Happy new year! A fresh year means I have renewed motivation to keep working my way through my massive makeup collection in an effort to get reviews to you the reader!
Color: Kir Royale is a really pretty burgundy shade! The Buxom website describes this color as a “berry wine”, which does also feel accurate, but to me there’s a pretty strong dark red look, and berry feels like it should be more of a pinky-purple color. Either way, it’s a gorgeous fall shade in that darker color family!
Finish: The finish of this gloss is incredibly high shine! Looking at it in the camera and moving my head side to side, it reflects the light from my window so brightly my lips have white spots from all the snow. It’s really quite pretty!
Packaging: I have the travel size of this product, but the packaging is nearly identical. It has a metallic silver cap and a clear plastic tube where you can see the product through. The actual shape of the packaging is pretty unique in that it’s a very faint hourglass; the top and bottom of the product are slightly wider than the middle.
Applicator: The applicator is a very basic doefoot; nothing special to talk about here.
Application: Applying this can be just a little finicky, but not as bad as you would expect with a dark color like this! One dip from the doefoot onto my lips will mostly cover my bottom lip, and I’ll go back in one more time for the top lip. Depending on the amount of color you want, it may be worth only one dip and then rubbing your lips together for a thin layer. There’s some drawbacks to doing this, however, that are detailed below.
There is a minty feel which is what helps create the plumping effect along with that high shine which gives the appearance of fuller lips. This will translate to your lips feeling cold and that feeling lasting basically through the entire wear time of this product. The scent is not minty, it’s actually more of a soft sweet smell.
I went from reviewing nothing but liquid lipsticks to luck of the draw giving me tons of lip glosses! Lip gloss isn’t my favorite type of lip product, so I’m very ready to go back to a nice, matte lipstick. However, I hope that all of you gloss people are loving these reviews!
Color: Vintage is described on the ABH website as a “victorian rose”. This sounds like a pretty accurate description to me! The color is a neutral pink. In the tube there is pretty obvious gold glitters, but I couldn’t find any hint of it in the swatch or when I had it on my lips. They only became apparent after the majority of the gloss had worn off, and all that was left was a little pigment and all the glitter.
Finish: This finish is akin to a liquified lipstick more than a gloss in my opinion. It’s very thick and creamy looking, with some decent shine.
Packaging: The packaging of this gloss is pretty simple. It’s an acrylic tube with the product information and brand name printed on the side. The bottom has a sticker with the color name. The lid is a shiny black.
Applicator: The applicator is a pretty standard one for these thick glosses. It’s a large, flat paddle as opposed to a traditional shaped doefoot.
This product is extra special for me, as it was won in a giveaway from a small creator who does not seem to be around anymore. Now I see it and I think of her!
Color: Strawberry Whip is a cool toned pink that almost looks purple; kind of like a very subtle magenta.
Finish: Being a lip lacquer, this product has a very shiny and creamy finish! It also smoothed the look of my lips, creating a plump effect.
Packaging: The packaging of this product is quite unique and I like it! It’s hexagonal, so it doesn’t roll around when set to the side. The tube is a clear acrylic, and the cap is a shiny deep charcoal color. Two of the six sides have the brand name and product information printed on it in matte black, and there is a matte black stripe along the top of the tube. The bottom has a sticker with the color name on it.
Applicator: This is the first time (that I remember) seeing an applicator shaped like this! It’s a doefoot, but is shaped like an hourglass. The end has a round tip to it, which tapers in and back out again at the base. The part that tapers in seems to hold a lot of product.
I try to keep up to date on all the latest trends, so of course I was very interested when Uoma Beauty came out! The prices were a little high for me, so I didn’t grab anything unfortunately. Well, they made an off-shoot brand, with cheaper prices and different packaging for customers who couldn’t afford the higher price tag items, which I love!
I actually got this product not too long ago from Walmart, as they had a two pack on clearance! I was pumped, because as we know I love to review products that are still relevant, but for a good deal!
Color: Rosie is a soft nudey pink; It’s mostly sheer, but does end up giving my lips a bit of a pink tint. The tint is very neutral and does not look like a baby pink or hot pink.
Finish: This is a pretty shiny formula, with a slightly creamy look to it.
