Style July 29, 2019
My lipgloss be poppin'
Via UnsplashI said what I said. Rainbow chrome is the new black, and I’m sticking to that.
Look, I get it. I, a woman of color, was concerned. Because in what world does galactic lip gloss look good on me? I saw this tube of space ship-savvy liquid lipgloss and immediately thought that I was a part of a crude joke. I knew that I was going to walk around LA looking like the most sophisticated Rainbow Fish.
I was wrong. Really wrong.
PopSugar, a media-site-turned-beauty-business launched a couple of new, vegan and cruelty-free products, and I got my hands on some of them. One of these items is the Be Cosmic Crystal Liquid Lip. This Liquid Lip in the shade “Fairidescent” promises to help you “reflect light and color, whenever and wherever you go.” It comes in a clear, small tube (so you can see into outer space, of course) and prices around $24, which is a little expensive but vegan and cruelty-free costs, I guess.
Upon opening it, I did what any sane person does when getting fresh gloss. I sniffed it.
IT SMELLS LIKE PEPPERMINT, Y’ALL.
Instantly, I became excited because scented gloss is superior gloss. I appreciate feeling like a shining star while also smelling minty fresh.
Next was the moment of truth.
The applicator itself mimics a small paint brush instead of the usual doe-tip applicator that we’re used to seeing with liquid lipgloss and lipstick. I appreciate the choice to be different, however due to my experience with brushes that have individual bristles, I’m not a fan. Paint brush-like applicators are more likely to splay and become ineffective for actual application.
Remember painting when you were a kid? By the time you finished the brush looked like:
Yeah, no. The applicator gives the impression of painting on a beautiful shiny top coat, which is thoughtful. But, for active liquid lipgloss users, I doubt it will last.
Upon actual application, the first swatch scared me. It does apply as a very prismatic lip shade. Flashbacks of Rainbow Fish calling me his twin crept into my mind. I knew I was going to get roasted in the group chat. But listen. I took a deep breath, evenly applied the product to my lips, and did the typical lipgloss lip pop. This is where the magic happens.
The gloss is not too sticky, and not too watery. And, the chrome effect is subtle while adding extra umph to the shine. The peppermint scent adds a lip tingle (which I personally love, but I get that people may not like tingles). And after the initial application, it lasted a good amount of time. Some lipglosses start to crust over and give a weird white residue at the opening of your lips; it angers me greatly. This lipgloss failed to trigger that anger.
If you haven’t seen my love for lipgloss by now then you’re lost in another galaxy or something. Gloss is a lifestyle, y’all, and we can’t spend our coin on mediocrity. PopSugar’s Crystal Liquid Lipgloss gave me durability, extra shine, anti-Rainbow Fish support, and great scents and tingles (I sound like an ASMR-tist, wow). However, the applicator could use some work (and the price), but this lipgloss hits every mark. PopSugar definitely gets this lipgloss enthusiast’s approval.
