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Chubby Stick

Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick collection review, swatches, photos

February 7, 2017

11 Comments

The products: Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Pink Sherbert, Wild Strawberry, and Mauvelous and Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Red Violet.

I love a good beauty collab, but this is the best I’ve ever seen. Clinique’s iconic Chubby Sticks have met their match with Crayola crayons, and the resultant Clinique Crayola collection is cute beyond words.

The collection launches this month and encompasses 10 limited edition shades. Each nostalgic shade is inspired by one of Crayola’s most remembered colour names, for a pairing that just makes me want to scribble on the walls with joy.

Clinique Crayola Chubby Sticks ($17 USD/$21 CAD)

I know I haven’t posted about Chubby Sticks in a while, but rest assured: the love is still there. I rely heavily on these mango and shea butter-loaded sheer sticks for my everyday “no makeup makeup,” and their scent-free colour gets me through the day.

(Plus, I never have a mirror on me and I make really over-exaggerated facial expressions, so if a lip product isn’t sheer, it’s never going to make it to my go-to. You can’t blog if you get arrested for secretly being the Joker, folks.)

There are seven limited edition Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick shades, and I have three of them to share with you today. (Sadly, I don’t remember any of these colour names from when I was a kid. Maybe my mom just didn’t buy the cool Crayola shades?)

Pink Sherbert is a nigh-invisible baby pink, best for those who really want a crayon balm more than anything else. It’s nearly identical to the permanent Whoppin’ Watermelon, so you can skip it if you already own that.

Clinique Crayola Pink Sherbert Chubby Stick swatch, review

Clinique Crayola Mauvelous Chubby Stick swatch, review

Mauvelous is the shade that I’ve been wearing the most, which makes sense: it’s an exact dupe for my favourite Chubby Stick ever, Super Strawberry. I love a mauve lip colour (read: pink and brown), and this one is just as flattering as expected.

Wild Strawberry has more colour than Pink Sherbert but less than Mauvelous, and is closest to Two Ton Tomato from the permanent range.

Clinique Crayola Wild Strawberry Chubby Stick swatch, review

Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick Intense ($17 USD/$21 CAD)

The remaining three Clinique Crayola Chubby Sticks feature the Chubby Stick Intense formula, which you may remember from my Clinique Chubby Stick Intense reviews when they launched.

Bold, opaque, and creamy, the Intense formula offers great pigmentation with a non-drying formula, and Red Violet is absolutely lovely.

Clinique Crayola Red Violet Chubby Stick Intense lip swatches (indirect sunlight)

Clinique Crayola Red Violet Chubby Stick Intense swatch, review

Unlike the rest of these shade names, I actually remember this one! It’s a standard shade in a 24-count box of Crayolas, so it feels the most like scribbling on your lips with a makeup crayon. It is identical to Clinique Grandest Grape (perm), so if you splurged on all of the Chubby Stick Intenses when they launched, you don’t need this one.

If you didn’t, though, then this is my top Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick pick. It gives you the most “oomph” for your money, and it’s one of the core Crayola colours!

The verdict?

It’s not often that I get to say this, but I love Clinique Chubby Sticks just as much now as I did the day that they launched. They’re fun, playful, and wearable – but for those who like a lot of colour, there are also the Chubby Stick Intenses.

The Clinique Crayola collection multiplies the joy of makeup with the nostalgia of scribbling outside of the lines as a child. (Okay, who am I kidding; inside the lines, very meticulously, likely while crying). My top pick from the 10-piece collection is Red Violet, a staple of the Crayola assorted pack and just as punchy as a lipstick as it was as a crayon.

Availability: $17 USD/$21 CAD at Nordstrom, Sephora, and Clinique. An 8-piece mini set is also available for $49.50 USD. Limited edition January 2017.

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Clinique, Fall/Winter 2016, Lips, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2017

11 Comments

Clinique Sculpting Chubby Sticks & Defining Roses review, swatches, photos

April 16, 2015

Rae Chen

31 Comments

The products: Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour in 01 Curvy Contour, Sculpting Highlight in 01 Hefty Highlight, and Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette in 03 Defining Roses

⇒ Seriously, Clinique, WHY HEFTY. You had the option to go with Hypnotic Highlight and you went with hefty? Again???!

