little white truths

Before my low buy turned into a spending ban in January this year, I bought this lipstick because it was half-price at Chemist Warehouse and I'd just finished a couple of lip products off.

I'm so glad I did! I love it and I think it's the best lipstick I've ever tried from the chemist (drugstore, to those in the US). I'd seen a few bloggers and youtubers rave about these products and they're bang on: it's a beautifully nourishing formula that wears well and feels much better quality than the pricetag and packaging would suggest. 

Now that's eight dollars well spent.

There's the lipstick bullet above, photographed in sunlight. It's a beautiful nude brown that has enough orange and pink so it doesn't look flat or ghostly.

There's a swatch in direct sunlight, lighter on the left and heavier on the right:

I can't rave about this product enough - it reminds me in so many ways of one of my favourite lip products of all time, the Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colours (sadly discontinued, I've reviewed one here).

What's similar about them is that they're both beautifully nourishing and creamy; they both last longer on the lips than you would expect a creamy product to do; they both offer a good amount of pigment that can be softened or built up; the luxurious texture and feel on the lips is similar; and they both have a vanilla caramel scent that's not too strong or offensive.

The Becca products cost a lot more and come in much nicer packaging, but otherwise the products are very close, in my opinion (and I've been comparing this to a Becca one as I've been testing it).

'Totally Toffee' is a great nude that's not too brown or flat. In some lights it looks paler, in some darker and in others more pink or even orange, but it's always flattering (my skintone is medium) and it's a perfect everyday shade that looks classy and understated, plus it goes with just about any look and can be worn in any season.

My favourite thing about this lipstick is the texture. It feels so luxurious and hydrating that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's from a high-end brand. I've never come across a budget lipstick that's this good, and once I've finished off a few more lip products and lifted my spending ban, I'll definitely be buying more shades.

Believe it or not, I'd go as far as to say that I prefer this formula over my HG Shanghai Suzy and Sportsgirl lipsticks, purely because it feels so luxe and wonderful on the lips. I still recommend those as great budget options, but I think this might be even better.

Another great thing about it is that it lasts a lot longer than I thought it would, given how creamy it is, and my lips never get dry or flaky if I've been wearing it for a few days straight, as they do with many lesser lipsticks - high end or budget.

Indeed, the only thing I don't love about the product is the packaging. It's functional, but it ain't pretty. Hardly important, but worth mentioning all the same because many of us are swayed by packaging and I still do like to keep a few pretty products in my collection, just because they make me feel good.

Otherwise I can't fault this product and totally recommend it. LOVE.