Before I do my review of some of the most popular US liquid lipsticks on the market, I thought I’d sneak this little review in first. Hailing from the west coast, the LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss caters to those on a budget. Retailing at a mere $5 in the US and £6.95 over here in the UK, the price is too good not to get your attention. Whilst the name still bugs me (how can a matte liquid lipstick be called a gloss?), it’s the shade selection that peaked my interest. For me, LA Girl has the best shades available but that’s just down to personal preference. With 16 shades on offer, the range includes your typical yet flattering shades of perky pinks and rich reds, to deep tone plum and simple nudes.
After narrowing down the shades, I decided on 3; Dreamy, Bazaar and Timeless.
Dreamy is a darker nude shade which also has a lot of warmth to it but carries with it a lot of peachy, orange undertones. I’m one that finds it difficult to wear nudes without looking washed out/dead/ill – you get the gist. ‘Concealer’ style nudes are just not my cup of tea. I prefer nudes that veer pink to add some life to my complexion and I find that this does just that. It’s a pretty shade and definitely more of a spring- summer tone.
Bazaar is a warm, muted coral- pink. I feel this shade would suit many different complexions and one that can be worn all year round. It’s more of a subtle bold lip so if you’re a bit nervous about rocking a strong hue then this is the perfect shade to ease you in. It’s definitely a warmer shade and I find warm shades are more forgiving than cooler tones.
Finally, we have Timeless. Timeless is a cool, mid – tone pink that has an almost purple undertone to it. I don’t often reach for shades like this as I prefer my pinks to have warmth to them. However, after trying this, I may have a different outlook towards more cooler, plum tone pinks. This is actually my favourite of the 3 shades, surprisingly. It’s certainly the boldest of the 3 but still very wearable and flattering against my skin tone.
Now onto what you probably want to know most. The formulation. Well first, let’s just get the scent out the way and done with. It’s not great. Reminds me of paint. Or something that you shouldn’t be inhaling. However, it’s not too strong and you can’t really smell it when it’s on your lips so it’s not a big deal. Oh and the packaging. Well it’s pretty much a standard tube, rather thick compared to the likes of the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (which is super, stylishly slim) and the more average size of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick. Short and stumpy if you like. Not much to say about the doe foot wand applicator either. Basic and somewhat stiff. Certainly not ergonomically designed to nestle perfectly upon the contours of your lips. It does the job.
Right now, the formula. Soooo…..It’s a rather wet one. Thin, pigmented and wet. One coat glides on easy but it’s most certainly not opaque. There is definite patchiness but nothing a second coat doesn’t fix. It doesn’t take long for the formula to dry down and when it does, the finish is matte. What I wasn’t expecting though was the tackiness. It’s different from the tackiness that you get from a gloss though as a gloss is wet, so if you’re unlucky enough to have your hair whipped back in your face, the gloss will stick and smear. This type of tackiness is only really noticeable if you purse your lips together. So if you don’t do that, then it shouldn’t be an issue.
For me, it’s like once I notice the tackiness upon smacking my lips together, I can’t seem to stop doing it. It’s like I have no control and my lips take over. Weird. Having said that, I don’t really think it’s that much of an issue for me to stop wearing them as I love the shades so much.
In terms of longevity, these do stick around. However, I find that with these, like most liquid lipsticks I have tried, they will start to wear away once you start stuffing your face or drink a coffee (or three in my case). It starts to fade from the inside out, which is again, like many other liquid lipsticks I have tried. So if there is one thing that I should point out to you is that should you choose to re-apply, I find that going in with thin layers is your best bet. Don’t pile it on otherwise you will run the risk of your lips crackling and looking dryer than the Sahara dessert. Not attractive. Should you ever get to this point, there’s pretty much no going back. It will be a complete nightmare to remove it from your lips to start again. I’ve been there, done that and don’t like it very much at all. I’ve scrubbed with a tissue so hard that I thought my lips might actually fall off. Or at least bleed until they had shrivelled up into a pair of old prunes. Carrying makeup remover (the oily kind) might be excessive but I actually might suggest it. Mind you, this has only happened to me twice. Stick to the application of thin layers and build up gradually and you shouldn’t have a problem at all.
Overall, I’d say give one a go and start from there. The LA Girl Flat Finish Pigment Gloss are available to buy on the LA Girl website in the US or on Cocktail Cosmetics here in the UK.
1 comment
the best la girl pigment lipgloss review 🙂