Packaging: I love the packaging of this! It’s a completely clear acrylic tube so the product color is clearly visible. The cap is also clear, along with the wand. On the side in white with a hot pink stripe it says “It’s Your Time to Shine”, and on the other side it states the brand name and product. On the bottom is a sticker that lists the product color.
Applicator: The applicator is a flat paddle, with one side having the soft fluffy doefoot and the other side being bare and just plastic. I saw this on another product as well and thought it might’ve been an error in production, but clearly it’s just a style used with glosses!
Switching gears from my TJMaxx shopping addiction to a previous subscription addiction, I got this gloss in a Boxycharm a while ago! Actually, I got it in an Ipsy even further back in the day, but then Boxycharm also sent me one in a full size this time. The timing was great, because the gloss from Ipsy had gone bad at that point.
This one is fresh and unopened until testing, which is an exciting experience for me!
Color: Pink Sequin is described on the Vintage Cosmetics website as a “light, sparkly icy-pink lilac”. I personally don’t see much of the lilac, but it definitely is a very soft, nearly clear gloss with a pink tint, and silvery looking glitter throughout.
Finish: The finish is a standard shiny gloss; there really wasn’t much for color payoff so it looked clear. Of course there is glitter particles throughout, which added a shimmery finish on top of the glossy look.
Packaging: The packaging of this product is quite lovely! The tube is a square shape and acrylic with the brand information printed on it. The cap is a metallic gold that matches the color of the information on the tube.
Applicator: The applicator for this gloss is a brush and not a doefoot. The brush is fine, but pretty small, and I did already have one hair that was frayed and sticking out. While this definitely didn’t impact application, I do want to note it for anyone who might be picky about their gloss brushes!
One of my favorite happy accidents is buying makeup from TJMaxx and finding out that it’s actually something that you can still purchase! When I pulled this out to review, I was so excited to find that it was still on bareMinerals’ website as an option to snatch up!
Unfortunately, that’s the only thing that I was really excited about after having tried this out.
Color: The BareMinerals website describes this color as a “muted mauve”. It’s definitely a my lips but better shade! It leans a bit on the pinky purple side, but is still a neutral.
Finish: With a product name that contains the words patent and lacquer, you would expect this to be shiny, and it does not disappoint! It’s got that thick, shiny look on the lips.
Packaging: The packaging is a pretty basic acrylic tube with a shiny black cap. The brand name is written on the tube with a sticker on the bottom listing the color name.
Applicator: The applicator on this is a paddle-like doefoot, with a longer, thin shape to it. I don’t know if this is normal for the product, but only one half of the paddle had fluff on it; the other side was just the plastic paddle.
Application: Unfortunately, application of this was not easy. The product is so thick and sticky that the doefoot wouldn’t want to move across my lips easily, making getting an even application as well as a decent lip line incredibly difficult. I couldn’t get into the corner of my lips nicely, and had to make a lot of touch ups after. I found that it seemed to sink into and emphasize my more prominent lip lines, but sat on top of the less obvious ones.
I’m pretty excited to have a review of something that is potentially, slightly relevant still and that you can still buy! Plus, this product is totally unique to anything else I have in my collection! Kaja is definitely known for their innovative spin on products, and this is no exception.
Color: Hunny Bun is considered a “peppy pink nude” on the Sephora website. This feels pretty accurate to me! Based on the swatch below, it’s definitely pink, but I wouldn’t go so far to say it’s just a pink; it’s got enough neutral to it that those of us who don’t love a true pink will still enjoy this!
Finish: As this is a lip gloss stick, the finish is definitely glossy! It’s got a little bit more of a cream and opaqueness to it than a traditional gloss, but it’s definitely more shiny than a typical cream lipstick.
Packaging: Kaja really knows how to make things different! The packaging is a solid tube that matches the color of the product, with the brand name on the side along with product information. The bottom of the tube is a button that you press to click the product up.
Applicator: The shape of the bullet is completely unique! It’s shaped like a heart, which is totally adorable and makes the name “heart melter” pretty literal since this basically melts onto your lips with how soft it is!
Application: As absolutely whimsical as the heart shaped bullet is, it unfortunately is a bit difficult to get a nice precise line, and I often found myself going outside my lip line. It’s also a bit of a game of getting enough product pressed out through the button to actually coat your lips, without pushing out too much and potentially smooshing it everywhere.