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour ($21 USD/$24 CAD)

Like most people out there (I assume), I’m crazy about the idea of being able to scribble makeup on your face — and these sculpting/highlighting Chubby Sticks are absolutely perfect for the job.

If you’re familiar with Clinique’s Chubby Cheek Sticks, you’ll recognize the formula of 01 Curvy Contour — it’s the same creamy, emollient, blendable goodness. To contour, you just swipe this one directly onto your face (along the hairline, under the cheekbones, and below the jaw and down the sides of your nose for extra impact), then blend.

I like blending the face Chubby Sticks out with my Make Up For Ever 150 Contouring Blush Brush, but they blend really well with fingers, too. (No fancy tools needed!)

My one hangup with 01 Curvy Contour, however, is that it runs so orange. It’s a tone that I’m sure would work a lot better on someone warmer, peachier, and darker than I am, but if you’re AT ALL fair, cool-toned, or (especially) olive, I recommend staying far, far away from this one.

Clinique Defining Roses, Hefty Highlight, Curvy Contour swatches

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight ($21 USD/$24 CAD)

The other Clinique sculpting Chubby Stick that’s available right now is 01 Hefty Highlight, a pretty, shimmery highlighter that (again) really shines on light-medium skin tones. It’s a little more emollient than the other Chubby Sticks for the face, and sheers out a little wider, so apply sparingly if you do pick this one up.

While I’m not usually big on shimmery highlighters, I do really like this one. It’s very punchy and shows up even on my fair complexion, and it glows like WHOA. If standard highlighters aren’t too glittery for you, you need this — it’s so pretty and easy to work with.

(Also worth noting is that this one looks awesome on both warm and cool skin tones, which is handy!)

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight, Contour swatches: 01 Hefty Highlight & 01 Curvy Contour (both heavily/blended)

The Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette & more! »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Cheeks, Clinique, Grouped reviews, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2015

31 Comments

Clinique Cheek Chubby Sticks, Baby Tint swatches, review | Fresh, flawless lips & cheeks in 10 seconds or less

August 21, 2014

Rae Chen

27 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in 02 Robust Rhubarb and 03 Roly Poly Rosy; Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Balm in 01 Poppin’ Poppy and 02 Coming Up Rosy

New this month to Clinique are two all-new Chubby Stick formulas — which, duh, I am super freaking excited about.

And guess what? They’re both awesome.

Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in 02 Robust Rhubarb, 03 Roly Poly Rosy

Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm ($21 USD/$24 CAD)

The Clinique Chubby Cheek Sticks are the same length as your average Chubby Stick, but they’re much wider, with a nice, domed tip — and they make applying blush really quick and easy. Just scribble a bit of the product onto your cheeks (straight from the stick!) and blend with a fingertip, and voila! perfect blush in under ten seconds, no brushes needed.

The Cheek Colour Balm formula is smooth and scent-free, medium-sheer with a texture that blends with a light touch without blending away. It’s a treat to work with, but I think it would be particularly perfect for makeup beginners and busy moms! (Much like this bronzer blush that I talked about on Thursday.)

Wearing Robust Rhubarb on cheeks, Poppin’ Poppy on lips

Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in 02 Robust Rhubarb

These feel comfortable and lightweight on my cheeks, and they give an all-day glow without making your skin look shiny. I think the shimmer-free Roly Poly Rosy would make a great basic medium-pink blush for cool skintones like my own, but I actually really loved the coral-pink Robust Rhubarb, too.

Robust Rhubarb is the only coral blush that I’ve ever thought looked good on me (no joke!!), and it has some incredibly flattering cool pink nuances tucked in there alongside super-subtle shimmer. I’ve actually been wearing Rhubarb on the apples of my cheeks, with Roly Poly Rosy relegated to adding depth like some kind of backup dancer, and it’s been awesome.

Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint in 01 Poppin’ Poppy, 02 Coming Up Rosy swatches; Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in 02 Robust Rhubarb, 03 Roly Poly Rosy swatches

Chubby Stick Baby Tint ($17 USD/$19 CAD)

Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint in 02 Coming Up Rosy

Like most of the regular Clinique range, the Baby Tints are sheer — but unlike the rest of the Chubby Sticks, they’re pH adjusting to “custom fit” the wearer.

