Y’know what product I loved? Clinique‘s Black Honey. Great product — Almost Lipsticks have the sheen of a glaze but the convenience of a lipstick. The problem was that it was too warm for me, and the darn thing only comes in one shade!
The answer to this problem: Annabelle‘s Le Gloss Stick. (This one happens to be Chocoholic, a sheer brown.)
The packaging: Sleek and sturdy, though I didn’t love the finish of the tube (enlarge the photo and look at the edges — you should be able to tell that the colour’s not 100% smooth.)
The formula: Stunning! I love the smooth slip this gives to lips, just soft enough but not too soft. It’s like putting on a good lip balm: soft enough to go on effortlessly, but hard enough that it holds its shape, and you can control how much you’re applying. I’m a huge stick-gloss fan, so this practically calls my name from accross the room! The wear isn’t phenomenal, but is no worse than the wear of other products like this (the aformentioned Black Honey Almost Lipstick, or Laura Mercier’s Stick Gloss.)
The colour: Okay, so I kind of hated this. I am so not a brown-lip-colour girl. It’s alright if applied sheerly, sort of like a nice dark nude, but it’s horrendous if applied thickly! I’ll have to check out something with a more berry/pink-sounding name, like Berry Bite or Pink Tease. With twelve shades, I’m sure I’ll be able to find something to suit me! (Hey, Clinique! Take notes!)
So like… who even wears brown lip products anymore?! Is there something I’m missing here?? They just seem so blah to me.
Bare lips
A thin layer. Y’know, it’s not so bad.Other stuff: Well, for starters, it’s $7.95. Uhhh, can you say “awesome”? Even better is the $1 off coupon on their site, and/or the fact that Annabelle often goes on sale. And the scent! It’s not garish (hey, can a scent even be garish?) and lipsticky; rather, Le Gloss Sticks smell lightly of vanilla and lip product. Think MAC lippies.
On a one-to-ten scale from “not enough” to “too much”……this is a twelve.
The verdict? I think this is pretty clear — love these! Great product, great price… what’s not to love?
