little white truths

I own three of these Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks now and I love them all. The first one I bought was in the cream formula (215 Totally Toffee, reviewed here) and I liked it so much that I grabbed a couple more when Priceline was having a 40 per cent off sale.

I recently reviewed 665 Lust for Blush (see here), which is in the matte formula and I do like it but I'm a cream girl at heart, so I'm glad that this one in 730 Orchid Ecstasy is in the cream formula too.

I picked this shade because I was after something bright that lifts the mood - as well as the face! - and this colour definitely achieves that.

As you may know, I'm not one for bright pinks and reds because they generally don't suit me, but anything with purple or orange tones is right up my street. 

Orchid Ecstasy is a bright magenta shade that pulls more purple on me than it does pink, and it's a colour I've really been enjoying now that the weather is becoming more grey and I feel the need to combat this with my face. Does anyone else do this? Stuff leaving the brights for summer: I'm wearing them in defiance of the cold!

And in natural light:

Wearing the product, indirect sunlight (you can really see the cool, blue undertones here):

The sun came out briefly here (that's the side of my lips on the right):

And in natural light:

Verdict

I love the formula of these lipsticks and this shade is no exception. 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 lipsticks are very close, in my opinion (and I've been comparing this to a Becca one as I've been testing it).

'Orchid Ecstasy' is a great bright shade that's interesting without being too 'out there', and it's more wearable than you might think when you first pull off the lid and see the bullet. It's that perfect magenta mix of pink and purple that should suit a variety of skintones, and indeed I've seen it look great on lasses with much paler and much darker skin than my medium complexion.

My favourite thing about these lipsticks 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 I'll certainly be looking to buy a few more as I finish other products off and more gaps present themselves in my collection.

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.