Drugstore, baby. $10, baby. Actually, $5 if you do the BOGO 50% off at Ulta right now.
WHAT?!
I know.
Yeah, these are SO GOOD. Maybelline calls them their “un-nudes,” because one woman’s nude is another woman’s nightmare. Not everybody can wear beige nude lipstick, but these are a different spin on standard nudes. Some have pink, or mauve, red, brown, gray (!) or even purple undertones. But they’re still effectively nudes.
My favorite colors are mauve-nude Seductress and Ruler, which is a rad reddish nude (it’s an easy way to get into red if you aren’t used to seeing yourself in red now).
Some of the colors are CRAZY. Like, the grays and purples? Hello, cartoon-y. They really aren’t my thing, but if you have the hair, the clothes, the chutzpah, gray can look amazing.
I see girls walking around Sephora and Target with gray lipstick, and I’m like, “Damn, why can’t I look that edgy?”
Maybe it’s because I sound like a Powerpuff Girl…? I don’t know!
I think some of these are lovely, and they have a fantastic, wickedly easy-to-use formula. They aren’t drying at all, and they’re completely kiss-proof, too, which I know because I’ve tested them extensively…
Hey, now, DON’T BE A PERV. No, ’80s Christian Slater did not show up on my doorstep. I kissed my cat a bunch (maybe more than my husband), and my daughter a bunch, too (so much that she started pushing me away, and I said, “Hey! That’s not supposed to happen until you’re at least 8”).
The liquid formula isn’t just good for low-end either. It’s good for high-end, low-end, and all ends in between because it’s a nice balance between thin and thick. It’s a little watery, but not runny. A little mousse-y, but not as thick as frosting…which I’ll explain further in a bit.
The pointy doe-foot applicator is also really helpful for getting into the corners of your Cupid’s bow, so you can skip lip liner if you want.
As for flavor and fragrance, I think they’re great — like vanilla cookies with buttercream frosting — but both the smell and taste fade very quickly.
When it comes to removing these, you will probably need a heavy-duty waterproof makeup remover, but face moisturizer should work in a pinch. Just make sure it’s thick and rich. Something with oil in it. I do it all the time with the Clarins moisturizer I’m using at the moment… I rub a bunch all over my lips, then remove everything with a cotton pad.
Incidentally, if you can’t find a color that you like in this line, go to Physicians Formula, because they also have some affordable, lovely liquid lipsticks that perform on par with NARS and MAC.
Between these Maybelline lippies and the PF ones, one could completely revamp her lip wardrobe for spring for less than $40.
Yay, Maybelline!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Have a terrific Tuesday. 🙂
