Vivid Enough to Tussle With a MAC Lipglass, Estée Lauder’s Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers Flaunt Powerhouse Pigment

I think that over the course of almost every MAC-aholic’s time as a semi-professional MAC makeup hoarder/enthusiast, there’s a period during which Lipglasses are, like, the end all, be all pinnacles of lip glossy-ness, and everything else might as well be a sub-par knockoff sitting on a folding card table on a sketchy street corner sidewalk being sold by some guy named Zipper, know what I mean?

For me, that period was the late ’90s, when if I couldn’t have MAC Spite or Nymphette, I didn’t want anything at all.

But times change. Eventually, my eyes (and makeup bag) opened to new possibilities, with the possibilities in this case being different glosses.

Thank goodness, too, because I would have kicked myself for missing these new potently pigmented Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers from Estée Lauder ($25 each), a new line of 12 long-wearing glosses available now.

Basically, they’re like MAC Lipglasses raised on a high-pigment diet and taught to wield a flocked applicator instead of MAC’s doe foot. They’re also unscented and unflavored.

Similarly thick, sticky Lipglass-like formula, even application, smooth texture and shiny finish…but with hella high levels of pigment.

Part of me finds the coverage super satisfying, especially with the light and nude shades like Amber Halo (a peachy nude) and Peach Glass (a peachy pink). My lips are pretty pigmented, and I can’t always find opaque glosses in nude shades that are able to completely cover up my natural lip color.

But Amber Halo and Peach Glass do it just fine (even one layer).

LOVE that!

On the flip side, though, that pigment can make application tricky, like with Ruby Glow and Wet Plum, the darker wine and berry shades.

Yeah, the flocked applicator helps where precision’s necessary, like around the inner corners, but sometimes I still stray outside my natural lip line.

Bottom line: unless you have the steady hands of a surgeon or a professional Jenga player (I’m so terrible at that game), you might want to line your lips first with a lip liner when you wear the darker shades.

EL claims they last six hours. I’ve been getting more like two hours of the glossy finish, which then wears down to a stain that lasts another 2-3, so about 4-5 hours total from one application.

Pretty good.

I dig these and think they’re cool, even the slightly high maintenance darker colors, but my favorites are the ones I know I could wear day in, day out, like the nudes and lighter ones I’m unlikely to mess up…like Peach Glass, Amber Halo and Liquid Petals.

PRICE: $25 each
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, and available now at Estée Lauder counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So long, Monday. Don’t let the door hit you in the have a great night!

P.P.S. Did you just smile? I hope you did. 🙂