Transfer: Without shocking anyone, there is a pretty decent amount of transfer on this product. It comes off on my straw when I’m drinking, my food when I’m eating, and if I kissed the back of my hand you best bet there would be a complete print of my lips! The transfer continues throughout the life of the product.
Fading: This product is pretty unique in the sense that while it has a lot of shine, it tends to last more like a cream lipstick than a gloss! It did transfer a lot, but I felt like it still maintained it’s beautiful shine and appearance through the transferring for longer than a gloss would. Still, after a meal or a few hours I’d say you want to reapply if you want to look like you’re wearing anything.
Comfort: While it is pretty comfortable, I feel like this sits a bit heavy on the lips, more akin to a cream lipstick than a gloss. I’ve never used a formula like this before, so it’s totally possible that that’s just how it is, but I could always feel that I had something on my lips. It doesn’t feel drying, but I’m not sure that it really feels super hydrating, either. I think it leaves my lips exactly as they were when I put it on.
Overall: As cute and fun as this product is, I’m just not totally sure where it fits into my collection! The color isn’t bad, but honestly still a little too pink for my liking, and the formula, while fun, isn’t really my jam. I’m either going to use a gloss knowing it’s going to disappear, or use a cream lipstick for that slightly less shiny finish and longer wear.
All that to say, I don’t think this is a bad product at all! I actually think it’s pretty neat, and very unique. There’s a lot of people out there who I feel would enjoy this, but I’m still living my best matte liquid lipstick life, and this doesn’t really fit that the same way. Still, I might keep it around as an easy springtime option as that’s when I could see myself pulling it out.
Price Point: This lipstick can be purchased at Sephora or the Kaja Beauty website for $19! This has gone up since I bought it; I believe it was $17 back then. Either way, if you are die hard glossy lips, I think this could be worth a grab, especially when there is a sale!
Something that might shock you guys (I don’t know if I mean that sarcastically) is that I do buy new makeup occasionally, and this ended up being one of my most recent purchases. I wanted to make a rule to myself that if I’m going to buy a new product, I need to test it within a month or pass it along to someone else. Well, it’s been a little longer than a month, BUT I did at least start wearing it right away! I was just a bit slow to actually write the review. Alas though, we are here!
I wasn’t sure about this one when I bought it, but it was the only color that wasn’t blue on clearance, and I just couldn’t say no. I’m working on not even looking at makeup so I don’t have to make those decisions/so I can’t talk myself into buying more (seriously, if you saw how much I have you’d throw rotten tomatoes at me). I was just so intrigued by the idea of an orange gloss I had to grab it!
Color: As the name suggests, this is definitely orange. It’s got a red undertone, and when on my lips honestly looks more like a red; this could definitely be because I have pigmented lips but still want to point it out! You can really see what I mean in the swatches, too.
Finish: This product is glossy, and has a cream finish. There’s no shimmer in this particular color.
Packaging: The packaging is clear plastic, which means when you’re looking at it and see a color, the color is actually the product. I thought that was a pretty neat touch, and if you like to use up your makeup this would be super motivating! The cap matches the product color and is also plastic.
Applicator: The applicator is just a standard doefoot that I feel works well with the formula!
Application: Due to the color, I find that application of this product is a bit difficult. It was hard for me to get an even coat, and I wanted it to be just a light wash. I struggled to build it up in any meaningful way when I did want more, as it looked the same color on my lips but just got more orange on the edges; it also sunk into lip lines right away.
While I personally wouldn’t want to have this built up as boldly as the swatch below or more, it is something I thought was important to point out. It doesn’t look like the super impactful orange in the tube with one swipe!
Transfer: With this being a lip gloss, you can expect it to transfer a lot, and keep transferring until it’s gone. It came off the same amount whether I was eating food or just drinking from a glass. It will leave behind just the tiniest hint of red, but not enough to make any sort of meaningful difference (at least for me).
Fading: Unsurprisingly, this does fade really quickly, but I wasn’t expecting much more. It seems to last through talking, but fades quickly when eating or drinking. It’s not sold as a long-lasting gloss, so as long as you’re ready to reapply whenever you eat or just do frequent checkups, this shouldn’t be a huge issue.
Comfort: I find this lip gloss to be incredibly comfortable! It feels very hydrating, to the point where I’d feel comfortable using this when my lips felt dry in place of a balm.