This is, obviously, a load of crock, but you know what? Who cares. pH-adjusting products may not actually be made to suit your unique skintone, but they go from clear to tinted in a matter of seconds, and they’re fun. Show me a person who doesn’t think that colour-shifting makeup is cool and I’ll show you a liar.

Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint in 01 Poppin’ Poppy

Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint swatches – 01 Poppin’ Poppy, 02 Coming Up Rosy

Both of the tints that I tried, Poppin’ Poppy and Coming Up Rosy, are shimmer-free, comfortable, and glossy. I find that they appear much more tinted on the lips than they do when swatched on the back of my hand, but they’re definitely sheer enough that you could pick up whichever shade suits your fancy.

Like any tinted lip balm, these aren’t going to last all day (unlike those Chubby Cheek Sticks — which, yes, I know that’s not their real name, but it should have been), but they do alright. Expect to reapply with the same frequency as lip balm, but no more often than that.

Wearing Clinique Chubby Stick (Cheek) in 03 Roly Poly Rosy, Baby Tint in 02 Coming Up Roses

The verdict?

I squealed out loud when I first saw these teased online, and for once, I’m 100% comfortable telling you that yes: these are every bit as good as I was hoping. (Especially Poppin’ Poppy! If you love corals but always find them too warm, try it. You’ll thank me later.)

The Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tints are nice to have around (that purple!), but it’s the new Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms that really steal the show for me. I can’t find a single flaw in them, from the way they apply to the way they blend, and they’re an absolute steal at $24 CAD. I love stick blushes, and these are the best that I’ve ever tried.

Availability: August 2014. Cheek – Nordstrom, Sephora, Clinique / Baby Tint – Nordstrom, Sephora, Clinique.

Keep reading! »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Cheeks, Clinique, Grouped reviews, Lips, Makeup looks: neutral, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2014

27 Comments

Clinique Chubby Stick swatches, review: Hazelnut, Blush, Tomato, Orange, & more!

June 11, 2014

Rae Chen

24 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

↳ in 09 Heaping Hazelnut, 10 Bountiful Blush, 11 Two Ton Tomato, 12 Oversized Orange, 13 Mighty Mimosa, 14 Curvy Candy, 15 Pudgy Peony, and 16 Voluptuous Violet

I love Clinique’s Chubby Stick range. I talk about them all the time; I carry them around in my bag like they’re the keys to my house, I own all of the lip shades except maybe three or four of them.

I haven’t, however, had the chance to post swatches of many of them yet. So: here are eight more Clinique Chubby Sticks. I hope you enjoy.

A recap of the formula: The classic Clinique Chubby Stick formula is comfortable and sheer, and wears for about 2-3 hours on my lips. The twist-up pencil packaging and no-mirror opacity makes them easy to throw into your handbag and apply on the go, and the large shade range literally has something for everybody.

All of the Chubby Sticks are taste- and scent-free, and get a lot of flack for being really sheer — but it’s important to remember that they’re marketed as a lip balm, not a lipstick. The Chubby Stick Intense formula offers full opacity, while the original formula varies from almost completely-sheer to medium-opaque depending on the shade.

Swatched L-R: 09 Heaping Hazelnut, 10 Bountiful Blush, 11 Two Ton Tomato, 12 Oversized Orange, 13 Mighty Mimosa, 14 Curvy Candy, 15 Pudgy Peony, and 16 Voluptuous Violet

The shades: Heaping Hazelnut is a sheer, warm nude with a hint of shimmer. Bountiful Blush is a pinky-brown with medium opacity and a subtly frosty finish (I bet it would make a gorgeous nude on a darker skintone). Two Ton Tomato is a sheer, bright strawberry-orange. Oversized Orange is a super-sheer orange with a hint of gold shimmer (pinker, less shimmery, and way more sheer than Mega Melon).

