I can’t freaking make up my mind on these gloss/balm/hybrid things by Maybelline. Sometimes I love the colors and the wear time and sometimes I really hate the smell and the weird application. I actually pulled these out to throw them away because I never use them but then I swatched them and was like “oooohh pretty shiny things!” Because I’m a magpie and sometimes these things happen. But NOW I don’t know what to do with the dang things!

Let’s start with some pictures, everybody loves pictures!

Glistening Amber- on me this ends up as a pretty, shiny colorless gloss.

Radiant Bloom- a pale baby pink that looks almost white on the lips.

Caramel Infused- a neutral rosy shade that is incredibly similar to my natural lip color.

Signature scarlet- a sheer warm red.

Caviar Couture- a purple berry shade with very fine blue and pink shimmer.

When I applied these for the photos, every application was with a single dip of the applicator into the tube. I found with all shades (but most noticeably with the darker shades) a second application can make the product separate oddly on the lips. This is minimized if you wait about a minute before the second application but waiting does not solve the separating issue altogether.

Wear time is quite good, full color and gloss for the first hour at which point the color begins to fade. Product still remains on the lips for about three hours.

Pro’s:

Beautiful shade selection
Long wearing
Comfortable “pillowy” feeling on the lips
No feathering
Not particularly drying

Con’s:
Horrible smell (floral perfume)
Smell lingers
Taste of perfume
Separate when lips are pressed together
Don’t wear evenly
After a few hours my lips feel a bit like raisins, not dry, but like your fingers feel if you stay in the pool or bath for too long. It’s a very odd sensation.

As you can see, I still can’t make up my mind on this product. They look nice but the smell is almost a deal breaker for me.

Do you have any of these? Do you think they might be a little over hyped? Or do you adore them?