One side effect of only allowing myself to buy two make-up products a month is that I rarely shop the drugstore these days. But I recently decided to remedy the situation and bought quite a few inexpensive things (oops, more than two...) that I'd had my eye on for a long time. One of those products is the
Maybelline Color Elixir in the shade Caramel Infused ($6.99-8.99 for 0.17 fl oz), a balm-gloss-lipstick hybrid that came highly recommended from my pal Larie at the
Eye Heart It blog.
Btw, am I the only one to think that 9 bucks for a drugstore lip product is a bit steep? It's like the only time you can get a good bargain at the drugstore now is when you shop the sales - and not even the Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, but more like the 40% off that only happen a few times a year. ANYWAY. For a more affordable product, I find the packaging of the Maybelline Color Elixirs really pretty; a bit reminiscent of the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, and I like the fat, shorter tube. The applicator is also one of those newer generation bent fluffy doe foots (doe feet?) that pick up just the right amount of product and perfectly hug the lips.
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If you're sensitive to fragrance, these do have a scent; sort of an artificial sweet vanilla with maybe a touch of floral. I don't find it very strong though, and I can't really smell it at all after application. Now, my favorite thing about this Maybelline Color Elixir is the texture: it's like a thicker, balmy, cushiony gloss that's absolutely non-sticky on the lips. It applies evenly, gliding over vertical lip lines and dry flakes. It really does feel like a liquid lip balm with enough pigmentation so that you don't need to layer it over lipstick. Yes, the color and glossy shine wears away after a couple hours and doesn't last through eating (or drinking), but I honestly don't mind - it's just so, so comfortable on my dry lips.
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I was a bit hesitant to order a shade with the word 'caramel' in the name, fearing this would be way too brown on my cool-toned complexion, but Caramel Infused turned out to be the perfect My Lips But Better shade. It's a lot more pink than the color of the tube would suggest, and in fact, it almost perfectly matches the shade of
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up. As you can see in my arm swatches,
MAC Viva Glam V is lighter and more peachy (plus, it has gold shimmer while Caramel Infused is a cream finish),
Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly is sheerer and has more of a cool mauve undertone.
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| L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, MAC Viva Glam V, Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly. Swatched in the same order below. |
Overall, I'm super happy with this purchase - thank you Larie for the recommendation! Speaking of bloggers' recommendations, I've noticed lately that I no longer buy products as soon as they come out or even after the first barrage of posts from the big beauty gurus (who are usually sent the items for review), waiting instead to see if any of my favorite bloggers try them out themselves, and then waiting even a little longer to see if they continue using the product via their Face of the Day posts or updates on Instagram. I just really don't care anymore about buying and trying every single new release out there; instead, I want to have a smaller collection of truly the best formulas available on the market.
How do you decide which new product to bring into your make-up stash? Have you tried any of these balm-gloss-lipstick hybrids? Which one's your favorite?
