Lipstick challenge!

Hey guys! I've been wanting to do a "lipstick challenge" of sorts so when Danyell contacted me asking about trying Lipsense, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to do it! I love me some lipstick, and like most of you had heard all about Lipsense and how great it was, but I just was really hesitant to try it. I tend to shy away from direct sales so I was kinda checking it out from afar. I have my favorite lipsticks so I really haven't felt the "need" to take the financial leap on Lipsense but this gave me a really good excuse to put it to the test and see how it compares to my current favs!

Alright! First up!





1. Stila liquid matte lipstick in the shade Fiery; $24 at Ulta





This lipstick has been my favorite red for awhile now. I applied it after breakfast but before coffee! It definitely transfers onto cups and people. Oh and dogs ;)

 11:30am

3:30pm after lunch + coffee 

7:30pm bedtime!

This lipstick was the lipstick that got me hooked on liquid mattes, and because of that it holds an extra special place in my heart ;) I love the color and I love that is goes on so easily. This was the first time I've put this lipstick to the test for an entire day and as much as I LOVE it, it began fading quickly. It ended up all over my sandwich and by the end of the day, also on my chin and nose as you can see in the last photo. Like most liquid mattes, it did leave my lips feeling dry BUT it wasn't too terrible. It's super easy to remove, although in the process you may get red lipstick all over your face! My biggest con with this lipstick is just that it transfers so badly, which is why I don't typically wear it around the kids (or dog, Poppy ended up with lipstick on her too).

2. Smashbox Always On matte liquid lipstick in the shade Out Loud; $24 at Ulta

Alright! Let's get to it! I applied it after breakfast (but before coffee) like I did with the Stila one. So, here we go! 

11:30am

3:30pm after lunch + coffee

7:30pm bedtime!

As you can see, this one held up quite a bit better than the Stila one. Not perfect obviously but still pretty good! From 11:30-3:30pm there wasn't much change at ALL. It was still on great! By 7:30pm it was obviously fading but still so much better! I didn't end up with it smeared across my face which is also a definite improvement ;) Aaaand it didn't dry out my lips as bad which is a huge bonus because my lips are notoriously chapped and cracked! Less smeary compared to the Stila, still smears but definitely not as bad. Easy to remove (I just used my regular face wash). 

3. Lipsense in the shade Cranberry + Glossy Gloss (+ oops remover); $55 for starter kit including the 3, $25 for each color afterwards from LipChicks

I applied it the same way I did the other two. After breakfast but before coffee! The process of applying is a little different. With Lipsense you "build" the color, so it's 3 layers with a few seconds of drying between them. It takes about the same amount of time I'd say. I made a little "oops" but the oops remover took that off effortlessly. Once the color is applied, you apply the gloss which is what seals it in! 

11:30am 

3:30pm after lunch + coffee

9:30pm bedtime!

Okay, so first thing you'll notice is probably that unlike with the Stila and Smashbox lipsticks where my final photo was taken at 7:30pm, this one was 9:30pm. This wasn't my plan but we got busy installing a new chandelier and leaving to take a picture of my lips wasn't exactly the priority ;) SO it's 2 hours later. For 10 hours of wear, my lips look AMAZING. The biggest plus to Lipsense, and where it definitely outshines the others, is that it doesn't smear. It doesn't come off on my babies or dog, or my coffee cup. That alone is huge huge huge. The other thing is my lips don't dry out! Now, this is definitely because of the gloss, which you are supposed to apply throughout the day. Without the gloss, your lips will for sure dry out. But the gloss worked really well keeping my lips hydrated and I'm super excited about that! 

Removal of Lipsense is not as easy as the other two and I think it's probably it's only real downfall. It's not hard,  but it did require that I go buy the Neutrogena Facial Bar (2.99 at Target). So, not expensive but it is something extra. Once I had that though, I was able to just rub that on my lips, let it sit for 10 seconds, and wipe it right off with a wash cloth. I know you can use the oops remover as well but I'm cheap so I'll save the slightly more expensive product for touch ups and the cheap bar for nighttime ;) 

Conclusion;

Lipsense was (is) definitely the winner. The starter kit being $55 is definitely up there, but the wear you get out of it makes it worth it a million times over. As a mama, the ability to kiss my kids, eat drink, etc without smears is HUGE. Drex has even been really impressed and that never happens! ;) What's nice is that you get the gloss and the oops remover in that starter kit, which you can use with any other color that you choose to purchase. I am NOT one for direct sales usually but guys, this stuff is actually so amazing! I've already purchased two more colors ;) 

I'm hoping to do a drugstore tester at some point, so keep an eye out for that! And if you've read this far, thanks for putting up with all of these photos of my face! ;)