Maybelline Dare to Go Nude Color Elixirs Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
For spring, Maybelline released six new and limited shades of their Color Elixir ($8.99 for 0.17 fl. oz.) gloss. I picked up four of the six shades (the other two were tampered with), and the two shades I’m missing are Polished Petal (105) and Radiant Bloom (110). My local Walgreens just put out the display for this collection last week, and the glosses definitely move more slowly compared to the limited edition Color Tattoos. I’ve reviewed the formula in the past, so here’s a recap of the formula: it’s non-sticky for the most part (gets a little tacky after three hours of wear), has a creme brulee scent and somewhat perfume-y taste (can be a deal-breaker if you’re more sensitive to off-tastes or if you do a lot of drinking/eating with your gloss on!), and is hydrating. Maybelline pushes the gloss as having “high impact” color, the coverage tends to be more semi-opaque.
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir ($8.99 for 0.17 fl. oz.) is a very light, peachy-beige with fine gold shimmer. Applied, it looks less warm-toned due to the natural lip color coming through the semi-opaque color coverage. It settled into lip lines quite a bit, unfortunately, though it actually applied evenly otherwise. The milkiness of the gloss makes it better applied over a lipstick, as it will cut back on the settling. This shade wore for two and a half hours. MAC Innocent (LE, $20.00) is less glossy. MAC Orange Tempera (LE, $15.00) is pinker. MAC Fashion Whim (LE, $20.00) is warmer. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir ($8.99 for 0.17 fl. oz.) is a muted, yellow gold with lighter, brighter gold shimmer and sparkle. This had sheer color payoff, which makes it one of the sheerer Color Elixirs I’ve tried. It seems to warm-up the natural lip color while adding plenty of shimmer and sparkle. This shade stayed on for about two hours. Bobbi Brown Bare Peach (LE, $24.00) is less shimmery. MAC Nectarsweet (LE, $20.00) is lighter. Bobbi Brown Pure Gold (LE, $24.00) is slightly warmer. Guerlain Gold Tchlack (P, $30.00) is warmer. Bobbi Brown Canary (P, $24.00) is more shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir ($8.99 for 0.17 fl. oz.) is a medium, lightly warmed-up brown with a subtle rosiness to it. This shade had no shimmer, just a creamy, glossy finish. It had mostly opaque color covrage, and though it was a little milky, it applied evenly for the most part and didn’t settle into lip lines too noticeably (only if you’re upclose). This shade lasted for four hours on me when I tested the wear. MAC Show Me (P, $19.50) is darker. MAC Spice (P, $15.00) is darker, pinker. MAC Over Indulgence (LE, $20.00) is warmer. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir ($8.99 for 0.17 fl. oz.) is a coppery-brown with warm, orange-red undertones and a fine gold shimmer. It had mostly opaque pigmentation, and it applied really well–even, smooth, and no settling into lip lines. Almond Aura wore well for four and a half hours on me. MAC Over Indulgence (LE, $20.00) is much lighter, sheerer. MAC Kiss Don’t Tell (LE, $20.00) is darker, more muted. Chanel Impertinence (P, $32.00) is cooler-toned, sheerer. Bobbi Brown Uber Suede (P, $24.00) is browner, less coppery/warn-toned, more shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Sandy Sensation (115)
LELimited Edition.
Gleaming Gold (120)
LELimited Edition.
Charming Cocoa (125)
LELimited Edition.
Almond Aura (130)
LELimited Edition.
See more photos & swatches!
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Sandy Sensation (115) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Gleaming Gold (120) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Charming Cocoa (125) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Maybelline Almond Aura (130) Color Elixir
Almond Aura looks lovely!
I thought it was a more unusual shade, too!
I think gleaming gold and sandy sensation would look better over a lipstick instead of by itself but they’re still both very pretty.
Yes, both would be better over a more solid base color! I think Gleaming Gold works on its own as something sheer and all that (just not really in line with the formula, of course).
It’s too bad that these did not live up! I was just getting into these elixirs and going through a nude-lip phase – this collection would have been perfect! I guess I’ll save up my money and find something else 🙂
The darker ones are better, but the lighter ones were disappointing!
Love the almond aura! I was looking for a color like so…I will be trying this one
Hope you like it, Margie!
I love this formula so much! Gleaming Gold, Charming Cocoa and Almond Aura may be coming home with me lol
They’ll be gorgeous on you!
I’m really not a fan of true browns and beige on myself, but you do wear it well.
Thanks, Judith!
These are so beautiful and natural! I read a lot of great reviews on these Elixirs <3
Some of them are really nice!
Hmmm, I passed on these when I picked up one of the Color Tattoos, because they looked too much like glosses I already own. But I like the coppery-orange look of the Almond Aura and I’ve got a $5 extra bucks award from CVS so maybe that’s what I’ll get.
Ooh, sounds like a good plan!
The packaging of these looks fab and I’m very happy that they aren’t sticky 🙂 Can’t wait to try!
alex
Hope you like ’em!
I like Gleaming Gold, because I love really sheer, shimmery glosses.
Yay!
