by Chrissy Iley
I am all for long lasting lipsticks. In my ideal world lipstick would go on in the morning, and would not be lost at the bottom of my bag by the time I’ve had my first green tea. It would in fact stay on through a hearty lunch and still be on form for an evening cocktail.
I have found such wondrous lipsticks in the past where they’ve often left my lips so dry it’s almost impossible to apply lipstick the following day because my lips are too shredded and pealing.
I do have one that’s a bright red Marilyn. It doesn’t so much stay on but leaves the lips pigmented and it’s not every day I want to wear such a bright colour.
LipSense Liquid Lip Colour (£22.00) promises 35 shades of stay on dewy loveliness. It boasts it can last for 12 hours, waterproof and kiss proof. It promises colour pigments that are so dense they are a must for photos, holidays, weddings, busy lifestyle.
So, I specifically chose a more neutral colour – dark pink – to test its pigmented staying power.
It looks like a liquidy gloss but it’s quite matt. We are advised to sweep the applicator from one corner to the opposite without lifting and not to move the applicator back and forth. I imagine that’s because it will be streaky. You wait till one coat dries and apply another, and then another.
It sounds like you’re applying nail polish. I was rather shocked that it also smells like nail polish remover. It was an intense painty smell. I thought they might work better on canvas than actual skin.
After three coats you apply the gloss, which I now think of as a kind of top coat. The gloss doesn’t smell and it has a great texture, makes the lips look dewy but not gloopy. And I was happy with the colour that looked a lot more natural than it smelt. It tingles a bit when it goes on but it was not at all drying, in fact quite moisturising. And perhaps the tingling was due to all the plumping that was going on.
And it did exactly as it said. It lasted 12 hours through eating, drinking, talking, travelling. It stayed on.
I am told Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox are friends with LipSense. I can see why. Despite the off putting smell I am told that natural ingredients and a 100 per cent UVA and UVB shield protect the lips throughout the day. The gloss moisturises and repairs and contains shea butter. I am won over and hoping to try some of the other 35 shades.