little white truths

I received this lipstick in my February Lust Have It Women's Box (reviewed here) and I was super excited to see it because I've had good experience with Mellow as brand - plus I was happy to receive the colour 'Nude' and not anything bright red or pink, so it was a double win : )

While I do like the lipstick, unfortunately the colour isn't quite right on me so it's not one I've been reaching for - although it may suit me better as we move into the cooler months and my skin becomes less tanned. Fingers crossed.

'Nude' looks like a standard rosy nude when you open the product (see above and below), but once swatched it becomes more of a mauve-brown that can look a little grey and ghoulish in some lights.

It's definitely a popular kind of shade at the moment and I've heard it compared to Lime Crime's Cashmere (which I don't own so I can't comment on this aspect), so if that's your kind of shade, it's worth checking out the product.

There's the bullet in direct sunlight above and in natural light below. You can see that the colour does change depending on the light, and the change is even more pronounced when applied to your lips (see below).

Just an aside: I looked for these lipsticks on Mellow's website and couldn't find them, but I did some research and from what I can gather, the products have recently been re-packaged and re-named, but it looks like the formula and available colours are the same or at least similar. 

I think this is a good thing: the packaging I have looks nice but it's a little flimsy/cheap when you hold it, and the formula is better described as 'creamy matte' as it is now and not 'ultra matte' as it was, since the lipsticks are indeed creamy and not super matte in finish.

In terms of formula, I'm really impressed with this product and it's definitely one I would consider purchasing in other shades. It's pigmented, smooth and feels nourishing, which is a huge plus for me because my lips are dry and I often can't tolerate matte lip products unless I wear a gloss over the top. I don't need to with this, so ticks on that front.

Happily the creaminess doesn't translate to the product slipping of your lips too easily. I do get a bit of transfer on my coffee cup but it's not terrible and the lipstick does last a few hours before fading evenly. I personally like to reapply mine every hour or so because I need the hydration, since the creamy surface does lift off over time but the colour holds well so most people will be able to put this on in the morning and forget about it until lunchtime.

On the colour, I had high hopes that 'Nude' would be exactly my kind of rosy mauve nude, but unfortunately there's a brown/grey cast to it that doesn't quite work with my skintone. I can get away with it but it does wash me out a touch, so it's not one I've been reaching for often. Having said this, I'm finding that it's suiting me a little more than it did when I first tried it, so it may be that it will look even better as my tan fades over time. Fingers crossed!

In sum, this is a great budget lipstick and I reckon it meets all its claims. I'm yet to come across a bad product from Mellow, and the brand is definitely on my radar now because the products perform above their price-point.

Ticks from me!

Have you used anything from Mellow? I'd love to hear if so : )