging. I put it on and left my lips apart for about a minute while it dried (don't press them together at all) and then put the balm on top. This works so I'll stick to doing that. 

Would I buy this product again? Only if it was heavily reduced. The other product I got is $10 cheaper and, I feel it is better. I would only consider getting it if the price was the same as the other product, purely for broader colour choice. I am impressed with the product, despite the slight transfer, its just a bit too expensive for me. 

Have you tried this product?

What did you think?

What similar product would you recommend?

Note: I paid for this product with my own money. I was not approached to do this review and all expressed options are my own.