Review : Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks

Okay, I know, I know, this one is a bit late since these lipsticks have been around on blogs for quite some time, but I wanted to add my review once I'd tried a few of them so that I could review them all at the same time. There's a method in my madness!

I actually received my first colours from this range from the lovely Natalie at Headstream. I couldn't make the Maybelline event that she was organising, so she sent me two of the lipsticks to try out. I had heard of the range prior to the event, especially since Lollipop26 was raving about the shade called Ambre Rose. However, I have to admit, they weren't something I'd actively seek out whilst in Boots or Superdrug, so I'm glad she gave me the opportunity to try them :)

Maybelline are marketing these lipsticks as crisp, Hi-Def colour lipsticks, enriched with honey nectar for a creamy finish. The crisp HD colour is a bit hit and miss in my opinion. Some shades are really opaque, others are quite sheer. Are they creamy? Well they glide on easily but the ones with shimmer feel a bit gritty on my lips rather than smooth. They're not unbearably gritty, but you can definitely notice it. MAC's cremesheens and lustres are creamy in my eyes, and these don't quite live up to cremesheen standard. They have nowhere near the longevity of MAC lipsticks either, but that's not too much of a worry - it just means reapplying often. They smell a bit like plasticine, which fortunately isn't too noticable when you are wearing it on your lips. I'd have expected a nicer scent for a £7 lipstick though. The packaging is so-so. I like the different coloured lids to represent the different colour families, but it doesn't seem very sturdy. I'm a bit cautious about slinging these in my bag as I would with a MAC one. I've not had one break on me yet though, touch wood!

The two shades that Natalie sent me are 605 Precious Beige and 535 Ruby Star. On first impressions, I thought Precious Beige would be a perfect nude colour - a shimmery gold. I was totally wrong though. It's a boring shade that just adds shimmer to your lips - no glossy, creamy feel, no perfect golden nude shade... just a very blah lipstick with a very blah payoff, as you can see from the swatches below. Don't panic though, it is easily rescued with a nude lipstick! Oh yes, whip out your Darling or Creme d'Nude and you have a new twist on the nude lip. It adds shimmer and dimension to somewhat 'concealer-lips'. Not one I'd have purchased because of the dreadful payoff, but it's actually one I'm glad to have as it puts a new spin on nude lips without the need of a gloss.

Ruby Star is gorgeous! I only tend to wear reds on a special occasion, purely because I love playing up my eyes more than my lips, and it's for that reason that I haven't had much wear out of it. I have had a little play around at home with it though. It's such a pretty red that seems to go perfectly with my skintone. It's not a true red, it's more of a raspberry red, and has little tiny flecks of silver shimmer. Yum! This is one of the super pigmented ones and one swipe covers everything, which is great as I like to blank out my lips with concealer beforehand. This is a little out of the ordinary for me, but I love it. Again, maybe one I wouldn't have purchased since it's not often I wear a red, but in my opinion, it's the perfect red for me.

Each swiped 4 times

I decided to check out the other colours since the ones I got sent weren't ones I'd choose everyday, so the next three are ones I bought myself. I got 112 Ambre Rose, 240 Galactic Mauve, and 245 Magic Mauve.

Each swiped 4 times

As soon as I swatched Ambre Rose I knew it would be coming home with me. It's such a pretty pale pink with a lovely sheen to it, making my lips look glossy and full. It's not one of the most opaque colours in the range, but I can live with that. I like to layer it up to get it's full impact, but it's just as pretty with one layer on your lips. It's a fantastic neutral pink and even if I leave the house wearing one colour, I come home wearing this, purely because this is the one I reach for since it's so easy to apply. No need to faff about with a mirror - just whack it on and you're good to go.

Galactic Mauve is one I chose because it is the lipstick form of Trax eyeshadow, which is one of my favourite eyeshadows at the moment. It's a yummy plummy mauve colour with lots of gold shimmer, and in terms of sheer vs. opaque, it's somewhere in the middle. I'm really impressed with this colour. It's perfect for Autumn, and I think it is the perfect deep shade for me since I'm not one to go for full on dark, vampy lips during the day. I wore it to dinner on Friday and the waitress complimented me on it - and we all know who great compliments can make you feel! It's a refreshing change to see a lipstick with gold shimmer too, as I only ever seem to find them with silver shimmer.

Magic Mauve is one I swatched alongside another one called Stellar Pink (I think, but don't quote me on that!). Whichever pink it was, they were very very similar so I asked my fiance to pick between them. He chose Magic Mauve. It's quite a bright berry pink/plum and has some silver shimmer in it. This is one of the more opaque lipsticks, but it doesn't quite top Ruby Star. This is a pretty colour, but not one I reach for often to be honest.

Overall : 3 out of 5. Would I buy again? Probably only Ambre Rose. I do like these lipsticks and I do wear them, I just don't think they are anything special - particularly with a £7-ish price tag! I think that's a little expensive for a drugstore lipstick, especially considering that for just a few quid more you're in high-end territory. I much much prefer Barry M lipsticks - they are excellent quality for the price, come in a wide variety of colours and finishes, are a little bit cheaper and don't have a weird smell.

Hope you found this helpful - even if it is a bit late! x