Mighty Mimosa is a sheer soft pink with very subtle shimmer. Curvy Candy is also sheer with subtle shimmer, but is a cooler-toned pink. Both are a little more pigmented than Whoppin’ Watermelon, which is shimmer-free. Pudgy Peony is a bright blue-pink; it’s also sheer, but appears more pigmented due to how vivid the shade is. Voluptuous Violet is a super-sheer subdued violet — it is the sheerest shade in the entire range, but adds a really pretty, wearable violet veil to the lips.

Clinique Chubby Stick swatches, L-R: Heaping Hazelnut, Bountiful Blush, Two Ton Tomato, Oversized Orange, Mighty Mimosa, Curvy Candy, Pudgy Peony, ad Voluptuous Violet

The verdict?

As someone who loves low-maintenance products, I love the comfortable Chubby Stick formula and super-cute packaging. These Chubby Sticks (released initially in 2012) tend to be a little more pigmented than the original eight shades, and more of these shades contain a small amount of natural-looking shimmer.

My must-have Chubby Stick shades are Whoppin’ Watermelon (for everyday), Mega Melon (for the summer), Super Strawberry (for more pigment), and Voluptuous Violet (for a really sheer wash of cool-toned pigment). For those looking for a bright, sheer lip, I would also recommend Pudgy Peony.

Availability: $17 USD/$19 CAD at Nordstrom, Sephora, and Clinique counters.

More Chubby Sticks & individual product shots »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Clinique, Grouped reviews, Lips, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

24 Comments

The Lipstick Bandits | Clinique Heftiest Hibiscus Chubby Stick Intense: His Pick (+ a surprise bonus selection!)

July 22, 2013

Rae Chen

46 Comments

This month’s Lipstick Bandits collaboration is something a little different. Instead of a colour or challenge theme, Lily suggested that we do a “his pick” post, featuring a lip colour chosen by a guy in each of our lives.

I gave M free swatching reign of my collection, and lo and behold: he picked a Chubby Stick. It’s like we were made for each other.

The pick

My boy is pretty terrible (like most) at being able to tell when I’ve got makeup on, but he has one thing down pat: his taste in products. Out of everything he could have picked, Mathew gravitated straight toward my Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 04 Heftiest Hibiscus ($16 USD/$19 CAD), which–despite its terrible name–is one of my all-time favourite Chubby Sticks.

I want it noted, right now, that I did not coerce him into this decision in any way, despite my fanatical love for Chubby Sticks. (And wow, brain, please stop with the terrible innuendo, I cannot deal with you at present.)

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Heftiest Hibiscus swatch

Heftiest Hibiscus is a gorgeously vivid hibiscus-hued lipstick: a bit tomato, a bit fuchsia, and almost a bit fluorescent, it might just be the boldest shade out Clinique’s entire product range. The Chubby Stick Intense lineup is full-coverage and comfortable to wear, lasting a good 3-5 hours on me — which is to say, however long I need it to last before I give up and wipe it off to eat things.

(Remembering to eat things: very important.)

Availability: $16 USD/$19 CAD at Clinique, Sephora, & Nordstrom. Permanent.

The boy

If I was a better blogger, I’d have put together a smokey eye to pair with this lip, had Mathew photograph it, and written up a humorous tale of how we met.

I did not take this picture of M (but damn, is it pretty.)

We’ve been busy all summer, though (okay, he’s been busy mixing the upcoming Ghost Cousin album; I’ve just been sick), and we never really had a meet-cute. I met him at a quiet basement show, we parted ways. I think it was September. It slipped our minds — I ran into him by chance, months later, and we started talking.

We never really stopped.

Mathew and I have nothing in common, past the way that we think, but I’d like to believe we make each other better. He prods at the way I phrase things; I poke at the words he chooses. He tells me about audio engineering; I talk to him about brains. I tell him that I’m not a fish; he sweeps me off my feet just to hear me laugh.

Keep reading! »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/4. Makeup looks, Clinique, Lips, Makeup looks: neutral, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, The Lipstick Bandits

46 Comments

Clinique Chubby Sticks for Eyes review, swatches, photos | A fan favourite, translated to the lids

July 19, 2013

Rae Chen

19 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes

↳ in 03 Fuller Fudge, 04 Ample Amber, 05 Whopping Willow, and 09 Lavish Lilac

When I heard Clinique was doing a Chubby Stick for Eyes, I was thrilled. A longtime fan of the original Chubby Sticks, I couldn’t wait to see how these would fare on my finicky lids: would they be just as chic, smooth, and sheer? Or would they let me down, like so many other cream eyeshadows?

