LipSense has literally been the talk of the town (or social media, anyway) for months! I’d been eager to try it, but at the $55 price tag for a starter kit I was hesitant, for fear that I might hate it. I don’t know anyone nearby who sells it so I can try it out, so I was ecstatic when the sweet Sonya from Redgate Beauty reached out to me to try out LipSense! It was so generous of her and she’s even given me a coupon code for you guys, so stick around for that…
So the idea of LipSense, if you’ve never heard of it, is a long-lasting lip color that isn’t a lipstick. I carefully crafted this description for you…nah, I totally pulled it from the LipSense website because I wasn’t even sure how exactly to explain it, but ultimately, it’s this:
This unique product is waterproof and does not kiss off, smear off, rub off, or budge off! And, just as important it does not dry out your lips. In fact, it restores the moisture content of your lips when used properly. LipSense Liquid Lip Color can last anywhere between 4 and 18 hours.
LipSense is a non-wax liquid lip color that stays on your skin. LipSense provides a natural shield from the sun. The proprietary formulations and color pigments in LipSense help create a mechanical covering for the lips. That means the skin on your lips are protected from the sun’s rays by the color pigments, therefore your lips are more protected from harmful rays. That is just one of the reasons your lips become so smooth and soft with consistent use of LipSense.:
You can read more about it on Sonya’s site, but you get the gist of it…in my own words, it’s sort of like a stain but sort of like a liquid lipstick…at any rate, I was really excited to try it out! I tend to stick to neutral colors, though I do love a bold lip on rare occasions. I’m usually sticking to the cool neutrals category of mauves and nudes. It’s hard to choose a color by photos, because as I found out, they weren’t exact representations. I have a hard time anyway because with a complexion as pale as mine, colors are never accurate. I ended up choosing the color Bella, because it looked like a perfect shade for my tastes. It wasn’t a good match because, no surprise, it was too dark, but I’ll tell you how I made it work…
My first run with it was an absolute disaster. It ended in red, raw lips from too much scrubbing to get it off. I applied it all wrong and ended up going to watch a video about it on YouTube to see what I needed to do differently. They all made it seem easier than it actually is. My first application was patchy, uneven and just plain awful. Directions also say to apply three layers for best application, but that was way too dark for everyday use on me. I also didn’t have the Oops! Remover they sell to easily remove it, so it was a bit of a mess trying to get the stuff off! I tried oils, makeup remover wipes, baby wipes! It wasn’t coming off! Which, in theory, is good because it’s supposed to be long-wearing…in the end, I used an exfoliating bar of soap to gently buff it off, then followed up with a lip oil. For those that may ask, they’re from Perfectly Posh and my husband’s cousin sells it if you’re interested in checking it out here.
I kind of set it aside for a day or two and came back to it a couple of evenings later. And by trial and error, I got it to work perfectly! You MUST shake the tube really well. It’s sort of like paint in that there’s a little ball inside to mix the product up. I also found that I was using too much product. It literally dries within seconds, so if you have too much product, it will goop up and just dry in patches. You also need to apply quickly because of this, like DO NOT hesitate in swiping it! Practice is key, so you don’t end up looking like you got into a fist fight, like me! I find that wiping excess off the sponge applicator helps a ton! Sort of like you would with nail polish. I then only apply one coat of product to get my perfect shade. It’s harder to hide mistakes with only one coat, but it’s doable! It also stings a bit on application, which I’ve read is normal because of the alcohol content (DISCLAIMER: this is not a ‘natural’ beauty product, by any means) and also has a bit of an alcohol smell but neither lasts long. I apply one coat and let it dry, then do spot touch-ups where necessary. I chose the standard Glossy Gloss as its companion and after the color dries apply the gloss and you’re good to go! The gloss keeps some moisture on your lips, because they can feel dried out during the day.
So my final thoughts, once I got through the kinks, are that LipSense colors are awesome! The staying power is unbelievable! Literally, it stays ALL DAY! Through coffee, meals, everything! You can reapply the gloss as needed to “freshen it up,” but it’s great and does exactly what SeneGence says it does. I also really like their gloss because it’s not sticky and has no flavor or scent. I typically apply a layer in the morning and then again early afternoon. I also liked it too because my favorite lip color by MAC that is similar contains Sesame oil, which Lark is allergic to, so I can use this and still be able to kiss my daughter without a reaction.
If you’re looking for a long-lasting lip color, I’d highly recommend LipSense! If you’re into more natural and organic products, I’d say this isn’t for you. I only point that out because I often share more ‘natural’ options because of my family’s allergy and skin issues, so I feel a bit obligated to tell my readers this. It’s a fun product and I love makeup, so it was a no-brainer that I was going to try it out. I feel like the price is still a bit high, but for the amount of product you get with it (a little goes a long way), they’re a bit more manageable. And I can help with that too, because Sonya has offered my readers 15% off their LipSense purchase through her website with code BLOGGER15. If you have questions about colors, I’d shoot her an email and she will be more than helpful!
