Hi everyone!
You know I love my lip products! So I was really excited when The Balm sent me their full line of Read My Lips lip glosses to review. These sell for $15 each
on The Balm's website. I was thinking about doing a video review on these, but with 11 different colors to show, I thought it would be easier for you to compare the shades at your own pace with pictures on the blog. So here we go! The first thing I tend to wonder when a new product comes out is... what makes this different? The Balm's site says these glosses are fortified with Ginseng, which is a powerful antioxidant known for it's mentally-stimulating properties. I've been wearing these on and off for the past few weeks... I can't say I've noticed any burst in brain power, but maybe it's happening in a more subtle way ;)
One thing that definitely DOES help my mental abilities is not being distracted by an uncomfortable lip product. The consistency of these glosses is very thin, but not at all greasy or overly slippery. I do feel that it clings nicely to my lips without a lot of added weight or sticky texture. If you love shine but can't handle sticky glosses, you may want to give one of these a spin. The staying power- particularly with the more vivid shades- is quite impressive. Even when I start to lose some shine, I still have a lot of color left over. I only noticed bleeding outside my lip line with one of these shades (I'll point that out below), but all the rest seemed to stay in place. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the color range. I think there's something for everyone, but it's very heavy on the red/pink tones. Those looking for plums/purples or oranges don't have as many options here. Aside from the comfortable texture, one of the most impressive aspects for me is the color payoff. I love a BOLD gloss that shows up with full color on my lips, and there are only a couple of these glosses that I would describe as sheer.
(click to enlarge)
These shades are pictured above from left to right (and yes, they all end in an exclamation point!)
Bam! - Pop! - Snap! - Ka-Bang! - Grrr! - Zaap! - Pow! - Hubba Hubba! - Wow! - Va Va Voom! - Boom!
Bam!
This is a very classic light pink. I love that it's so light, yet very full color. I don't have to work to build this up. This is one of my most reached for shades in the bunch because I think it suits lighter, summery makeup looks so well.
Pop!
This soft coral is one of the few shades in the line that I would describe as sheer. Unlike the first shade, I DO have to build up this gloss a bit in order to achieve the shade you see in the picture. It's still a pretty color, and nice for someone who wants a coral gloss that isn't to orangey.
Snap!
Anytime I look at this one, I think- "oh snap!" This is a caramel-ish nude that has more depth and warmth than most of the nude glosses I own. This is an interesting color because while I think it makes my makeup look seem very finished and pulled-together, it's the kind of lip color that will take a backseat to the rest of your makeup look. Sometimes that's what you want!
Ka-Bang!
Staying in the neutral family- this is deeper and more brownish/bronze than the previous color. It's one of only two shades in this line that contain shimmer. I haven't picked up on any change in texture with this shade, though. This isn't the kind of color I wear often. I don't love it- but might try to get out of my comfort zone and work it in more. What do you think?
Grrr!
This shade was a little deceptive! I thought it looked kind of deep in the tube, but on my lips, it's very much one of those "My Lips but Better" kinds of colors! (I just recently did a video on that topic-
check it out!) It's definitely a little deeper than my natural lip color, but still captures the mauve tones that my lips have. I think it's so natural, and brings some life to the face without being too bright. I could see this being a great everyday shade for people in a conservative workplace who can't go too crazy with color!
Zaap!
Along with the coral, this is the other shade that I'd describe as somewhat sheer, but buildable. It also has a bit of shimmer, and I just feel like it's not quite as bright as what the tube would lead me to expect... and compared to the remaining shades that REALLY go there color-wise-- this one is definitely more subtle. In a sense, it's nice because I can more easily throw this on without being as careful.
Pow!
Are you ready for some color?! We are officially in the bright zone. I think this shade is stunning! A bold fuchsia with so much pigment and shine. Definitely one of the best of the bunch, in my opinion. And with this gloss, as well as the remaining glosses, I notice quite a bit of staining. So when the shine wears off, I still have a decent amount of fairly even-looking color hanging around. Yay!
Hubba Hubba!
Hello juicy cherry gorgeousness! This is a blue-toned red that I just love! I feel like this lip color GLOWS. So much intensity, and just full-on creamy color. The one risk we run into with bright glosses is keeping them in place. Unlike a matte, red lipstick, for example, this could be a bit harder to control if you're not careful as you eat and drink.
Wow!
While the last red is more cool, this one is warm. It reminds me of an old-school pinup type of red lip... more of a tomato red. Every bit as glam as the last shade, just a different tone. I feel like these kinds of reds are very summery, so I'm going to try to wear it more often!
Va Va Voom!
This gloss is like the child that I love... but I'm kind of mad at. For some reason, this is the only gloss that I've noticed bleeding outside of my lip line. I think I was on Beauty Broadcast Live the day I realized it was happening! Strangely enough, this shade does seem to have a slightly thinner texture than the others. I still think it's a great berry red shade! Very close to Hubba Hubba above... but in person, I notice even more depth to this color.
Boom!
Last but not least, our deep berry shade! This shade isn't quite as deep on the lips as it appears in the tube, but I still LOVE it. I'll be busting this one out a lot in the fall and winter! I have a lot of deep lip colors in my collection, but not many of them have this much shine. I think the level of shine, paired with this beautiful color is just a knockout combination.
♥
My Favorites!
Could you tell just by reading my descriptions above which ones were my favorites? Here are my top picks (and why)....
- Bam! Classic light pink. It's a can't-miss shade, especially for this time of year. And so many glosses in this tone tend to be too sheer.
- Grrr! Just a great everyday shade. It walks the line between neutral and mauve and for many people, that's a very flattering option!
- Pow! Probably my overall #1. I cannot argue with a glossy, bold, fuchsia lip color.
- Hubba Hubba! Loving this cool red. Dresses up any look in an instant!
- Boom! A beautiful glossy berry/wine shade. If you're scared of deeper lip colors- try a shiny one like this.
♥
Have you tried any of these new glosses? What did you think? Let me know what shades you like best, and as always, tell me what products you'd like to see reviewed either here or on my YouTube channels! :)
Daily Nuggets...
- I've been meaning to post this blog for a few days but was having trouble getting my computer to read my memory card with all the pictures on it! Finally got it to work :)
- Today's Beauty Broadcast Express review is something for the Disney lovers!!
- My butt is starting to feel a little better since my fall on the stairs!
- Had an awesome visit from my friend Kalee yesterday! She and her husband Jonathan & dog Mia stayed with us, and then they continued on their travels to Alabama this morning. Kalee is the bomb- and if you watch her do the weather in the morning in the Kansas City area, you know what I'm talking about! :) We watched the World Cup soccer game, waited for a thunderstorm to roll through, and then grilled some burgers & hot dogs and had a pool party! It consisted of many crazy dives from Tyler & Jonathan. Here are a couple of highlights- note the amazing rainbow in the background! :D
I think Tyler was trying to make it look like he was laying on his side in mid-air? And I can't remember what Jonathan's trick was named. Regardless- we were all laughing our butts off!
Cupcake & Mia are friends! :)
