little white truths

If you know me at all then you'll know I'm a complete lip gloss junkie, so when the reviews of this Fenty gloss came out and everyone was raving about it, it went straight onto my wishlist and I bought it when Sephora had its next 20 per cent off sale.

While I'm pleased to say that I do really enjoy it and I can understand why everyone loves it, I don't think it's perfect because it does dry my lips out with frequent use so I need to be careful of how often I use it. That's fine, I just keep it for use on weekends or nights out, and I do love how it looks on so that's a plus. More on that below.

Fenty Beauty claims/product details:

• Addictive shine, nourishing wear, universal finishing touch
• The ultimate, gotta-have-it Fenty lip gloss with explosive shine that feels as good as it looks
• Delivers explosive shine in one universal rose nude shade handpicked by Rihanna herself: we’re talking the unicorn of nudes that looks good on everyone
• One luscious swipe of the XXL wand gives lips more to love, while conditioning shea butter enriches from within
• Lips look instantly fuller, with a non-sticky formula that’s super shiny and has an addictive peach-vanilla scent
• Fenty Beauty is 100% cruelty free
• RRP $30 AUD for 9ml, but do shop around

Note this gloss is now available in another shade, with the second one being Diamond Milk - a clear gloss with shimmer. I probably will buy that one once I've finished this, because I do like the formula for the most part and I like having one fancy gloss to use when I'm out.

One thing I like about the packaging is the lid: it's wide enough on the flat parts and also reflective enough that I can use it as a mirror when I'm applying this on the run. Bonus.

There's the applicator below:

Now for swatches. 

Light and heavy swatches, indirect sunlight:

My bare lips for reference:

Wearing the product, indirect sunlight:

Verdict

This is a beautiful lip gloss and I'm enjoying using it.

It's a standard gloss that comes in a tube with a doe-foot applicator, although the applicator is bigger than usual and it does apply more gloss than a standard applicator - which will be good for some, but I do find that I need to be a little more careful with it to avoid applying too much. Still, it's fine and it feels nice enough on the lips.

The product indeed has a peach-vanilla scent and it is quite strong so I can smell it when I apply it, so keep that in mind if you don't like scented products - although note that the fragrance dies down pretty quickly and I'm not aware of it after it's been on for five minutes.

The texture is quite thick and plush so it feels lovely on, and it's not super sticky so it should suit those who don't like sticky glosses. It does however have a slight tackiness to it that means it won't come off completely as soon as you eat and drink.

What I love about this gloss is that it plumps up my lips beautifully and does a great job of reducing the look of my lip lines, plus it offers some gorgeous shine that I think looks flattering on the lips without being too much. I also like the nude colour (so it goes with everything but adds just enough something to make me look a bit more polished) and the shimmer it contains is there but it's very subtle so it doesn't look overly unnatural or glittery.

My only issue with this product is that it dries my lips out with frequent use, especially if I'm not wearing anything underneath it, and it also doesn't feel like it's nourishing my lips: instead it's sitting on top of them, rather than sinking in and moisturising them. Indeed, this is the only reason why I haven't given this gloss an HG tag, and it's the only reason why NYX Butter Glosses suit me a little better overall - because those do add enough nourishment and they don't dry out my lips over time.

In sum, I think this is a lovely gloss and I recommend it - plus I would repurchase it - but despite how nice it looks, it's not moisturising enough for me personally so it's not top of my list. Still, I really enjoy it and it's great to use as my going-out gloss.

Lovely.