This review has taken me much too long to put together (I think I’ve had these since the end of January), but I hope you enjoy the post nonetheless.

L-R: Clinique Fuller Fudge, Ample Amber, Whopping Willow, and Lavish Lilac

The formula: Designed to be sheer, buildable, and long-wearing, the Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tints for Eyes apply smoothly and blend out easily. I know layerable, medium-sheer products get a lot of flack in beauty blogging, but it’s hard to fault these for it — after all, that’s what they’re designed to be.

I find these to be drier and more silky than most cream eyeshadows, in a way that makes them a dream to work with. There’s no catching, sticking, or rush when you blend these out, and they’re not going to crease if you open your eyes before they’re fully set. The formula isn’t flawless (more on that in “the wear,”) but I really enjoy the shades & texture of the Chubby Sticks for Eyes.

The packaging: The formula paired with a soft-click lid means that I have no worries about these drying out — I’ve been testing them on and off for at least five months, and the texture is no different. It’s a nice change from potted cream eyeshadows with a six-month lifespan, and I like not having to store these upside-down to keep them from becoming unusable!

The wear: Like every other eyeshadow I’ve ever tried, I don’t get all-day wear with these. I do get good wear, for my stubborn lids, however: overtop NARS Smudge Proof, I get 6-8 hours from these before the creasing becomes noticeable. (For comparison, 2-3 hours is the norm for cream eyeshadows on my lids.)

These weren’t a holy grail product for me, but I’ve heard really great things about them from other bloggers — Christine, for instance, gets a solid 10-12 hours out of them!

Swatched L-R: Clinique Fuller Fudge, Ample Amber, Whopping Willow, and Lavish Lilac

The shades: Finally, I get to talk about sparkly things!

As someone who likes colour, but doesn’t always love a super-bold look, I really like the Clinique aesthetic. These Chubby Stick Shadow Tints are no exception: soft, flattering, and medium-sheer, they tout a slightly frosty finish (think “soft metallics,” not “era makeup,”) and contain gorgeous, dimensional microshimmer (everything from fuchsia to light blue, all in tiny amounts) to add mesmerizing depth.

So, quickly: 03 Fuller Fudge is a warm bronzed-brown with a frost finish and red undertones. 04 Ample Amber is a bit similar (in that they’re both warm and would pair together beautifully), a slightly-coppery soft amber “everyday” shade.

05 Whopping Willow is an mossy olive/khaki green with a distinct “old gold” sheen — a great not-quite-neutral for anyone starting to wear colour. Finally, the metallic 09 Lavish Lilac is my favourite of the bunch: a beautiful, silvery-grey lilac, it’s perfect for both spring looks (try it with a cool taupe) and autumn ones (pair it with a chocolate brown in the crease).

The verdict?

If you love cream eyeshadows, I’d probably skip these. But here’s the catch: if you love the theory of cream eyeshadows, these might just be perfect for you.

With a drier, smoother formula and a softer finish, these are sort of the cream-to-powder product of the eyeshadow world. I’d say give them a pass if you want startling, opaque colour, but try them out if cream eyeshadows have never quite worked the way you wanted them to.

(Or if you love subtle, shimmering shades. These are actually medium-opaque if you ask me, and they’re very, very pretty!)

Availability: $16 USD/$19 CAD, in-stores and online. All 12 shades are permanent.

Keep reading! »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Clinique, Eyes, Fall/Winter 2012, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

19 Comments

The Lipstick Bandits | Coral(ish) lips ft. YSL Glossy Stain in Corail Alla Prima… and, okay, a Chubby Stick.

April 15, 2013

Rae Chen

36 Comments

Oh, corals. The taupes of the lip colour world, coral hues are almost as hard to identify as Nemo in a sea of tiny clownfish. One person’s coral is another’s apricot, or peach, or pink — they sit just in that lovely spectrum between peach and pink, making them wonderfully flattering but oh-so-hard to define.

