SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE LIP LUSTER LIPSTICK IN CAYENNE SWATCHES

I recently stopped by Sephora and picked up this lip luster lipstick. While it is no longer sold online at Sephora.com, it can still be found in some sephora stores and perhaps on ebay. Normally $18 it was on sale for $9.........thus my lipstick addiction refused to let me leave it be. This lipstick came out in the Fall 2012 Sephora + Pantone Universe Alchemy of Color Collection. There were originally five different shades in Tangerine Tango, Almost Apricot, Cayenne, Claret Red, and Raspberry Radiance. 

 Shown here is the color Cayenne, described by Sephora as a "glittery pepper red". I must say this description is pretty spot on. These lip luster lipsticks consist of a pigmented glittery center surrounded by a layer of conditioning balm.  

I showed my friends this lipstick after I bought it and they (like me) we amazed by the beautiful glitter and shine on initial inspection. However we were worried about whether or not it would actually look as amazing on. 

In real life this lipstick is utterly beautiful in terms of color. It is unlike anything else I have in my collection. Think of a hot spicy red tinged with golden and pink sparkles. I had a hard time showing its beauty on camera......guess that means I need a better camera!
***THE COLOR ON THE LIPS IS EXACTLY LIKE THE COLOR IN THE TUBE...ITS JUST WAY TOO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH...believe me I tried.***

super hard to capture the beauty

PERFORMANCE:

The color on the lips looks exactly like the color
in this picture!!!

While this lipstick is indeed gorgeous..the pigmentation is not the best. It applies almost like a thick lipgloss and is definitely not opaque in coverage. Yet at the same time it is not quite sheer and if layered gives a punch of color. For some odd reason the glitter and the texture of this lipstick remind me of that of Clinique's Color Surge Water Violet lipstick. (Not in color just in feeling) This lipstick does not last too long sadly and does transfer onto other surfaces, leaving behind lots of glitter. On the lips this lipstick does feel slightly gritty because of the glitter. However this doesn't really bother me. It is not drying but not really super moisturizing either. Some people have said that the application of this lipstick takes a little bit of work. I found this untrue on my part as the application of it took about the same amount of time as my other lipsticks. However for some people this product could be slightly hard to apply due to the clear balm surrounding the pigmented part of the lipstick. 

GRADE: Average (B-)

CONCLUSION: I actually really love this lip luster lipstick as the color is gorgeous and quite unique to my lipstick collection. While the idea of a moisturizing balm combined with a lipstick is quite interesting, sadly it shields one from seeing the true potential of this lipstick. I would love for this lipstick to be sold without the conditioning balm. However for the price of $9 its really quite a fantastic deal!!!!! And also a perfect lipstick for a Christmas party! :) 

Have a great day everyone!! <3

Love,

Cherie