The Creme Smooth Lip Color formula is supposed to have “medium to full coverage with a semi-lustrous finish,” wear for six to eight hours, glide without skipping, and hydrate lips while it’s being worn. Now, that’s a rather tall order! Arabesque didn’t nail all of those on the head, unfortunately, though I still remain hopeful on other shades, because most of its problems are ones I see often in lighter, creamier shades like this one.
The texture is medium in weight and very creamy; it definitely glides on and doesn’t drag across the lips. It deposits mostly even color coverage, but the lighter shade made lines of lip color show up if you pressed your lips together. The color settled a bit after initial application, and as it wore away, more seemed to gather there. It wore for four hours, which is average for lipsticks on me in general, and slightly above average for colors like this. The color coverage was mostly opaque, though, and it did have a noticeable sheen to its finish, and this is where the lipstick did the best. It was lightly hydrating while I wore it. Bonus: it is one of the larger high-end lipsticks on the market.
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Of all the shades, this was my least favorite. It was the least pigmented, as there was definite translucency to the overall color (it looked like an intense lip stain), but the color settled and migrated into lip lines within two hours of wear. Then, the settling continued to worsen for the next three hours of wear. It lasted with some color for as long as five hours, and then there was residual staining that remained for at least another hour. The settling was really noticeable and looked crumbly between the lines (so if you smiled). The consistency felt like the other pencils–soft, lightly creamy–and it didn’t tug or pull on the lips. It was neither drying nor hydrating while I wore it.
Of all the shades, this was my least favorite. It was the least pigmented, as there was definite translucency to the overall color (it looked like an intense lip stain), but the color settled and migrated into lip lines within two hours of wear.
Product
7/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
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Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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This is the final shade I tried out in the formula, and it fell in the middle of the spectrum; not the worst, not the best. I’m still surprised that Estee Lauder didn’t put out a better formula, because the brand has better lipsticks in their house, not to mention the numerous lipstick formulas across other brands under the Estee Lauder umbrella. Rock Candy has excellent pigmentation–full, opaque color coverage–but the consistency is a bit dry and not creamy enough, so it does tug on the lips when you apply it. The other issue I had was that it is drying. It wasn’t the most drying lipstick I’ve tried, but it was more than just a little drying after wearing it for six full hours.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NARS 413 BLKR The Multiple ($39.00 for 0.50 oz.) is described as a “rich burgundy.” It’s a reddish-wine with a little rust and berry thrown in for good measure that dries down to a mostly matte finish–there’s a very subtle shimmer that reads matte on the skin. My first thought was that it seemed like a dead-ringer for NARS Seduction, which launched recently, and it’s really quite close; so it’s a matter of whether you prefer powder or cream-to-powder. NARS Dolce Vita is much pinker. MAC Hidden Treasure is warmer, more orange. NARS G-Spot has more shimmer and is a softer, slightly rosier color. NARS Grenadines (an eyeshadow) is also similar but very matte, slightly muted.
Now, The Multiple and I don’t get along as well as you’d expect, and the reality is that as a multi-tasking product, The Multiples are disappointing. Trying to use one on the lips is like signing yourself up for a one-way trip to chapped, cracked, and peeling lips that look as awful as they feel. Turning them a reddish color only serves to make lips look almost bloody and torn. It was not a flattering look at all.
Multiples can also be used on eyes and cheeks, though if you have sensitivities to red dyes, you may want to avoid using this on the eyes. When I used it on the eye area, there was some noticeable creasing after six hours. The best application of The Multiple tends to be on the cheeks, and 413 BLKR is no exception. It’s an incredibly pigmented product, and two little dabs will give plenty of color for most complexions. The product applies best when warmed up, so fingertips tend to be helpful in spreading and blending out the product. I like using a brush to apply and spread but then use fingertips to soften the edges. Once applied, I saw good wear for seven and a half hours, and then after nine hours, there was noticeable fading.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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This shade is incredibly reflective, and it tends to look more like a silvery white on the lid than blue–so if blue eyeshadow isn’t your thing, don’t let the color in the pot fool you! When paired with cooler-toned colors and other blues/teals, it will look bluer, but generally, it is a gray-ish white. The pigmentation of Blue My Mind was so-so; I wasn’t able to build up the color to get really opaque color, but it applied evenly for the most part even if there was a sheerness to the color overall. I did experience noticeable creasing after ten hours of wear but no fading. I also noticed that this one was coming apart from the edge of the glass, so the lid may not have been screwed on tightly enough after being manufactured.
I wasn't impressed by Blue My Mind, because it isn't buildable in color to get opaque color and that it creased at the ten-hour mark (other shades didn't crease!).
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
7.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Benefit Kiss You Ultra Plush Lipgloss ($16.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “clear fuchsia.” It looks like a creamy, magenta fuchsia when squeezed out of the tube, but on lips, it’s definitely more of a sheer fuchsia pink with blue undertones. Bobbi Brown Electric Violet is shimmery and more fuchsia. Urban Decay Crush is similar in color but more opaque (so it appears bolder/brighter). Korres Crocus is purpler.
It has semi-sheer color coverage; enough color that it tints the natural lip color to a brighter pink, but it looks and acts more as a stain or veil of color. In that respect, it looks mostly even once applied and doesn’t settle into lip lines. It has a not too thick, not too thin consistency (about medium) that feels very gel-like. There’s a lot of slip, but it doesn’t feel heavy, though as a result, it doesn’t have great staying power–with Kiss You, it lasts around two hours. It is somewhat hydrating but won’t replace a good lip balm. It has a sweet, fruity scent and comes in a squeeze-tube with a slanted tip applicator.
The real downside to Benefit's Ultra Gloss formula seems to be that they just don't stay on lips for long, so you're regularly reapplying (good thing these come with 0.50 fl. oz.--quite a bit more than most glosses).
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
5/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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