Sephora Alter-ego (72) & Audacious Emerald (60) Cream Lip Stains Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Alter-ego (72)
Sephora Alter-ego (72) Cream Lip Stain ($14.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark peach with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. It had rich color coverage that applied evenly and fluidly across my lips. The liquid lipstick was thin with a light creaminess that helped it spread easily on my lips, and it dried down within 15 seconds to a transfer-proof finish. It didn’t feel overly clingy and didn’t exaggerate my lip lines like a drier liquid lipstick formula can. This shade wore well for seven and a half hours and was non-drying.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Make Up For Ever M101 (DC, $22.00) is darker (95% similar).
- MAC Burnt Spice (P, $21.00) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Third Eye (P, $7.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Dose of Colors Nude Chica (LE, $18.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Bow 'n' Arrow (P, $20.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Tarte Rose (P, $20.00) is darker (85% similar).
- ColourPop Beeper (DC, $6.50) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Time Square (LE, $6.50) is cooler (85% similar).
- NARS Get It On (P, $26.00) is darker (85% similar).
- MAC Velvet Teddy (P, $19.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$14.00/0.169 oz. - $82.84 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "high-coverage" that goes on "smooth" and yields a "silky, lightweight stain" that is "long-lasting" and "never sticky" and "won't dry out lips." One of the signature traits for the formula is that it is a thinner (and yet somehow creamy) texture that does spread well but feels thin and very lightweight on the lips. It dries down quickly, but I never felt like it was troublesome to apply, even if I needed an extra moment to get around the edges of my lips, so it was a more forgiving formula despite setting more quickly. Once it set, the color did stay locked on for hours--I tested shades for around eight hours and many were still going strong. The formula was non-drying to slightly drying to me. They had a moderately strong, sweet scent (almost like burnt sugar) that also smelled just slightly "perfume-y" to me, but it seemed to dissipate after an hour of wear.
The pigmentation varied from shade to shade, but it did seem that the more shimmery and metallic shades often were less pigmented and did not always apply as evenly and sometimes seemed to sit in my lip lines. The cream/matte shades applied more evenly and had more opaque coverage on average.
Browse all of our Sephora Cream Lip Stain swatches.
Ingredients
Isododecane, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polybutene, Petrolatum, Cyclohexasiloxane, Kaolin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aroma (Flavor), Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Propylene Carbonate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Tocopherol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Benzyl Alcohol. May or may not contain (+/-): Mica, CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 75470 (Carmine).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Alter-ego (72)
PPermanent. $14.00.
Audacious Emerald (60)
Sephora Audacious Emerald (60) Cream Lip Stain ($14.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a medium-dark, bluish-teal with a golden, metallic sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation in one layer, and it did not apply evenly. The texture seemed to be a little too emollient and more prone to gathering and drying down in my deeper lip lines, and it was harder to get that even, opaque layer of product that I was expecting based on the formula’s claims. It was the type of consistency and dry down that allowed for a second layer, so that helped improve opacity and evenness, but it wasn’t as comfortable to wear with two layers. It was still going strong after eight hours of wear but felt slightly drying at the six-hour mark. It was such a cool shade, so I was personally quite bummed it didn’t apply better!
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Too Faced Bionic (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, darker, glossier (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Hawkeye (DC, $18.00) is more shimmery, warmer, glossier (80% similar).
- Too Faced Blue You Away (P, $20.00) is cooler (80% similar).
- Anastasia Requiem (P, $20.00) is darker, more muted (80% similar).
- Maybelline Serpentine (P, $7.49) is darker, warmer (80% similar).
- NYX Risque (P, $6.00) is brighter, glossier (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$14.00/0.169 oz. - $82.84 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "high-coverage" that goes on "smooth" and yields a "silky, lightweight stain" that is "long-lasting" and "never sticky" and "won't dry out lips." One of the signature traits for the formula is that it is a thinner (and yet somehow creamy) texture that does spread well but feels thin and very lightweight on the lips. It dries down quickly, but I never felt like it was troublesome to apply, even if I needed an extra moment to get around the edges of my lips, so it was a more forgiving formula despite setting more quickly. Once it set, the color did stay locked on for hours--I tested shades for around eight hours and many were still going strong. The formula was non-drying to slightly drying to me. They had a moderately strong, sweet scent (almost like burnt sugar) that also smelled just slightly "perfume-y" to me, but it seemed to dissipate after an hour of wear.
The pigmentation varied from shade to shade, but it did seem that the more shimmery and metallic shades often were less pigmented and did not always apply as evenly and sometimes seemed to sit in my lip lines. The cream/matte shades applied more evenly and had more opaque coverage on average.
Browse all of our Sephora Cream Lip Stain swatches.
Ingredients
Isododecane, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polybutene, Petrolatum, Cyclohexasiloxane, Kaolin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aroma (Flavor), Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Propylene Carbonate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Tocopherol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Benzyl Alcohol. May or may not contain (+/-): Mica, CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 75470 (Carmine).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
I know it got a low grade and I can definitely see why, but I have to say that in your first closeup lip photo, Audacious Emerald looks pretty groovy in an iridescent, green-purple-blue-pink, metallic mermaid kind of way. Lol! I know it’s just your lips showing through a lipstick that’s not going on smoothly, but it did make for a cool photo!
Alter-Ego is nice, but I have a couple of the dupes, and I haven’t been that impressed with the Sephora Cream Stains in the past.
That’s EXACTLY what I was think about the emerald! It looks kinda cool! Not my style but I can still appreciate it for what it is.
Whilst I am not a non tradional lip product wearer, I do think Sephora got the Audacious Emerald shade right. It’s a shame it didn’t get a better rating.
I wonder how it would look layered over lips that had been lightened with some concealer or something to make it look more even. Does anyone make a liner in colors like that? Not that I’m ever going to try it ?♀️ I’m with you on the less traditional colors.
I’ve had great luck with some of Sephora’s original lip stain colors; so happy to see you’ve reviewed a few. Thank you Christine for all your continual hard work!
Wow, Audacious Emerald is such a unique shade! It’s giving me mermaid vibes!
Mermaid lips!!! How I wish we would have had something like this back in the 80’s, because I would have worn it to clubs in NYC. It may not be the most comfortable on, but man, that sure is crazy cool like a dip in a swimming pool!
I can see Emerald as an eyeshadow, as an accent on the center of the eyelid…