Lately, lippies have been everything here at DIVAlicious blog. We’ve been testing lip butters, balms, sticks, stains and glosses in nudes, pinks, vamps – you name it. Of course, there were hits and there were a few misses, but when it came to these lippies, we all fell head over heels in love.
Say hello to the Maybelline Color Elixirs.
Shaped like a lipstick, the see-through packaging seems as if it contains a pretty intimidating shade – something too strong, too opaque. But don’t be deceived: these contain just the right amount of sheer pigmentation that can be layered for more intensity. And for those divas who are looking for something bolder? The formulation also allows for these lippies to be layered over lipstick.
More raves: The finish is glossy, but not overly high-shine – just enough to be wearable. They feel amazing: they’re not sticky, and they leave your lips feeling like a protective film formed over them. They lasted through a team sushi run, INCLUDING miso soup. They contain a pleasant fruity vanilla scent. The shade range is also excellent, which is great for the whimsical DIVAlicious team: 20 shades ranging from shocking purples to subtle nudes.
And the best part of the Maybelline Color Elixirs? Definitely the doe-foot applicator, which is LDiva-approved. It helps coat on just the right amount of color, and evenly saturates your lips creating the perfect pout. But these applicators were too familiar – they were the same ones used in the beloved YSL Glossy Stains. Yet the Maybelline Color Elixirs were around $9, not at all comparable to the $34 price point of the YSL Glossy Stains. So what makes the difference?
I took a little trip to test the YSL Glossy Stains so that I could directly compare the formulas of the two product lines (both owned by L’Oreal USA). The verdict? There’s a reason why the YSL is called a stain. The color payoff was certainly there, but it didn’t feel cushiony like the Maybelline Color Elixirs. (Think Benefit’s Benetint.) Personally, I significantly prefer the Color Elixirs over the Glossy Stains because of the way they feel on my lips, but if you prefer a long-lasting tinted lip? The Glossy Stains are the way to go.
How I see it? #WinWin.
-GaYoung
Note: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own.