The velvety, satin texture glides on lips with vibrant color and luminous shine. Enriched with Shea and Vitamins A, C, & E to nourish and hydrate the lips. The rich, creamy formula seals in moisture for long-lasting wear and comfort. shine
I’ve been experimenting with a lot of lipsticks lately, so when I found these by e.l.f. Cosmetics for only $3 each, I could not pass them up! e.l.f. currently has three lines of lipsticks available, including their ‘Essential’, ‘Mineral’ and ‘Moisturizing’ lipsticks. The three I’m reviewing today are the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing lipsticks – here’s a quick description from e.l.f.’s website:
“The velvety, satin texture glides on lips with vibrant color and luminous shine. Enriched with Shea and Vitamins A, C, & E to nourish and hydrate the lips. The rich, creamy formula seals in moisture for long-lasting wear and comfort.”
From top to bottom: ‘Flirty & Fabulous‘ [a bright fuchsia], ‘Pink Minx‘ [a peachy-pink nude], ‘Ravishing Rose‘ [a medium rose]
The e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipsticks feel like almost a lip balm and lipstick in one. The formula starts off smooth and hydrating [thanks to shea butter and a whole slue of waxes], which my dry lips can really appreciate. The one downside however is that they contain mineral oil, paraffin, and microcrystalline wax [all petroleum byproducts] and propylparaben, which is the main reason I don’t reach for these on a daily basis.
As with any moisturizing lipstick, the creamy formula tends to transfer pretty easily onto cups, napkins, etc. I find that even with only light drinking [and no eating], they’ll fade by about 50% after 2 hours of wear. By 4 hours, only a slight stain will remain, at which time, I’ll apply another coat.
The e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipsticks vary when it comes to pigmentation. Flirt & Fabulous for example, starts out slightly sheerer than Pink Minx. However, once built up [usually after 2 to 3 swipes max], they each provide the same coverage [plus a glossy sheen] that you’d expect from a higher end lipstick.
e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in ‘Ravishing Rose‘
e.l.f.’s Moisturizing Lipstick in the shade ‘Ravishing Rose’ is probably the most universally flattering shade, in my opinion. You can see the slight glossiness and opaque coverage you get after about three swipes.
As you can see, three ‘kisses’ later a lot of the lipstick has come off, leaving behind just a hint of color on the lips.
Overall, there are definitely some pluses and minuses to these lipsticks. But considering their low price [~$3], I’d say they’re worth a try if you’re not bothered by the ingredients. Just be prepared to re-apply them quite often.
I was inspired to get this lipstick after seeing it on the Reddit sub, makeupaddiction. This can be a bit dangerous because I have the image of the product looking stunning on someone else. This lipstick, thankfully, did not disappoint!
Pros- The color. Oh, my, it is so pretty! This is such a great Fall option if you’re not a fan of the dark, intense shades that tend to trend this time of year. It’s comfortable in the lips and lasts pretty well. I don’t notice it travel around my lip line when I’m lazy and don’t prep with liner. Also, it’s a whopping $3.
Cons- It’s not the most creamy formula so it can feel a little hard on the lips when applying. While I wouldn’t say it’s drying, I do prefer to pop a bit of balm on underneath for extra moisture. If I don’t line my lips, I do notice this fade into that sexy lip ring [fading quicker on the lips while remaining on the lip line]. That might just mean I need to exfoliate more though!
Bottom Line- I would totally recommend this, especially if you want an alternative to the traditionally more dark, deep Fall lip colors. For the price, you really can’t go wrong. Have you tried this, or any of the other elf Moisturizing Lipsticks? Leave your thoughts and comments below!
I originally posted a review about the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in the shade Cheeky shortly after its release last year. You can find that review here.
Packaging
It was only a few months after the product was initially released before the metal packaging was traded in for a smaller plastic version. Since the switch coincides with Target starting to carry the lipsticks, I can only assume the move was made because the newer packaging was less expensive and/or easier to produce.