That said, though, this month’s Lipstick Bandit collaboration features just that: corals.

I don’t actually own a proper coral lip product (that I know of) at the moment, so I layered two products to get something in the neighbourhood. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough — and it’s comfortable and long-wearing, to boot.

This lip features a thin layer of a YSL Glossy Stain in Corail Alla Prima, a new permanent Vernis à Lèvres from this Summer’s Saharienne Heat collection. Despite being described as a “dazzling coral” (and being named accordingly), I wasn’t crazy about this new permanent shade’s orange-heavy intensity — it’s gorgeous, but it still kinda feels too early in the year, you know?

Anyhow; after blotting (to get rid of the high-impact gloss but keep the medium-sheer stain of colour), I added a layer of–what else?–a Clinique Chubby Stick to tone down the shade. This pinky beauty is Mighty Mimosa, and despite how sheer the original-formula Chubby Sticks tend to be, it did a great job toning down the warmth of Corail Alla Prima.

I think the Glossy Stain would make a great coral on a darker, warmer skintone, but without the Chubby Stick to pink things up a little, it was just a bit too much on me. I’ll definitely give it another try with my “summer goggles” on (they’re like beer goggles, but ~~better~~ beauty), but I might just be a little too cool-toned for it!

See the other Bandits’ picks!

Products Used / Shop the Look

SKIN

theBalm timeBalm Concealer in Lighter Than Light, $18 USD

Clinique Gradient Powder Blusher in Black Honey (review & swatches)

EYES

Anastasia Beverly Hills Bold & Beautiful Kit: Vol. 2 Beautiful Eyes, $36 USD

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Nude Eyes (glitter black only), $11.99 USD

Annabelle Expandable Mascara, $10.99 CAD

LIPS

YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 31 Corail Alla Prima, $34 USD/$36 CAD

Clinique Chubby Stick in 13 Mighty Mimosa, $16 USD/$19 CAD

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Clinique, Lips, Makeup looks: neutral, Spring/Summer 2013, The Lipstick Bandits, Yves Saint Laurent / YSL

36 Comments

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense: review, swatches, & overall thoughts | Part 2/2

March 15, 2013

Rae Chen

19 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

↳ in 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, and 08 Grandest Grape.

Psst: before you start in on this one, have you read our Chubby Stick Intense posts with full-face swatches & shade name ~~mockery~~ coverage?

The formula

Now, the shades and packaging of these are super-cute (of course), but what actually has me head over heels for them is the formula.

Rich, moisturizing, and shockingly pigmented, the Intenses apply with buildable colour and settle well into the lips — I find the colour “sets” once applied, going on a little slippery but wearing with more of a satin-gloss finish (and without any colour displacement!) after 5-10 minutes.

(Ingredients behind the cut.)

The wear

I do find the formula of these varies a bit by shade, but not enough that I’d recommend some wholeheartedly and others not at all. Chunkiest Chili is a little gritty, for instance, and Grandest Grape is a little more slippery — I prefer a drier formula, which I found in Curviest Caramel, Heftiest Hibiscus, and Plushest Punch. (The latter two have much more opaque colour).

On the whole, however, the Clinique Chubby Stick Intenses last much longer than the original Chubby Sticks, starting off glossier and wearing into more of a stain, visually. I don’t find they really stain the lips, though — a bonus, if you want to be able to switch between colours through the day.

I would put the wear time of these at 3-5 hours; I can make it to five with most of these as long as I’m not eating or drinking (or talking a lot), but I prefer to touch up around the three hour mark for more even colour and added moisture.

The shades

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense swatches – hover for shade name labels

I’ve been getting the most wear out of 01 Curviest Caramel, a cream-finish natural lip shade with the perfect yellow-pink balance. It pairs well with both everyday makeup and a smokey eye (the sign of a truly great nude!) 02 Chunkiest Chili, on the other hand, gets almost no love; the the silver glitter adds a frosty finish to this understated, reddish base.

