Review: New Black Radiance Moisturizing Lip Stain in Cinnamon Spice

I sound like a broken record, but I seriously love Black Radiance. From their face primer (which is still a Holy Grail product for me) to their glosses, I just believe that Black Radiance consistently releases colors and products that work for a variety of skintones. And the fact that they're made by Markwins (makers of Wet n Wild) means their price tags are lovable too.

A few days ago I showed you some new Black Radiance products that I spotted, and a review of one of their new Artisan Color Baked shadows (click here if you missed that post). Today, I'd like to show you the other product I purchased, which has me absolutely giddy:

Black Radiance Moisturizing Lip Stain in Cinnamon Spice

(retail: around $2.50)

Please note that the color in the above pics looks more brown than it does it real life. But regardless, I'm always kind of scared when I purchase a gloss like this. I've been let down so many times when the color ends up too brown or too pink on my lips.

Well, I'm delighted to tell you that Cinnamon Spice delivered the exact color I was hoping for: a sheer, warm-toned plummy brick red that, on my pigmented lips, turns into a My Lips But Butter shade. It's gorgeous!

I get no blue undertones, and I get no cool pink undertones in this shade. Just warm, plummy-brick-red goodness. If you live in fear of blue-reds and cool pinks, I think you will adore Cinnamon Spice. At last, a drugstore gloss with the words "cinnamon" and "spice" that truly lives up to its name!

So now let me tell you about the texture. Boy, they sure didn't lie when they used the word "moisturizing" in the title. The ingredients list, which was on the safety seal of this gloss, was a little bit mangled, but I could make out that the fourth ingredient in this gloss is shea butter. I am going to directly attribute the smooth-as-silk texture of this gloss to the amount of shea butter in it. OH MY GOODNESS, I wish I had the words to describe how smooth and silky this feels on my lips. But the magical part is that it's also weightless. This is not a heavy, thick gloss by any means. When I smoosh my lips together, it feels like I'm rubbing a piece of silk between my lips. That's the best way I can describe it. It's not sticky or goopy AT ALL. But yet it's not that sheer feeling you get from some inexpensive glosses that feels more like petroleum jelly--it's not a greasy sheer. This gloss is extremely hydrating on my dry, chapped lips. I can feel the texture of my lips improve while I'm wearing this and, more importantly, I can still feel the effects after the gloss has worn off.

Also, the fragrance and flavor of this gloss are both extremely mild. I get little-to-no fragrance from the one, and the flavor is a very mild sugary taste that fades quickly.

Now let's talk about the "lip stain" part of this gloss. Well, because this is a moisturizing gloss, I didn't expect it to give me the same results as a traditional lip stain. And it doesn't. BUT, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that if I don't constantly smooth my lips together (hard for me to do because it just feels so good), I can get about four hours of wear from this gloss. For me, it wears down to a very subtle, plummy-brick-red stain and it wears down consistently (no ring-around-the-lips syndrome).

If you're a gloss girl, I think you own it to yourself to try this one. Heck, I think balm girls will enjoy this as well. Sure, it has more shine than a balm, but the feel on your lips might make you a believer. The best way I can describe this product is this: if you had a moisturizing, tinted lip balm that leaves a subtle stain on your lips, and you mixed it with a shiny, clear gloss, you'd get Black Radiance Moisturizing Lip Stain. The shea butter, the color, and the texture make this one a winner in my book. I'm tempted to go back and get one in every shade (for a look at all available shades, click here).

Have you tried Black Radiance Moisturizing Lip Stains yet? If not, do you think this type of product would be a good fit for you? I'd love to hear from you!