little white truths

Oh how I love Ilia packaging - from the eggplant boxes to the clean, matte silver tubes. The packaging is super classy I reckon and I half want to buy a bundle of Ilia products just so I can display them on my dresser!

But I won't. I think.


I recently did a post on Ilia's Lipstick in Funnel of Love (see here), which I quite liked - but the damn thing sprouted mould within two months of opening it (gross) so I had to return it.

I opened this one at the same time and it's been totally fine, so I decided to keep it and not return it with the other product. Hopefully I just received a bung Funnel of Love and the mould thing is not an issue with Ilia products overall (they're organic, so I guess they don't have preservatives in them to stop them going off more quickly).


Ilia claims/product details:

• An ultra-nourishing, lip-loving balm that combines organic ingredients with on-trend colour to deliver hydration and a sheer flush of colour to the lips
• Infused with cocoa butter and jojoba oil to soften and vitamin E and pomegranate seed extract to heal and moisturise
• Delivers hydrating, anti-ageing benefits to the lips
• Nobody's Baby is a perfect, sheer nude suited to any occasion
• Made from 100% natural dye 
• Combines organic ingredients to soothe and condition the lips
• Each shade carries a sheer touch of colour that increases in intensity when applied liberally
• Mix with other ILIA colours to create your own personalised shade
• RRP $34 for 4g

I've swatched it above and below. It's one of those colours that sometimes looks a little red, sometimes pink and sometimes orange. You can bring out any of those tones by wearing a coloured lip liner underneath.


My bare lips for reference:


On my lips:


And again:


Verdict

After my bad experience with Funnel of Love, I'm loving the formula of this lip conditioner. Mind you, I would rather finish it sooner rather than later so there's no chance of it going off!

On the colour, it's probably a little too sheer for me. It's one of those 'my lips but better shades', which is fine for a cheaper product but at this price point, I would prefer something with more ooomph.

Indeed, when I tried it in-store, it seemed to deliver more colour - which is why I bought it. But when I opened it at home, it didn't have much punch at all and I half-wondered if I had been given the wrong product (I hadn't - I think the lighting in the shop brought out the colour more).

What you can do with this of course is apply it over a matte lipstick to add some hydration and soften the colour a little, or over a coloured lip liner to give this product more punch. It's one of those products that I can throw on at any time and know that it will work with whatever other makeup I have on.

On the formula, it's beautifully nourishing and hydrating and it feels velvety on the lips. I enjoy wearing it, so that's a plus.

As for claims, I think it generally meets those and it does have a soothing and conditioning effect. I wouldn't rely on it if your lips are dry/chapped, however - I for one need something more nourishing/healing in that situation.

All in all, a lovely product but not one I would buy again. Perhaps in a different shade.