Hello friends!
Before jumping any further into the review I want to point out that Bond Girl got a name change, so even though my product has that shade name, it is now sold as M.I.Kiss and will be referred to as that for the rest of this review!
Color: M.I.Kiss is described as a berry red on the Sephora website, but I don’t fully agree with that description. It’s not something I’d consider deep enough to be a berry, and instead looks to me like a neutral deep pink. I don’t feel like I get berry or red out of this color.
Finish: Despite this being the “matte revolution” lipstick, I felt like (and you’ll be able to see in the swatch, which sat on my hand for more than 5 minutes before the picture) that this was more of a satin or even cream finish. When I think of matte, I think MAC Ruby Woo, where it is completely flat with no shine. I do believe that the softer finish is more appealing to a larger group of people, however.
Packaging: The packaging of this lipstick is absolutely the standout – it’s a metal rose gold tube with lines running up and down the sides. The top of the cap has a CT stamped onto it, and when the cap is taken off you can see Charlotte Tilbury on the area where the tube of lipstick comes out. The bottom of the lipstick has a sticker with the product name.
Applicator: The bullet for this lipstick is shaped a bit different than a normal lipstick. Instead of the standard teardrop shape, the lipstick has a more rectangular shape. The top looks to have been “cut”into, giving it a more convex look as you get further down in the product.
Application: Despite the uniquely shaped bullet, I didn’t find application any easier or harder than normal. It was simple enough to get the color distributed on my lips, and I just tilted the bullet so the tip was in the corner of my lips to get color there.
The product has a soft vanilla scent that does not linger when applied to the lips.
Transfer: Thinking back to the number of times I wore this product, I don’t recall transfer being anything stand out for it. It transferred just like any other cream bullet lipstick, with product coming off when I would eat or drink. It never seemed to really “set”.
Fading: I expected this to have a little more wear power than it did! It faded away extremely quickly after eating any sort of food, and left only a very subtle ring of pink around the outside of my lips. I noticed it sank into my lip lines as it faded, and even bled outside of my lip lines. I’m not sure if this was because it just smudged out or if it actually bled, which would be strange for a bullet lipstick.
Comfort: With this being more cream than matte, it remained very comfortable throughout the wear time. I forgot I was wearing it on some occasions, and only felt the need to take it off at the end of the night when all of my makeup came off.
Overall: Honestly, for as expensive as this product is I was disappointed in how it performed. Not to say it was a bad lipstick – it was just very average. I have lots of much cheaper lipsticks that perform the same or even better. I do know, however, that people with a smaller collection who may not have hundreds of options would probably think this is wonderful, especially with how luxe it is! I’ll be gifting it to my mom, who I’m sure will love the color, formula, and the luxurious packaging.
Price Point: This lipstick sells for a whopping $34, which is certainly no small chunk of change! I got mine in a Sephora lip kit, so the price didn’t hurt as much, but if I’d spent the full amount on this I’d have been sad. If the beautiful packaging and formula are something that you’re willing to shell out the money for, I don’t think you’ll be too upset. Just make sure you have your expectations in the right place!!
You can purchase this product from Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury’s website, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, and other department stores.
Karissa Talks Beauty 