Review: e.l.f. Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink

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My first review of 2016! I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around here when it comes to reviews and I have a TON of products in my review queue right now, so expect many, many reviews in the weeks/months to come. I wanted to kick things off with this e.l.f. product for you today, since it's been in my queue for a while now (I purchased it several months ago when it first debuted on the e.l.f site).

e.l.f. Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink

(retail: $6, 0.11 oz.)

The e.l.f. Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink retails for $6 and can be purchased on the e.l.f. website HERE. It has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 on the e.l.f. site, with 112 reviews. I haven't yet seen this product in-store at Target, Walmart, etc. but if you have, please comment below and let us know!

I wanted to review this for you back when I first purchased it, but I was holding out hope that I would eventually get the Dior Addict Lip Glow in Pink ($33), which has been compared to this product. Sadly, I never did get that product, so I cannot compare the two for you. But I HAVE owned quite a few "mood" lip colors in my life, so I do have some basis for comparison.

First, let's talk about the packaging. I like it! The plastic case feels nice and thick, and I like the sleek, minimalist design. 

I've seen some complaints about the lid falling off easily, but I actually haven't had that issue at all. The lid on my tube snaps firmly into place, and there's an audible "click" when you close it. I haven't had any issues with the lid falling off in my purse or makeup bag.

As you can see, the stick itself is a light pink shade (similar to the Dior). 

Two light swipes

The pic above was taken after I applied two light swipes onto the back of my hand. I've heard that this lip tint goes on clear at first, but for me it instantaneously turns pink. After a few minutes, the color deepens to an even warmer, brighter pink, which is what you see above. Obviously this is going to vary a bit depending on your natural lip color, but I think it's safe to say it's probably going to be a warm pink on my most people, varying in intensity depending on your skintone.

Here's what it looks like on my hand after an hour:

After the shine wears off, this product does leave a stain behind--on my hand. But now let me tell you how it wears on my lips.

First of all, the product itself feels like a slick lip balm. The texture is very slick, and it glides onto the lips effortlessly. It almost feels like petroleum jelly on my lips in terms of slickness, only lighter (not heavy like straight up Vaseline). There is no flavor or fragrance to this lip tint. In terms of hydration, I find that it feels moisturizing while I'm wearing it, but I don't feel any lasting effects after application. I have heard that some people find this formula a bit drying, but I haven't experienced any dryness after wearing this lip tint. My lips just feel normal--not dry and not moisturized--after I use this product.

Unfortunately, for me, the stain you see on the back of my hand doesn't translate to my lips. After about 45 minutes to an hour, I find that this product completely disappears on me. The shine is gone, and there's no tint/stain left behind.

During the time that this lip tint IS visible on my lips, it does impart a pretty flush of color, but I think that the warm pink shade is one of those things that's either going to absolutely work for you, or absolutely NOT work for you. It's always a gamble when trying "mood" products because you're never going to know exactly what the shade will look like until you actually put it on your lips. But is this product worth the gamble? That's the question.

In my humble opinion, I think that this lip tint is best suited toward younger people who aren't looking for bold, opaque lip colors, or people who prefer a natural "glow" when it comes to lip products. If you're big on color and you want maximum impact and long-wear, this is not for you. But if you don't mind frequent reapplication and you're just looking for something you can easily slap on without a mirror to quickly give your lips a sheer, yet visible wash of color, this is a nice "keep in the purse" product for those types of occasions.

FINAL VERDICT: Not a complete love-match for me, but I don't dislike this product. I was hoping for better staying power and a tint that lingers for hours after application, but this one barely lasts an hour on me before it's completely gone. That's a bummer for me, because I've owned other "mood" type lip products in the past that stain for hours after application. Those of you who don't like fragrance/flavor in your lip products will appreciate that there's zero fragrance/flavor here, but lip colors of this nature are always a gamble in terms of the color. Depending on your skintone, this could impart a soft wash of color, or a more intense, deep flush of color. There's really no way to know for sure until you actually get it on your own lips. On my medium-pigmented lips, this color morphs into a bright, warm pink that eventually becomes softer before it disappears completely. I like the color on me for low- or no-makeup days. It's not something I would actively reach for to complete a makeup look, but it's definitely something I would grab from my purse when I'm on the go and just want a quick wash of color to keep myself from looking like a zombie when I'm out running errands. So in that respect, I don't regret my purchase at all, but I'm not sure if I love it enough to repurchase.

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.