It’s only got a tiny bit of stick when it wears down a bit, such as after I drink and it comes off on my glass but is still on my lips. This is only felt when I press my lips together. I think if I weren’t paying specific attention to it, I wouldn’t notice.
Overall: This color is extremely out of my comfort zone, but I kind of like it! The formula is very comfortable, and this would be a super easy gloss to just have around in the summer time when I needed to rehydrate my lips and want a pop of color.
Price Point: The Nyx Butter Gloss is an incredibly affordable gloss, and can be purchased on the Nyx website or Ulta for $5. It can be purchased for a couple cents cheaper at Target or Walmart. If orange gloss isn’t your vibe, but you love a good gloss, I don’t think this will be a miss! I do have a lot of other colors in this formula that I’ll be sure to share as I try!
A few years ago, I had the not so bright idea of purchasing tons of lip kits to bolster my collection – while it’s pretty cool to have a big collection, it also means that I need to eventually work through said collection and review them all, and then decide if they’re going to stick around or move to a new home.
This is one of those products that came from a Sephora kit, and now that I’ve tried it I’m so sad I waited so long to test it out!! Spoiler alert, I really enjoy this.
Color: The Urban Decay website describes Naked as a “nude-pink cream with a pearly pink shift”. For me, when this is on my lips it does look more nude than pink, but my lips are also pigmented enough that there’s not much color payoff for me either way.
Finish: The finish of this product is quintessential “gloss” – it’s exactly what you think it would be. It’s got a sheer color payoff and a lot of shine.
Packaging: The packaging for my sample does vary quite a bit from the actual lip gloss packaging. The sample is a small, round acrylic tube with a silver cap and silver printing with the product information and brand name.
The full size product is a large, square silver tube. It has panels that are acrylic and you can see the actual product through it. The cap is also silver, and has the urban decay logo embossed in it.
Applicator: This lip gloss has a standard doefoot applicator, which I don’t feel is the best for this product. It does appear that the actual applicator for the full size is a flat paddle that holds more product, which is more beneficial to this particular formula.
Application: Application of this isn’t difficult, but does take a little more time due to the applicator. The product is kind of thick, and when dipping the wand in and then taking it out there’s only enough product to cover one lip, and I actually had to dip back in twice to cover my top lip.
There is a minty scent upon application, and for about 10 minutes after I did feel like my lips had that cooling sensation that mint will provide. It didn’t feel too intense or like I was uncomfortable and had to remove it, but if you’re especially sensitive to mint I would suggest skipping on this gloss.
During the height of my need to own everything Colourpop, I got myself the KathleenLights lip bundle along with lots of others – well, I’m finally getting around to sharing what I think about it!
I also want to start this review off with a note that this gloss is very old – probably close to 2 years. This means that my experience with this formula may not be the norm. I recommend checking your own glosses for any signs of being expired prior to using!
Color: Moon Child is a peach with gold flecks. The formula of the gloss is pretty thick and opaque, but it can be sheered out – you can see how that looks in the swatches below! It is a bit pale for my usual preference when fully opaque, so I prefer the look of it sheered.
Finish: With this being a gloss, of course the finish is quite shiny! Due to the formula itself being thick, I’d say it looks more creamy than glossy, with some shine coming from the flecks of glitter throughout.
Packaging: The packaging is super pretty, as it normally is with Colourpop’s collaborations! The tube is the typical acrylic, with the lid being a light rose gold. The wording on the tube as well as the pattern, which looks a bit like half suns, is also in a bronzey rose gold color.
Applicator: Colourpop doefoots are always a hit or miss for me. I find that they’re either a perfectly normal doefoot like most, or it looks like this one – a bit frayed and messy. I’m not sure if that’s because of the texture of the gloss or what, but it does make getting a perfect application a bit difficult.
I’d also like to point out that it seems that some of the Colourpop glosses come with a brush applicator, and some come with a doefoot. I don’t know if there’s a reason why it’s different between colors – if you do, please share!
Application: Since my doefoot is a bit frayed, getting a perfectly straight line on the edge of my lips was difficult to get. Fortunately, the color of this gloss is very forgiving for going outside of lip lines, plus because I prefer a less opaque look, I opted to lightly swipe it across both lips and rub them together to disperse product.
Karissa Talks Beauty 