When I opened the tube, Maybelline’s Brazen Berry seemed like a euphemism. This was a stark purple! 

My beauty motto has always been keep it matte, keep it down low. The most adventurous I’ve gotten was blue eyeliner for five minutes for a night out in the summer, and even then I vowed to never “let myself go” ever again. For me it’s always been about finding the best black eyeliner for a winged cat eye, or the best neutral lip shade for a barely there nude lip. 

But it was time for some color back in my life, and Brazen Berry was the first step in getting it. 

The moment I put it on, I was very impressed with the formula. My lips are extremely dry – lip scrubs are my best friend! But Brazen Berry left me moisturized and uncracked for 5 hours after application. This was wonderful, especially since I hadn’t applied lip balm beforehand.

The color lasted just as long, and to my pleasant surprise…it was not purple overload.

The natural tone of my lips combined with the product leaves behind a color that is the perfect combination of pink and purple – a lovely berry color, just as the name describes. The pigmentation was also great: the picture above is after a single swipe! However, it was also light enough to be layered on. 

A perfect tone for the coming spring – this is a must try, even for those of us who aren’t so brazen. 

Note: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and tester’s own. Product was provided as a sample for review.