Annyeong, everyone. First off, aren’t you wondering just why they had to go and give such an odd name to an amazing product? The shortened name, being Clio Lipnicure, is fine but the whole name is just… wrong.
THE BACKSTORY: Is there anything that Dara can’t sell? Put Dara in a campaign and I’ll be there, all geared up to buy it. She sells all the things she endorses with so much conviction that it’s almost ridiculous. Moreover, there was a lot of hype surrounding these products and so, when I decided to check out what all the hubbub was for, I wasn’t disappointed in the least. Also, there are a hundred other, possibly better, reviews on these Lipnicures. However, I’m willing to share my two cents worth on these.
THE PACKAGING: It comes in a little glass bottle that is shaped like a bottle of nail polish. Since it is marketed as a ‘manicure for your lips’, it’s understandable why. The applicator is also uniquely shaped. It has been designed just so it sits perfectly on the lips and helps you apply the product with ease. The tip has been ‘ergonomically’ designed to make the creation of gradient lips easier.
THE PRODUCT: The product is such that when you start applying it, it feels almost watery. But as time goes by, it starts to settle down on the lips. After 30 seconds or so, after the product has set, it won’t budge for the life of you. Be sure to blot it once, though. The remnants will be pressed onto the tissue and thus, the actual, set product will remain on the lips. Since it does dry to a matte finish, it lasts for ages – through eating and drinking (it’s quite possibly even kiss-proof, as mentioned in this video here). It is lightweight and doesn’t feel overly sticky. It is very, very pigmented and is true to colour. There are a few cons, which will be broken down below, but its pigmentation and longevity easily outweighs the cons. The product is extremely unique and it smells great too – like night jasmines, no less.
‘#8 Guilty Pink’ is your generic blue-toned darker pink. The colour may seem boring but it’s extremely gorgeous and is a universally flattering blue-pink.
ISSUE/CON & HOW TO FIX IT: There’s only one little issue that you may find with these: they are drying after a few hours of wear. The colour will remain, don’t worry. What will happen is, the product may settle onto lip lines and flake off quite ungracefully. Also, if your lips are already dry and flaky to begin with, it will highlight the ugliness of those issues. There’s an easy fix to this. Exfoliating is recommended and a lip balm underneath or a gloss on top fixes the flakiness to a great extent. Since ‘#8 Guilty Pink’ is a generic blue-toned pink, there are a lot of tinted balms and glosses to go with it. (I use the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in ‘025 Sweetheart Valentine‘ as a balm underneath or the L’Oreal Shine Caress Lip Gloss in ‘605 Eve‘ as a gloss over top.)
HOW TO REMOVE: Since these are very long-wearing a pigmented, removal becomes quite a pain. There’s a Lipnicure Remover that has been designed for the main purpose of removing the product from your lips. Normal baby wipes or makeup remover wipes do not work at all. An oil based remover works best. (I use the Innisfree Green Tea Cleansing Oil)
VARIATIONS: They originally came in 8 shades. There are 2 more shades in the line in the line now, making it a total of 10. The colours range from nudes, corals, peaches to reds and pinks. Check them out here or here.
PRICE: Depending on where you buy it from, they usually range from $11.50 – $18.98.
AVAILABILITY: Available on Tester Korea, IBuyBeauti and W2Beauty. (I got mine from IBuyBeauti; excellent service and prices)
Clio Virgin Kiss Lipnicure in '08 Guilty Pink'.
Pros
- The pigmentation is insane and is extremely true to colour.
- It dries to a matte finish.
- It lasts for a long, long time. It is waterproof, smudgeproof and so on.
- The colour selection, though limited, is good enough. There's something for everybody.
Cons
- It is extremely high maintenance. It requires a prepping balm underneath or a gloss on top.
- It is super unforgiving on dry, flaky lips.
- They aren't hydrating in the least and are super drying.
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