MAKE UP FOR EVER's new Lab Shine Lip Gloss ($18) roped me in when I saw it online at Sephora. I love glosses, and this one comes in 35 shades and three finishes! I knew I would find a few I loved, and I did.This gloss combines camelina oil and mother-of-pearl particles that reflect light to create incredible shine that adds the appearance of volume to the lips (shiny lips look fuller). Formulated with hyaluronic acid, it provides intense hydration with a non-sticky texture for a noticeably moisturized pout. Its subtle apricot fragrance adds a sweet scent to your lips - probably the only drawback from my perspective. I wasn't sure what flavor of Kool-Aid I was tasting when I applied it, but I knew it was sweet. I know I'm extreme in my biases about flavored lip products. Many of you like them.
I can get past the fragrance on this gloss because the gloss is so nice. The three finishes are Diamond, Star, and Metal. The Diamond Collection includes 12 shades that give natural color with sparkling, sheer coverage. The Star Collection has 14 shades with a pearly shine for medium coverage. The Metal Collection consists of nine highly pigmented shades that offer full coverage with an intense, chrome finish.
I decided to try two. I purchased D14, a shimmering "Indian pink" from the Diamond Collection and S14, pearly blackcurrent, from the Star Collection. They are very different. D14 is very sheer. S14 has much more pigment. Both shine, but S14 has slightly less shine. I noticed little micro-sparkles in D14. You can't feel them on the lips, but they are there - and beautiful.
I had to take my swatch photo outside on an extremely overcast morning. I could see the sun behind the clouds, but there wasn't enough to light up my photo well. Sorry it's a bit dark, but it is supposed to rain later, so I don't know when my next opportunity will arise. D14 is swatched at the top, applied directly with its own brush applicator. You can see it's a pretty, warm pink. What you can't see in my photo are the teeny-tiny sparkles. They are very pretty. S14 below is my favorite of the two simply because it has more pigment. It's a grape-rose, an exquisite shade.
These glosses are so nice, I'm trying to decide (based on the fragrance, which does fade) whether I will buy S16, S18, and S20. I like the Star finish, and all of those shades look nice too.
Have you tried them? You can find them at Sephora.
Photo at top courtesy of Sephora