A while back I did a post about all of the beauty products that have been surfacing at my local Big Lots. Well, one of the things I purchased that day was the e.l.f. Studio Lip Stain in the shade Heartbreaker. Now that I've had a chance to use it several times, I'd like to give you my opinion:
e.l.f. Studio Lip Stain in Heartbreaker
(retail: $3, currently $2.50 at Big Lots)
Since e.l.f. Studio products usually have a retail price of $3, I was happy to see that the Studio products at Big Lots are just $2.50. Also, I thought this shade looked lovely in the tube--sort of a pinky-brownish-peach creme.
The thing that strikes me as odd is that this product is called a Lip Stain. As many of you know, I adore lip stains and I own dozens of them. I've never seen one like this, so I had my doubts that it would truly be a lip STAIN, since it looks like a traditional two-step, long-wear lip color (i.e. CoverGirl Outlast, Maybelline SuperStay, etc.).
Now, I have used lip stains in the past that have come with doe-foot applicators (as we all know, the current trend is the felt-tip pen delivery system), but stains with doe-foot applicators don't usually come with an accompanying gloss (see: Vincent Longo Lip Stain). Also, I had my doubts that this e.l.f. product would behave like a traditional lip stain because stains are usually thin and watery and you can tell by looking at this that it's got a thicker consistency.
Lo and behold, it's not a lip stain. It's a two-part longwear lip color. Now that I'm over the disappointment of that (I know, I know, I saw it coming so I shouldn't really be disappointed), I'll tell you what I think of this longwear lip color that calls itself a lip stain.
On my skin, the color was a LOT lighter than what I thought it would be based on the tube. It also turned much more pink than I had anticipated. Without the accompanying gloss, this color was very chalky, yet at the same time it was sheer. It's not a good combo if you have dry lips--it really exaggerates the dryness of my lips in a most unflattering way.
After letting the "lip stain" set for a few minutes, I applied the gloss. Unlike other traditional longwear lip colors I've used in the past, I was surprised that the gloss actually made the lip stain nearly disappear on my lips. When I looked down at the wand, I noticed that the color of the lip stain transferred to the doe-foot applicator of the gloss. This doesn't tend to happen with traditional longwear lip colors, which usually set quite nicely after a few minutes. I was disappointed that there was so much color transfer, but I didn't give up.
Next, I smooshed my lips together a few times to get the gloss to mingle with the lip stain, and the above picture is the result. I think that wearing the gloss on top of the lip stain looks much better than wearing the lip stain alone, and I actually was content with leaving it on my lips for the day.
Sadly, Heartbreaker turned out to be a real-life heartbreaker. It faded in less than 30 minutes on my lips and, after one hour of wear, I literally couldn't tell that I was wearing lip color at all.
On a positive note, this product doesn't have any discernible flavor or fragrance (I do get a slight chemical note from the lip stain though) and the gloss is semi-moisturizing, which was a plus because my lips didn't feel parched after wearing this product.
FINAL VERDICT: For $2.50 at Big Lots, purchasing this product helped satisfy my curiosity regarding its name. Could it really be a lip stain in the truest sense of the word? No, it's not. But for what it is (a 2-step longwear lip color) it misses the mark for me since it's too light, too sheer, and lacking in staying power. I'm not inclined to try any other shades in this line and I don't see myself reaching for Heartbreaker again any time soon. Compared to other e.l.f. lip colors I own (and love), this one was a bummer in every sense.
Do you own any e.l.f. Studio Lip Stains? How do you like them?
I have "First Date" and I dont like it at all! '
ReplyDeleteI love Big Lots though! Happy that most items are marked down so you dont have to pay full price, then be sad when it is not very good.
Recently, I purchased a brush set for $4, a Wet n Wild shadow trio in Sweet as Candy for $2.50, a duo pack of makeup sponges for 80*, and 2 Sula polishes for $2.50 each.
i tried a bright pink one a few months ago, and it was awful. i couldn't get it to apply evenly and it lasted maybe twenty or thirty minutes. i got it from dollar tree, so i thought maybe i got a bad one, but i guess not!
ReplyDeleteKathy, I'm so sorry! I accidentally hit "delete" instead of "publish" when your comment came through, but I still have the email so I'm pasting it here:
ReplyDeleteKathy writes:
I don't blame you for not liking these. I have the same color plus Lucky Lady From my local Dollar Tree and ew... The second I put it on the burnt tire smell hit me. Although, the colors did hide my pigmented lips, the never completely dried. So yeah, no go for me too. Happy I just paid a dollar for each.
I have this one and another one called Lucky Lady. Heartbreaker is disappointing. Barely shows up (although it's more of a pink on my lips) and leaves quickly.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Lucky Lady, which is more of a terracotta shade on me, has much better lasting power. It's a little drying, but I've discovered if I use my own favorite lip gloss on top instead of the provided one, it lasts pretty decently...at least compared to Heartbreaker ;)
My reaction is exactly as yours. I found 2 at Dollar Tree and a few at Big Lots. I have Mysterious and Heartbreaker still, but that's because I have to relegate my discards to a box before I can let them leave. LOL. The consistency is what ruined it for me, very strange as it's drying and then icky with the gloss.
ReplyDeleteThey are @ Dollar Tree all the time along with E.L.F Studio eyeshadows, Lip definer/highlighter duos, The stains, Minty lipglosses, False Lashes (individual) etc etc. For a $1 you can try a lot of their Studio items and not be mad if you didn't like it LOL
ReplyDeleteWeird, I just got Heartbreaker in the mail from ELF but it's really watery. Almost a little too watery for my taste and unfortunately it's almost exactly like my natural lip color :(
ReplyDeleteSounds like they should have called this a long-wear gloss. It's sheerer than a long-wear lip color so I think it would fit.
ReplyDeleteI picked up First Date from the Dollar Tree and I don't like it either. It is very chalky and tastes bad! I wont be trying any more of these lip stains from Elf.
ReplyDelete