Charming Cocoa looks like it’s the prettiest IMO. Funny, because I would never have picked it based on the color of the packaging. Thank you! Love your blog!
Thank you, Clarissa! <3
This is the BEST color. I love it and I have ALL the nude shades. It is so amazing, I brought it on a road trip and all my girls wanted it and took down the shade. Too bad it is limited edition.
I’m not a huge fan of this formula. It wears off kind of fast and unevenly for me. They had a line of nude lipsticks come out a little while ago so I think I’ll stick with those.
I think the lipsticks are better!
When I saw these on display they were ALL tampered with! I’m so happy to see you didn’t love them. In my mind the formula is mixed, with me really much preferring the more pigmented shades so I wasn’t so disappointed they’d all been opened.
But, while I do see more and more that the drugstores are making things (cosmetics) harder and harder to open, my experience here is too typical. I finally find a limited edition product but it’s been opened…which with a gloss is a no go!!!
Really wish Maybelline would make these harder to open as well 🙁 I couldn’t buy the lipsticks… they were too easily opened and there was no way to tell if they were or not. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes you don’t notice until you get home. No thank you!
drugstores would probably sell a lot more product if they would just leave one as a tester! i know i prefer to be able to tell what i’m buying! i was wanting to try the new(ish) revlon matte balms, but i’ve never found one unswatched/unused!
With lipsticks typically you can just hold it up to lights and look for lines.I find lipsticks are much easier to tell than glosses. Just my opinion 🙂
almon aura looks nice, but the smell/taste of these is far too disgusting for me to even be tempted!
I find that some are worse than others, but I don’t know if it just depends on the batch or if it’s related to the shade (since I just have one of each shade, lol!).
hope they arrive in the UK soon!
Fingers crossed!
I am still not completely sold on these. I have one and it’s just okay – maybe I need to try out another shade.
Which one do you have?
I’ve never understood the no-tester policy for drugstore makeup. I’m not about to spend 9 bucks on a drugstore lipgloss unless I can feel/smell the formula. I just had such a bad experience with Maybelline lipglosses being drying in the past that I stick with Revlon now.
Maybe it’s harder to ensure people don’t run off with testers? Or they worry about keeping them at all sanitary given that most drugstores don’t have someone constantly monitoring the beauty section!
Last time I was in a drugstore some girl was going through the makeup aisles testing EVERY lipstick on the back of her hand. She had something like 20 different shades on them. So disgusting. Some people have no manners and no shame…I wish more brands would wrap their lipsticks in plastic if they’re not going to provide testers. I’d rather buy a shade and regret it than not be able to buy it at all because they were all tampered with. I think I saw Cover Girl offering testers of some face highlighters recently…hope it’s the start of a trend…
Wow! That is so insane 🙁
What’s double frustrating is that shoppers drugmart in canada does put out testers of drugstore makeup, yet people still open others to test. Why…why…why
These all actually look really nice! I was expecting more settling than there was, which is always a nice surprise. I wonder if this line will ever make it to our shores… I haven’t seen any of these glosses in person yet!
Maybe in three months… if we are on Revlon’s schedule ;P
Charming Cocoa (125) & Almond Aura (130) look so nice!
But I’m so grossed out about the perfume-y taste from my other Elixirs that I’m going to avoid these too. >w<
Maybe I'll try some dupes instead. ;~;
Some definitely have a stronger taste than others 🙁
I’m not a lip gloss girl anymore and tend to stick to a few nude or really vampy (Illamasqua) glosses. However, I bought the Charming Cocoa elixir and I love it! I even went back and bought a backup which I never do. It is not long lasting, 2-4 hours tops. I like it alone with a lip liner when running errands on the weekend or other times over a brownish nude or beige nude lipstick. I’m NC50/ MUFE 177 for reference.
What did you love most about the formula, Erica?
Aww, it’s a shame Gleaming Gold isn’t more opaque! I’d love a true gold sparkly lip that wasn’t sheer…hell, I’d love an opaque ANY-color-other-than-red-or-pink sparkly lipgloss! Just so long as it’s not Lime Crime.
Bobbi Brown’s Canary is the most sparkly gold gloss I’ve come across – not opaque, though. Otherwise, OCC Tryptych!
Gleaming Gold will make a great top coat for juicy lips and and cocoa on its own a pretty nude shade for my medium yellow skin tone.. Really liked the non-sticky formula from Maybelline.. 🙂
I like that it’s non-sticky, too!
Not sure any of these would work for me but the Cocoa looks really nice on you!
Thank ya, Erin!
So I was so excited to try gleaming gold until I applied it to my lips. Oh goodness NO. Wherever my batch came from, they forgot to apply the perfume! It smelled and tasted like the petroleum jelly your mom would apply on your bum when you had diaper rash in the 1970’s! Today’s Vaseline is more “scented- flavored,” but yea it was DISGUSTING! And I am not at all a scent-phobe. So sad because I loved how my lips looked 🙁
Wow! Interesting. Almost everybody complains about the perfume, lol!
I like sandy sensation! And i think almond aura looks amazing on you!
Thank you, Elana!