Hype Theatre: Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie

image from sephora.com

Good evening (or morning, whatever).  Welcome to Hype Theatre, where we examine the most hyped about products, and see whether they are worth the hype surrounding them, are just average, or are downright crap.

Today we will be examining Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie, the lipgloss that many women claim is their HG, the best of the best, and worth its weight in gold.

I originally received these as samples and gifts with purchase (and gifted gifts with purchase.  Thanks mom!).  While I did not receive full tubes of this product, I do have enough to make at least 3 full sized tubes, so this product has been thoroughly tested.  This product currently sells for $18 for .5oz (14.6g).

The color that I am mainly reviewing today is Coral Rush, what I would call a more coral watermelon flesh color, with subtle gold sparkle.  This particular shade shows as a light pink with a slight orange pull on my lips, very nice, and goes well with warmer weather, though it should work well in fall/winter.

The gloss squeezes out of the tube with no problem, and is not runny (think Bonnie Bell here).  Juicy Tubes gloss is more thick, and while more difficult to apply than many, is not impossible.  The color is sheer, but does show up, so a thick layer to see the color is not necessary.

The overall texture is not as sticky as, say, MAC Lipglass, but it is by no means non-sticky, like many claims want you to believe.  This is definitely in the category of "tie your hair back if it is windy, and you are wearing this gloss."  Like I stated, it is not as sticky as a lipglass, so there is less need to worry when, say, drinking tea, but there is transfer.  My lips do not stick together unattractively, and there is none of that tell-tale gloss threads when talking (you know what I'm talking about, they look kinda like spider-silk).  The stickier texture allows this gloss to stay on for a longer amount of time than it otherwise would, but it doesn't appear to have very long staying power, fading at about the 2-3 hour mark, depending on how much talking, eating, and drinking actually took place.

While there is no creeping into fine lines for me, there is a little migration that happens towards the outside of my lips.  Also, this gloss does not fade gracefully, getting stickier and more blotchy as time passes, until eventually it needs to be removed.  I cannot layer new gloss on top of old, and removal required something stronger than a paper tissue, and perhaps more elbow grease than I an comfortable exposing my lips to multiple times in a single day.

Overall, this is not worth the hype, and I would claim this is an average product.  The price is pretty reasonable compared to others in the same market (like MAC Lipglass at $14 for .17oz, Shiseido The Makeup Lip Gloss at $21 for .15oz), but compared to others in a tube (like philosophy at $10 for .5oz, Sephora Super Shimmer Lip Gloss $10 for .5 oz, Urban Decay XXX Shine Lip Gloss $16 for .4oz), it is a little high for what you are actually getting.  Those are just mid-high end glosses, as well; drugstore makeup, which I would consider to be of similar quality, is much cheaper.

Hype Theatre deems this:
Product: Not worth the hype, just average.
Price: Complete crap.

Dior lipgloss Rose Minaidiere / Clutch Pink 517

 

image from sephora.com, note, this is not the actual color!

swatch image from beauty.dior.com

Price: $25.50 for 0.21 oz (compare to MAC lipglass at $14 for 0.17 oz)

What they say:
"Presenting 100% couture color and shine that just won’t quit: Dior’s lastest high-tech, high-fashion gloss comes with an innovative brush applicator so that color glides on precisely and stays put while its ultra-light, non-sticky formula instantly pumps up the volume and softens the lips. Brilliant!"

What I say:
I love this gloss!  I had read many reviews online for this gloss, and everyone basically had the same thing to say; it's gorgeous, non-sticky, but expensive.  I would have to agree with that 100%.

The color is like a warm baby pink, and while it shows very light pink shimmer in the tube, it is completely unnoticeable when worn.  This gloss is one of the non-stickiest I have every worn/seen, but keep in mind that also means that it will not last through a hurricane.  I noticed no smell, and no flavor, both major pluses for me.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love some smells, but I would prefer nothing to the possibility of a horrible combination, or a possible smell of doom (the one so strong that it never goes away, and gives you a headache).

The tube on this gloss is sleet and sophisticated, while at the same time being practical and sturdy.  This gloss has a brush style applicator (which I prefer) so there is a lot of control.  The gloss is a little on the thin side, though, so watch out around the edges of your lips, or you might be in for a game of "get the gloss of my skin."  It claims to plump lips, but this is in the style of Japanese lipglosses that use the light to make lips appear to be larger than they really are.  Still, that means no chemical reactions, and personally I think those are the only kind of "plumpers" that work (since normal ones, like DuWop do nothing for me).  This is a moisturizing lipgloss (yay!) so you don't need to worry about layering this over a lipchap or any kind, but I would make sure your lips aren't dry and flaky.

Now the price... $25.50 is a lot of money, I'm not going to lie.  Also, there are other glosses, and other companies, so it's not like you are stuck with only this option.  I know lots of people say that NYX gloss is wonderful (depending on the color), and at a fraction of the price, it might be more worth it to get many of their glosses for the same price.  Personally, I think the texture, combined with a pretty color, and no smell makes this a worthy gift to yourself (or others).

4.5/5, will probably repurchase, if I have the extra cash

CoverGirl Wetslicks Amazemint

 

image from covergirl.com

Price: $6.25 for 6ml (.27 fl oz)

What they say:

"CoverGirl Wetslicks Amazemint isn't just a lipgloss, it's a smile treatment! Crest Peppermint Oil provides a minty breath sensation while the gloss itself gives a dazzling high-shine without all that "sticky"."

What I say:

I have this lipgloss in #625 '"un-wined" (a reddish, plummy color), #640 "freedom of peach" (typical dull peach, not like the flesh of a real peach, but pretty), and #645 "slaphappy" (a warmer peach than freedom of peach).  Freedom of peach and slaphappy are so similar in color, and are both so sheer, that if you have one, you really don't need another.  Un-wined is also sheer, but shows up a lot better on your lips, since it is so much darker.  All of the colors that I have have very little shimmer that you can see in the tube, but I never notice it on my lips, and there is no gritty texture.

The peppermint oil in these adds a nice cool sensation to my lips, but I can see how some people wouldn't like it.  Personally, I think it's great, and like to reapply to get it to come back.  These lipglosses are non-sticky, but still have that slight lipglossy feel, so you won't think you are not wearing anything.  Some of the colors claim to neutralize the yellowness of your teeth by being more blue based, but I have not noticed this with un-wined, which is supposed to be one of the colors on the list.

Overall, I really like these.  Since CoverGirl is a drugstore brand, you can often find these BOGO, so $6 for two glosses that are pretty nice is not a bad deal.  Also, since they are not sticky, and are cheap, they make great in your bag for touch-ups gloss, and great in your bag, might get lost or "borrowed" by younger people gloss (read: cousins, child, etc).  These are not HG for me, but I will, and have, repurchased.

 

4/5