I love my matte bold lips, I do. Though on a daily basis I’m much more likely throw on a gloss that doses me up with moisture and colour in equal parts, pat it in and head for the door. I might not appear to be the world’s biggest lipgloss lover, but really I’m quite fond of them. The super sheeny, ‘you can see your reflection in it’ finish isn’t for me, but after a doe-foot application a quick swipe over the top with fingers takes off the excess and leaves a natural dewy texture with just a hint of colour. In a way they’re like no makeup, makeup but for your lips. I’ve always preached the ways of the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors. They’re creamy, light and leave no tackiness to the lips. Available in a six-strong range of au natural tints, they push all the right buttons in the lipgloss department. But a recent discovery – stumbled across only because I liked the shade name – of the Maybelline ColourSensational Shine Glosses has got me thinking that the Clarins has some competition in the form of a drugstore dupe…
Formula-wise they’re exactly the same; the scent is fruitier, but it’s the same gloop-free gloss checklist that the Clarins follows. And actually for colours there are a much larger range to pick from, with some bolder shades thrown in there too. Personally I’m a big fan of Cashmere Rose – my original purchase – for its peachy pink hue. It’s one of those ‘don’t have to think about it’ ones. A more amped up version of that is Glorious Grapefruit, which has a touch more red to it. If nude is more your thang, there’s a few to pick from but I like Coffee Kiss. Don’t be put off by its browny appearance in the tube for on the lips it gives off a barely there look – oh and don’t worry about the shimmer running through it either, you can’t detect it once it’s slicked on. The unlikely love from the range though comes in the form of a pepto pink – Pink Shock. Albeit I prefer it when I’ve done my patting in trick, but I can see this looking lush when worn with a warm bronze eye in the evenings for a change from my usual nudey nudes.
Have we got a true dupe on our hands? Well yeah, kinda. The scent and shades are different, but the texture is the same and I reckon the Maybelline ones are even a tad more pigmented, though there’s no direct colour dupe for my favourite shade of the Clarins (02 FYI). Can I call a draw?
Comments