She Likes Lipstick

I have a sickness. It's called lipstick addiction and it damages lives. It's so horrendously irrational I don't know where to start. On a recent, seemingly innocuous trip to Priceline (first mistake there), I was only planning on checking out the new Maybelline Colour Drama Lipsticks, but I spotted a buy one, get one free offer on She lipsticks. Nothing sucks me in faster than a good ol' BOGOF. I haven't heard much about the She brand and never paid particular attention to it. But when it comes to lipsticks, I'm an equal opportunity lover and judge not on hype, popularity, or packaging, but the product itself. So long as the shade's right and the texture/formula works, then it's a winner in my book. I started swatching...

After an abnormal amount of deliberation (seriously, my hand was COVERED in lip product swatches), I decided to purchase Hush and Angel. Which is hilarious because they're the quintessential peach and pink shades I perpetually gravitate to. It's like each time I shop for a lipstick, I conveniently forget the multitude of nearly identical colours I have at home.

The She lipstick range comprises mainly safe, "wearable", not too in-your-face shades. I steered clear of the frost finishes and was momentarily tempted by the milky, pinky-lavender Atlanta until I came to my senses. The gold exterior reminds me a teeny bit of the YSL Rouge Voluptés, but thinner, paler, more streamlined — not as weighty and decorative.

Both Hush and Angel are somewhat glossy in finish and decently moisturising on the lips. They're not uber pigmented, but have fairly good colour payoff with one layer. I would say the texture/finish is comparable to MAC Lustre lipsticks, though the She lipsticks are thicker in formulation. They do have a tendency to settle into lip lines, which is why I prefer to apply a thin layer straight from the tube then dab my lips with my finger to work the product in. My other gripe is they have a distinct "old lipstick" smell. (Probably because that's what they are, given I doubt they were flying off the Priceline shelves.) When I first opened them, they had a pleasant lavender fragrance, but now they mostly have an off-putting plasticy-floral smell. It's not so strong that it's intolerable, but it's definitely a downside.

l-r: Hush, Angel

l-r: She Hush, L'Oréal Nude Vibrato, MAC Shy Girl, Revlon Juicy Papaya, Revlon Smoked Peach

Hush is a light-to-medium, peachy nude with salmon pink. On the lips, there's a slight pearl to this which I dislike intensely, but it's not too noticeable (the lip swatch doesn't capture it at all). I find Hush to be most flattering with quite a flawless base, which is surprising given it seems to be a fairly low maintenance, "throw on" shade. If my skin isn't concealed and there are still areas of natural redness showing through, Hush seems to draw attention to that.

The colour is right up my alley but admittedly, not very unique. I'm actually surprised I don't have more existing dupes of it (unlike the next shade — you'll see what I mean). Hush is basically the same shade as L'Oréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Nude Vibrato except slightly dustier and darker, and without gold microshimmer. Obviously the textures are different — the L'Oréal is a liquid lipstick, so wet and shiny. MAC Shy Girl is a lot paler and more pastel, less red/pink. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya is brighter in tone, more neon orange. It also has a more emollient and glossy finish. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Smoked Peach is more of a burnt orange, not as pinky-peach and also somewhat more neon in quality.

l-r: She Angel, Maybelline Juicy Bubblegum, Revlon Primrose, Revlon Pink Pout, Australis Jive

Angel immediately makes me think whether there's any reference to the MAC lipstick of the same name. It's your typical slightly mauvey, dusty, cool-toned pink. When I tried this on in the store, I was overcome with a "had to get it" feeling, despite the vague notion I already owned similar shades.

Honestly, mega fail. Forget "similar shades", they're the same! I'm not even going to convince myself they're different. But here we are. Angel is probably the warmest in this family. It's barely distinguishable from Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Jive, except Jive is a touch more muted/dusty. I always thought Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Primrose and Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout were the same, but Pink Pout seems slightly more yellow-toned. But let's face it. I have a problem.

The funniest part of all this is I left Priceline that day with not two, but four new lipsticks. That's right, on top of these She lipsticks, I bought two more lipsticks from another brand. And get this ... both pink. All will be revealed in a blog post in the near future, but in the meantime, I need to learn self-control. It's just increasingly difficult with monstrously hyped lip launches (hello Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks) and my new favourite YouTuber KathleenLights doing an entire "Lip Swatch Week" (is there a colour she can't pull off?). Maybe the trick is reorganising my entire lipstick collection so I can better see and remember what I already have. At least so next time, I don't buy the same shade of pink five times over.