Review: L.A. Colors Professional Series Glitter Gloss in Crystal

L.A. Colors Professional Series Glitter Gloss in Crystal

(retail: $1, 0.34 oz)

Some of you may be thinking, "Wow, this is a rather extensive review for a $1 lip gloss!" But honestly? I've been burned quite a few times by dollar store purchases that ended up disappointing me. And after a while, a dollar here, a dollar there...it can really add up! So I'm hoping that by reviewing my dollar store finds in detail, I can help you navigate the waters of the dollar store and spend your pennies wisely.

I had very good luck with the L.A. Colors Professional Series eyeshadow trios that I showed you a while back. So when I spotted this gloss at my local Dollar Tree, also from the Professional Series, I decided to give it a try. Ever since Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, I've been attracted to glowy, iridescent glitter, and even though the glitter in this gloss is not of the flaky variety, I love the colors.

The L.A. Colors Glitter Glosses have a standard doe-foot applicator. Crystal is a clear gloss with iridescent square glitter. Here are some pics taken in a variety of different lights, just so you can get a better idea of the glitter effect:

(you can really see the "glowy" effect in this picture)

So how does this beautiful glitter translate on the lips? Well, I wish I could show you! Unfortunately, I could not get a good photo of this gloss on my lips. No matter what I did, I couldn't capture the glitter and it just looked like clear gloss. So here are some pics of Crystal on my hand:

In this last photo, which is intentionally blurry, you can really see the glitter. In person, the effect is definitely visible at certain angles and when you catch a glimpse of it, it's gorgeous.

On the lips, I find that the glitter is surprisingly more visible and less sparse than what I was anticipating. It creates a beautiful sparkle on the lips (that I wish I could capture with my camera!) and when the light hits it right, you can definitely see the green and gold glowy glitter, which really sets it apart from other types of glitter glosses.

Fragrance, flavor and texture: this gloss smells and tastes like pink bubblegum to me. Since I'm a huge fan of bubblegum-flavored anything, I found that to be a pleasant surprise. The texture of this gloss is a tiny bit gritty and it's kind of dry and thick. I find it challenging to get enough product on the doe foot applicator and I have to move the applicator around inside the tube a bit to "scoop" out enough product. But given how thick and dry this gloss is, it's not ridiculously sticky. Sure it's sticky, but it's not that kind of glue-like stickiness that you'd expect from a gloss that's so thick. On my lips, it almost feels like a thick, rich lip balm, if that makes sense.

Staying power: given the drier, thicker consistency of this gloss, the staying power is good (I can still feel the gloss on my lips after three hours). But with most clear glosses that contain glitter, the glitter in this gloss sticks around long after the gloss itself has disappeared. So be prepared to see bits of glitter on your lips after the gloss has faded away.

FINAL VERDICT: If you can tolerate a thicker, drier gloss that requires a bit of "digging" into the tube in order to get enough product onto the applicator, then the payoff might be worth it for you. I find this gloss to provide a beautiful glitter effect on my lips, so I personally think it's $1 well spent. I don't regret this purchase, but I definitely don't think this gloss is for everyone. If you prefer thinner, slicker glosses that aren't sticky, I'd skip L.A. Colors Glitter Gloss in Crystal.

Do you own any glosses from L.A. Colors? If so, how do you like them?