I actually lost this product back in March. It broke my heart because I loved it way too much to lose it the way I did. I wound up buying a replacement but it just doesn’t hit the same.
THE BACKSTORY: I was very intrigued by this kind of twist-up gloss stick formula last year. I saw how some of these were going viral over social media, with the ones from MAC catching the most flak. I didn’t have the patience to wait for those to launch in the country so I asked my sister to get me one from Makeup by Mario instead.
THE PRODUCT: I like the packaging of these. The colour of the component matches the colour of the product contained inside, which always makes it easier to pick out your desired shade if you have multiples of it. The outside, while made entirely of plastic, has a matte finish and is just different than your regular, smooth plastic. Just an interesting facet I noticed.
The iffy thing about this product is how you dispense it. You twist the bottom to push the product up. If you twist it up too much, you cannot push it back down. This is exactly why you have to be mindful while using this product. If you dispense too little, it may not be enough to coat your lips. All it takes is a little mindfulness.
The consistency of this product is also quite interesting. It’s like a melting balm. It melts onto the lips and goes over smoothly. The adherence is decent but it’s longevity isn’t. You will have to touch up after a drink or a meal. What’s good about it is that the hydration left behind is retained and your lips won’t feel crusty/dry once it comes off. It is slightly sticky but it’s not something my nitpicky self minds.
An interesting thing I noted is that it tends to sit on top of lip-lines or dry patches. It doesn’t smooth them out.
I love that it has a glossy finish. I also enjoy the slight minty tingle it gives you. While it claims to be plumping, I’m not too sold on that aspect of it. It’s just the slightest bit minty is all.
The thing is, I absolutely loved this product and would use it every chance I got but then I… lost it. I actually lost it, somehow. I feel like either someone at my last place of work sniped it or I just misplaced it. Hoping for the good in people, I sincerely wish it was the latter. I did purchase a different shade of it this summer and while I do like it and use it often, it just doesn’t hit the same.
SWATCHES AND SHADES AVAILABLE: There are 19 shades available, at the moment.
- ‘Honey Glow’ – a warm brown
, would flatter a lot of different skin tones.
The replacement I bought was in the shade ‘Rose Glow’ 
, which is a rose pink with golden shimmer pearls.
PRICE: $24 USD (2035 INR approx.)
QUANTITY: 2.3 grams
AVAILABILITY: Sephora, Makeup by Mario Official etc.
♥ OVERALL: I really like these and would even go as far as to recommend them. There are similar products in the market nowadays, so I’m excited to see if those measure up.
Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow™ Plumping Lip Serum.
$24
Pros
- Comfortable formula.
- Wearable shades; line also carries some high-impact shades as well.
- Hydrating.
- Glossy finish.
Cons
- Availability is an issue.
- Not long-wearing.
- Iffy packaging.
