I Am Bourgeois

If there is one makeup item I can do without, it’s lip gloss. I dislike the tacky feeling of gunk on my lips, the way they make kisses a thousand times more sticky than they should, and the zero staying power. But when I was sent three Revlon Creme Gloss sticks to play around with, I discovered one thing lip gloss can do that lipstick cannot: since they’re a little on the sheer side, lip gloss can make unwearable lip colors actually wearable. Just check out the last look I made for my Project 52! Coral lipstick looks ridiculously orange on me but coral lip gloss, on the other hand, is actually quite nice.

Patent Leather Pink

Patent Leather Pink is a berry-colored shade with a satin finish and just a hint of shimmer. Under artificial light, it’s red and vibrant enough to pass off as lipstick; under natural light, it’s more of a creamy, light berry color. The photos don’t do justice to how pretty Patent Leather Pink really is (or maybe I just need to take better indoor photos). I’d wear this more often if I didn’t have to eat somewhere every time I step out of the house.

Crush on Coral

You’ve already seen me wear Crush on Coral on this blog – a frosty coral gloss with subtle gold undertones. It has iridescent micro-shimmer on it, which I’m not too crazy about. Not only does it makes the lines on my lips stand out, but the stickiness of the gloss makes it impossible to remove the shimmer without a makeup remover. But as far as the color goes, this is definitely the only shade of coral I can wear with confidence.

Peachy Sheen

Peachy Sheen is a peach-pink lip gloss with just the right amount of sheen. Like Patent Leather Pink, it has a nice satin finish, but I find this particular shade otherwise unremarkable.

DO LIKE:
* Goes on smoothly. Revlon Creme Gloss is very easy to apply and the brush-tip applicator allows the color to go on smoothly.
* Not overly glossy. Except for the Crush on Coral color, I like that the lip gloss isn’t peppered with shimmer. I’m sure my teenage self wouldn’t have minded so much, but I’m 24 and starting to think that I’m a little too old for overly-shiny cosmetics.
* Good pigmentation. The glosses don’t go on too sheer; there’s a significant amount of color in each, and colors like Patent Leather Pink are pretty enough to be worn on its own.

DO NOT LIKE:
* Sticky. This isn’t a fault of the product; I think all lip glosses have a certain stickiness you have to contend with. I just thought it was worth mentioning that I dislike feeling the product all over my lips.
* Click-pen mechanism. Perhaps the biggest con is that the gloss is released by a click-pen mechanism at the base of the stick. I’m still pretty new to the world of cosmetics and had absolutely no idea how to make the product come out; I’d turn and turn the base and nothing would happen. Luckily, I happened to be talking to Liz at the time and she said that I just had to keep turning the wheel. Eventually, some lip gloss came out and I happily swatched away. I think the click-pen mechanism of Revlon Creme Gloss has more control than others because the excess gloss didn’t spill out onto my hands. Still, I find the click-pen mechanism unnecessarily gimmicky and complicated. I don’t see why the lip gloss couldn’t have been packaged with a good old-fashioned doe-foot applicator.
* Price. At P475 per tube, I find this pretty expensive for Revlon.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE:
* Discontinued. Well, at least that’s what this Amazon seller says. The Creme Gloss line isn’t listed on the official Revlon page either. Can anyone confirm this?

CONCLUSIONS:

Revlon Creme Gloss has some very flattering lip colors and nice, classy-looking finishes. In fact, I think I look rather pretty in them. Unfortunately, this isn’t the breakthrough product that would make me change my mind about lip gloss; I still stand by my earlier statement about disliking the sticky feel of it on my lips. I’m not a fan of the click-pen mechanism either; perhaps I’d be a little more forgiving if it came with a doe-foot applicator. Then again, it’s not that messy to use, even if you turn the wheel a little too much like I first did. The pigmentation is also pretty good; save for a few colors, it’s not too shimmery or overwhelming for work and other conservative occasions. I suggest that you try out Revlon Creme Gloss if you don’t mind the sticky feeling of lip gloss and would like one with significant amount of color. As for me, I remain a loyal fan of lipstick, but I will find an opportunity to wear Patent Leather Pink one of these days.