Next,03 Mightiest Maraschino is a bright, shimmer-free red leaning more strawberry than vamp — perfect for both a lively holiday lip and a carefree summer pout. The real showstopper here, though, is 04 Heftiest Hibiscus. I hate most orange hues, but the pink-touched tangerine-hibiscus hues coming off on this one are so undeniable that I can’t help but pull it out again & again.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intenses, swatched L-R: 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, 08 Grandest Grape

I think 05 Plushest Punch is going to fly off the shelves; a bright bold pink, it’s a vibrant shade that’s still easy to pull off, grabbing attention without verging on “obnoxious”. 06 Roomiest Rose is more subdued; darker, but still bright, it’s shot through with subtle shimmer that gives lovely depth (minus the frostiness of Chunkiest Chili).

For a much more subdued (but still very noticeable) shade, 07 Broadest Berry is the Curviest Caramel version of a lip with colour: with brownish berry undertones, it’s very wearable, but still gives a lovely, defined lip.

Finally, I found 08 Grandest Grape to be a little slippery at first (though, like the others, it does settle into the lips!), but it’s absolutely lovely — still very wearable; more of a crushed-berry stain than a theatrically purple lipstick.

Don’t miss this post for full-face & lip swatches of the Intense lineup!

The verdict?

The press materials for the Chubby Stick Intenses promise “the perfect marriage between a moisturizing lip balm and a full coverage lip colour,” and I think they absolutely deliver. Silly names aside, the shade range offers a gorgeous mix of brights with a couple great “everyday” shades to fall back on, and the formula is both intensely comfortable and high-impact.

(What, did you seriously think I was going to make it through this entire review without using the word “intense”?)

A few other things I love about these: the twist-up packaging (no product is lost to sharpening) and the scent-free, paraben-free formula.

Availability: $16 USD/$19 CAD at Clinique (US), Sephora, Nordstrom, & Clinique counters.

Additional photos, ingredients, & more »

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Clinique, Fall/Winter 2012, Lips, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

19 Comments

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense: let’s talk about those names | Pre-review bonus track

March 11, 2013

Rae Chen

51 Comments

I’m working on a Chubby Stick Intense review for tomorrow (finally!), but I just had to take a moment and say: seriously?! No one at Clinique could do better than these for names?

I say this as lovingly as possible, but as much as I adore Clinique, this is ridiculous:

01 Curviest Caramel
~~02 Chunkiest Chili~~, because that doesn’t make you think of chili that’s already been consumed
03 Mightiest Maraschino » this one, I love
04 ~~Heftiest Hibiscus~~, seriously
05 Plushest Punch » this one, too!
~~06 Roomiest Rose~~
~~07 Broadest Berry~~ when it could have been a fitting, relatable “Boldest”
08 Grandest Grape

I get that Clinique wanted to use big-sounding superlatives for the Intenses, but there is no excuse for Roomiest Rose. Or, for that matter, Chunkiest Chili!

Why couldn’t we have had a Cheeriest Chili? A Revival Rose? A Heidegger Hibiscus (yes, I am joking about this one, but this gorgeous shade is practically a way of being), or the aforementioned Boldest Berry? Boldest Berry, at least, should have been a no-brainer — why on earth someone would choose “broadest” when you could go with boldest for such a gorgeous shade, I have no idea.

And for that matter, why is Oversized Orange not an Intense? It’s oversized!

If you have better names for these, come snark it up the comments!

Which names do you love, which do you hate? Can you think of any better names than these? I (and your fellow readers) would love to hear ’em!

Tags: Clinique Chubby Sticks/Clinique, Fall/Winter 2012, Lips, Product Photos

51 Comments

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense: swatches & full-face photos | Part 1/2

February 20, 2013

Rae Chen

46 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

↳ in 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, and 08 Grandest Grape.

Clinique Chubby Sticks Intense: full product range (in numerical order)

The full review for these will be coming up next week, but I just had to slip them into the Week of Awesome — and understandably so, I think.

The new Chubby Stick Intenses pair everything I love about Chubby Sticks (comfort, packaging, and a scent-free formula) with everything I love about a great lipstick (wear time, colour, and intense pigment), and then adds some extra awesome (a gorgeous, smooth formula; colour that doesn’t move around; surprisingly great hydration.)

They’re… basically the best.