Brand Focus: Maybelline Color Elixir

Week two of Lippy Month is running a bit late, but at least I'm caught up on my school work!

From L to R: Breathtaking Apricot, Blush Essence, Rose Redefined, Mauve Mystique and Vision in Violet

It's no secret that I am a lipstick girl, but I don't think of it as cheating when I say I'm totes obsessed with Maybelline's Color Elixirs. Yes, they're technically lip glosses and yes, I really can't stand the look and feel of lip gloss (think sticky, shiny, ick), but these are different. Maybelline says they provide the color of a lipstick with the hydration of a lip balm and the appearance of a lip gloss. That being said, you really can't blame me for loving these glosses because they're practically lipsticks. Sort of.

From L to R: Breathtaking Apricot, Blush Essence, Rose Redefined, Mauve Mystique and Vision in Violet 

DUPE ALERT: MAC Violetta (left) and Maybelline Elixir Vision in Violet (right)

Anyway, the color range is PHENOM. They have your peaches, nudes, corals, berries, purples and pinks covered - there's also one red and an orange shade and they're all you really need anyway. I started out with the Vision in Violet shade as a way to satisfy my MAC Violetta craving (there wasn't a store selling the shade in my city) and boy did it work! DUPE ALERT: Maybelline Color Elixir in Vision in Violet IS IN FACT a dupe for MAC Violetta (as you can tell from the above photo). At first, I was extremely intimidated because it does come out on the applicator as a true purple shade but after applying and blending a bit, it transitions into a more pinky-purple. So after falling in love with that and wearing it for an entire week straight, I was on the hunt for more.

Next I purchased Breathtaking Apricot and was surprised by the shimmer. The shade is a light peach, perfect for spring, although I do think the shimmer amps up the shine factor. That being said, it gets the least wear from me, but most peaches get benched or given away and I've held on to this one so far, so that's a good sign.

After a random shopping trip to ULTA, I came out of the store with Mauve Mystique and Blush Essence. Mauve Mystique is just that and since my lips are on the darker side, I tend to think of mauve shades as "my lips but better," or what I wear when I'm trying to go for a "nude" look because I can't pull of an actual nude lip. Anyway, it's a beautiful and understated shade and when paired with Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, the combo is absolutely breathtaking. As for Blush Essence, I meant to pick up Rose Redefined, but somehow switched the two. Blush Essence is a shimmery pink that is also along the more natural route. It can be buildable for a greater impact, which is how I like to wear it. A lot of my eye makeup looks tend to favor both of these colors, so they've been the two most worn shades so far.

I eventually picked up Rose Redefined and was so impressed by how rosy it really is. Again, this is another pink shade, darker than Blush Essence and without the shimmer. It's absolutely beautiful and it's creeping up on the most worn scale, especially on days when I'm feeling lazy about lip color maintenance.

From L to R: Breathtaking Apricot, Blush Essence, Rose Redefined, Mauve Mystique and Vision in Violet 

The Color Elixirs remind me of sheer lipsticks, only much shinier and yes, a lot stickier. However, they aren't the stickiest lip products I've used and the intensity wears down after a bit, but the color remains. They are super long-lasting in every sense of the word and fare much better than any other gloss I have tried. I was seriously considering purchasing one of the YSL Beauty Stains because I've had one of my friend's for the past few months and although I didn't love the texture, scent or amount of shine, the color was lovely and it stayed put through eating and drinking, which is a major plus for me. I'm glad I tried Maybelline's Color Elixirs though because as I said, they are the best glosses for me and the price is so good. I do have my eyes on a few other shades, especially Mandarin Rupture and Signature Scarlet, but I'm trying to limit my orange lippy collection and I just purchased Tanya Burr's lip gloss in Vampire Kiss, so I think one red gloss is all I need for now. I guess that means I really do need to go for Raspberry Rhapsody....Oops.

From L to R: Vision in Violet, Mauve Mystique, Rose Redefined, Blush Essence and Breathtaking Apricot

Cheers!

- S