Review: Jane Color Sticks & Lip Ribbons

This is the first of several posts I'll be doing as I take a closer look at Jane Cosmetics' core collection of makeup products. I know a lot of you are already Jane fans, but for those of you who haven't tried much from this brand (available at Drugstore.com, various drugstores such as Rite Aid, and also via Jane's online store), I hope these reviews will help you to determine whether or not you'd like to do some investigating of your own!

I was lucky enough to receive a great assortment of products from Jane's core collection recently, and today I'm going to show you a few of my new favorite lip products, so let's get started!

First up:

Jane ColorSticks Lip & Cheek Color (retail: around $4)

The first thing you'll notice right off the bat is that these chubby pencils are encased in clear plastic instead of wood. What I like about this is the fact that, when you're applying them, you never run the risk of scratching or cutting your lip on a jagged piece of wood (I can't count how many times that's happened to me with wooden pencils!). I've heard that these require the special Jane ColorSticks pencil sharpener to sharpen, but since I currently don't own any other type of chubby pencil sharpener (I lost mine a while back), I have only been using the Jane ColorSticks sharpener on these. Maybe one of you can tell me if a regular sharpener works just as well?

My favorite thing about these pencils is that they truly serve double duty. On the lips, they are perfect to wear alone or under a gloss. They go on smoothly and, for me, they're right in the middle between being too dry and too slick. They're smoother than a lip liner, but not so slick that they're hard to handle.

As for the colors? Well I'll let the swatches do the talking:

Gorgeous! I should note that Redwoods (which is more of an orangey-coral) has golden micro-glitter in it, while Passion is a true plummy-berry shimmer with no micro-glitter.

This next pic is what it looks like when you blend out the color a bit. I wanted to show you how this would look if you used a few swipes on the apple of your cheeks:

Obviously I didn't blend these out as much as I would if I were wearing them on my cheeks, but you get the idea. Both pencils deliver a great pop of color, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they blend on the skin. Unlike some other dual-purpose lip/cheek products I've used in the past, these are not streaky at all. Also, when worn over foundation (and for me, primer) I am able to get several hours of wear before I start to see some fading. You definitely get your money's worth with these babies, and even if they don't work for you in one capacity, you can always use them in the other!

Next up:

Jane Lipstick Ribbons in Brocade (retail: around $5)

(Of course, when I went to open this to take this photo, I dropped it and accidentally stuck my finger right in the middle of the pot. Sorry about that.)

I really cannot say enough about this compact. If you're the type of person who loves to have options when it comes to your lip color, but maybe you don't use a purse that's big enough to haul 10 tubes of lipstick/lipgloss around, then Jane Lip Ribbons are for YOU. These compacts are a fantastic way to have not only five totally wearable lip colors at your fingertips, but endless possibilities in terms of mixing and creating your own custom shades.

And the best part?

The bottom of the compact opens up to reveal a big mirror and a lip brush.

I would say the consistency of these colors lies somewhere between a lip gloss and sheer lipstick. I found them to be surprisingly pigmented considering their sheerness, and the colors in Brocade are beyond pretty. But not just pretty: they're also totally wearable. From the lightest shade to the darkest shade, I have had absolutely no problem getting serious use out of this compact. It's truly my new best friend when it comes to lip color on the go.

Some swatches:

(taken without flash)

(taken with flash)

Now I really laid it on thick for these swatches, so don't let the darkest shade at the bottom scare you. You can use a much lighter hand when applying these to get a softer look and just a hint of color. Again, it's totally up to you. These Lip Ribbons really give you the power in terms of how you can wear them, and which shades you can mix or layer. Oh, and there is virtually no flavor to these, with just a subtle vanilla fragrance that dissipates quickly.

So there you have it: my two current faves from Jane. Please stay tuned because I've got a lot more Jane products to share with you in the days to come.

Do you own either of these products? What are your favorites from Jane? I'd love to hear from you!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.