If it looks like a gloss, smells like a gloss…

You guys are getting a hat trick this week since it is our slow time at work. So, I mentioned last week that I placed an order at Avon for some (okay, 4) of their lip glosses since they were having a great sale on them at $1.99 a piece. Well, the shipping and processing were great because I got my package in 3 business days with their standard shipping. I ordered the glosses in cantaloupe (my favorite color- a sheer pinky coral color), gold digger (an opaque gold color), crimson (a deep, translucent wine color), and tickled pink (an opaque mauve color). Now that I’ve gotten a chance to try out these glosses, here are my two cents.

First of all, I wouldn’t really call them glosses. In the ad, they called them glosses but the name of the product is more specifically liquid lip color which is a much more appropriate description. They do not have the shine of your average gloss, but rather, more of a nice subtle sheen or shimmer depending on the color you get. If you are really into super glossy lips, then this wouldn’t be the item for you but I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who aren’t into the high shine look for which these glosses would be a welcomed change. I usually go for the super glossy look but I like to mix things up as well. I think these would work great for a nice low-key summer look (especially the cantaloupe color); since they add some color without looking like you tried too hard. (For a great super simple and easy summer look I would use some clear mascara, bronzer, and the cantaloupe gloss.) And sometimes if your overall look is a little more dramatic, you may not want to amp it up even further with a glossy lip. Also, I’m sure the more mature femmes out there who love lipsticks but want to take a small foray into the gloss arena would love these as well, as these are a nice hybrid.

Well, it’s unfortunately not all sunshine and lollipops because I’m not in love with everything about these glosses. I think their more sheer colors would work best for women with darker skin tones as you won’t get that lips lighter than your face thing I am not a fan of. Unfortunately, though, they do not tell you on the website which colors are sheer and which are more opaque. So, while I love the cantaloupe and crimson, I hated the way the gold digger and tickled pink looked on my skin tone. Since, you all know I hate waste, I was able to salvage gold digger (and I’m sure it would work for the tickled pink color as well) by using a lip liner underneath the gloss. This completed changed the color of the gloss, mellowing out the gold, and warming it so it worked perfectly with my skin tone. I used a wine colored liner, so I ended up with a wine lip with pretty gold pop- perfect for fall since the dark lip is in but this look is much more wearable for most. And this way you won’t have to invest in a deep color you may not wear that often. So, before you call a lip gloss (or any lip product) a complete loss, try layering it with another product like a liner or lip stick. (Bonus: using a lip liner also ups the staying power of your glosses.)

Overall, these were a great buy. You can’t beat the price if you catch it on sale like I did (and look out for those free shipping offers). They are not drying at all to your lips, they have a great subtle scent, and they are a nice change from the hyper shine lip glosses. If you’ve ever tried the Avon Glazewear liquid lip colors, let me know what you think!