Original vs newer packaging of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Red Carpet
Personally I prefer the original metal packaging. It’s better quality than the plastic and more durable. Plus, I haven’t seen a while lot of lipsticks use metal tubes. The resulting aesthetic was more unique than the current design.
Original vs newer packaging of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Red Carpet
The newer packaging is still ten times better than the Essential Lipstick packaging and is aesthetically more similar to that of the Mineral Lipstick [my review here].
e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Wink Pink, Ravishing Rose, Velvet Rope, Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet
The shade indicating color band has been moved from the middle of the packaging to the bottom. I feel that the newer color band is slightly more accurate than the old. Overall the new tube is far shorter than the original, though they contain similar amounts of product [0.13 oz for the newer version vs. 0.11 oz for the original].
Detached lipstick bases revealing a lip color pot
Update 10/23/2015 I recently discovered that the bases of the newer tubes detach to reveal a lip color pot. This explains why the colored bases are so accurate since they are filled with the lipstick color, not dyed plastic. To learn more about the detachable bases, as well as tips to remove them, see my post here.
Formulation
The product definitely lives up to its name. The formula is very moisturizing, a little more so than the Mineral Lipstick—and a lot more than the Essential Lipstick.
e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Velvet Rope, Ravishing Rose, Wink Pink, Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet
I detect a cocoa butter scent, though I don’t see it on the ingredients list. It could be due to the shea butter, or simply the added fragrance.
The downside to the Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks is that they contain mineral oil, paraffin, and propylparaben.
Shades
The shades are very bright, as opposed to the Mineral Lipsticks that are very neutral. For many, the shades may be more suited for a slightly younger demographic, say thirties and under, depending on how one feels on the matter.
Almost all shades have a creme finish, with only one I own currently being a shimmer.
There are ten shades available. Unless e.l.f. decides to release more shades, I doubt I will buy anymore lipsticks since the ones I don’t own are all have cool undertones and are just not flattering to my skin tone.
Swatches of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Minx, Wink Pink, Ravishing Rose, Cheeky, Red Carpet, Velvet Rope, and Coral Cutie
Wink Pink
If you are looking for a more neutral pink, especially if you are like me and lean towards a yellowish complexion, this is a better option than Pink Minx.
Coral Cutie
True to the name, this is a very bright coral shade. Not as as deep as Velvet Rope.
Pink Minx
A bright, true pink.
Cheeky [shimmer]
Still my favorite. A shimmery, neutral pink. The picture on the e.l.f. site does not do it justice.
Swatches of Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet
Ravishing Rose
True to the name, a dark rose shade. More neutral and not as bright as the other shades.
Velvet Rope
I expected this to be an orange-y red, but it’s really more of a darker coral and more wearable than I expected. A darker version of Coral Cutie.
Red Carpet
A bright red with blue undertones. A fair vegan red, although Fearless from the Essential Lipstick is hands down the best vegan red lipstick out there. Overall the shade leans more hot pink than true red.
Images
Final Thoughts
Pros: Moisturizing, pigmented, saturated shades, widely available, pleasant scent Cons: Bright colors, contains petroleum products and fragrance, almost all have creme finish, limited shade selection
Though there could be more shades, the Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks are one of the best vegan lipsticks out there. And at $3, they’re a total steal. It’s also very convenient that Target carries them in stores, albeit a reduced selection.
I much prefer the Moisturizing Lipsticks to similar products, like the MegaLast Lipsticks by Wet n Wild or the similar L.A. Girl Creme Lip Colors.
If you are concerned by the hyper saturation and color payoff, try starting with Cheeky, Ravishing Rose, or Wink Pink, three colors that are more neutral than the other shades and not as bright.
Does Elf lipstick have lip balm on the bottom?
Although the general consensus on Twitter is that the tiny bonus container holds lip balm, e.l.f. set the record straight. The creative director of the bargain brand, Achelle Richards, told Elite Daily the Chamber of Secrets actually contains a basilisk lipstick sample, NOT a balm.
What is moisture lipstick?
Moisturizing lipsticks are lipstick formulas that are made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, shea butter or various oils to help keep your lips looking and feeling hydrated throughout your lipstick wear.